The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-17 00:00:00

THE NAVAL REVIEW AT SPITHEAD.

Her Majesty left Osborne at three o'clock on Tues-
day afternoon, and reviewed the Reserve squadron,
under the command of Admiral Sir Astlev Cooper
Key, K.C.B. The Prince and Princess of Wales, the
Princess Beatrice, and the Duke of Connaught
were also present. The squadron, which was an-
chored at Spithead, numbered twenty-six vessels.
Upon her Majesty's arrival a Royal salute was
fired, and the Victoria and Albert, followed by the
Osborne, Alberta, and the Euphrates, which had on
board several members of the Lords and Commons,
steamed slowly down the lines. The Royal party
having rounded the Warner buoy, then returned
through the fleet; and, another salute having been
given, the Queen returned to Osborne. The weather,
both previous to and during the inspection, was very
unfavourable.—The following account of die Review
is from The Times of Weinesday

" Yesterday, amid storm and rain, the usual accompani-
ment of nearly all great naval spectacles, Her Majesty the
Queen reviewed a small portion of that great Fleet on which
the might of the vast Enapire which owns her gracious sway
rests in confidence and security. Nor was the importance of
the interesting event of the 13th of August, 1878, in any way
to be measured by the force represented, for the crisis
through which the country has passed is yet of too recent
date to permit of a recall from distant waters of large por-
tions of the fleet which under ordinary clrcumstances of a
rdview in home waters would have been present to swell the
numbers.

"From one point of view it is eminently satisfactory that
such a powerful fleet has been assembled at such a short
notice ; for it must be borne in mind that the squadron now
at Spithead is altogether distinct from any portion of the
Fleet as a whole in ordinary times of assumed peace. This
fleet was suddenly called into existence when war seemed
probable, and it is no small matter for congratulation
that, with the Channel Fleet absent on other duties, a
naval force of such strength could be found at short
notice. It is hardly too much to say that the fleet now
lying at Spithead represents a force almost equal to the en-
tire maritime resources of any onesoutinental Power, net
alone numerically, but also as to lighting capacity; and
when the great arsenal at Portsmouth, which stretched away
to leeward of the fleet, with all its stores and appliances, is
further considered, we may say that had England to
protect her own shores alone, such a fleet and such
resources would probably be found amply sufficient.

"There are reviews and reviews—reviews of stately
wooden vessels which have returned from a campaign self-
condemned, having been able to effect nothing against stone
walls, and the days of vadch were seen to be numbered by
all thoughtful minds Vind there are reviews held with a
special political object, which object has been in two cases
to impress Oriental minds, on which occasions, whether
legitimately or not, we do not pretend to say, many vessels
took part which had only been painted, masted, and manned
for the nonee, and were immediately after the spectacle
reconsigned to the limbo of the floating basin. But the
Fleet now under the command of Sir Astley Cooper
Key is none of these. It forms a bort4 /ids part
of the strength of the nation, and, had it been
deemed advisable, or had some sudden emergency
rendered it necessary, that fleet could have put
to sea under the eyes of Her Majesty and have gone to
the uttermost ends of the ocean to perform any duty that
could be required of it. There were no dummies yesterday
no temporary crews except in one or two of the smaller
order of craft, which are purposely kept in harbour un-
manned. The salutes which were fired might have been
transformed into a terrific whirlwind of flying iron, which
would have swept away like mushrooms all the gay crowd
ef yachts and pleasure-boats which covered the waters, and
the sailors, who stood facing the strong gale as they manned
the yards, would have been equally at home had orders been
given to 'Make sail.'
"The events of the day may be said to have begun with the
arrival, by the special trains from London, of the members
of both Houses and their embarcation on board the Eu-
phrates, while at tne same time, from various points of the
dockyard, other parties were embarking on board the dif-
ferent vessels to which they had been allotted. A crowd
of curious spectators had gathered in the dockyard to
witness the embarcation of the august personages for
whom the large traieport had been got ready, hoping.
doubtless, to catch sight of some of the great luminaries
of the political firmament! but in this they were
rather disappointed, as no stars of sufficient magnitude to
be recognized through provincial telescopes appeared, and
consequently none were recognized except such as had.
been rendered familiar by some course of systematic carica-
ture. Under these rather depressing circumstances, and
with a few ominous rain-squalis, as earnest of what was to
come later, the embarcation was completed, and before two
nearly all the vessels carrying the privileged ticket-holders
had cleared the Spit Buoy, anq,were awaiting the arrival of
Her Majesty. At noon a Royal salute was tired from all the
vessels at Spithead and in harbour, and the ships were
dressed : those about to proceed outside with masthead flags
only, while the vessels which were to remain stationary
dressed in rainbow, with the flags extending from masthead
to masthead.

"As the programme for the day had been altered several
times it was difficult for people to say when the real business
of the day was to begin, and many vessels availed themselves
of the spare time before her Majesty should arrive In visit-
ing the sad remains of the unfortunate Eurydice. It was
Impossible to resist a deep feeling of pain as the helpless hull,
lying partly out of water, hove in sight, and a sense of awe
seemed to pervade all who looked on her, knowing, alas I
too well that down between her flooded decks lay her gallant
crew, as did the crew of liempenfeldt long years ago in the
same waters.

"Towards three o'clock Her Majesty was observed to be
putting off in a Royal barge towards the yacht Victoria and
Albert, which lay with a slip rope to a buoy off Osborne, and
Boon afterwards the Royal Standard was run up to the mast-
head, which was the signal for the Irleet to salute. At that
distance, however, with the strong wind blowing towards
the Fleet, the sound of the guns was quite inaudible, but the
effect of the flashes of light and the columns of smoke swept
away in clouds towards Hayling Island was ver fine.

A line was then formed of the yachts and tenders fol-
lowing in the wake of Her Majesty in the subjoined order :
xt astern of the Royal yacht came the Royal yacht
Osborne, with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and
his friends; then the Enchantress, with their Lordships the
Commissioners of the Admiralty; then the Fire Queen, with
the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Fanshawe, eying his flag at
the main; than the Euphrates, with the Lords, Commons, and
a large bevy of peeresses and lady commoners; then the
Vivid, with the foreign representatives, and in the rear of
these the Dasher and Britomart, with half-pay naval cfricers
and officers of the garrison. In this form the squadron of
yachts, with a strong breeze blowing behind them, bore
down on the Fleet, which was now seen to be anchored in
most admirable order and perfect formation—the larger,
but less formidable vessels forming the Starboard Division,
the turret ships and monitors the Port."
[The Times then gives the disposition and order of the
Diviaons, h the names of the 'l6 ships, consisting of the
Hercules, Hector, Valiant, Lord Warden, Warrior, Penelope,
Resistance, Boadicea, Emerald, Cormorant, Euryalus, Blazer,
Comet, Thunderer, Belleisle, Prince Albert, Gorgon, Hydra,
Hecate, Glatton, Cyclops, Ready, Tweed, Tay, Vesuvius, and
Lightning. The names of the respective commanders are
given, as also the number of guns (219), ho i se-power (2,350),
tonnage (99,549), and crews (amountuog to 6,691.))

'The vessels in these two divisions left a broad water way,
down which her Majesty now steamed, having previously
made the signal that the Fleet would not be required to get
under way. As the Royal yacht approached the yards were
manned, and cheer after cheer rang from the ships. A crowd
of small craft followed thickly in the wake and on both
beams of the squadron of yachts, and fortunately at this
moment the one stray gleam of sunshine which appeared
throughout the day shone forth and lighted up the scene.
The long, even row of vessels, the fluttering bunting, and
the figures of the men as they stood on the yards, presented
a fine scene. The Royal yacht now steamed towards the
Warner lightship, passing not far from the wreck of the
Eurydice, which must have attracted her Majesty's atten-
tion, and then turned towards the Fleet again.
"The aspect presented by the fleet as a fleet was very
curious, and to naval minds instructive. A broad line may
be drawn by saying that while on one side, the starboard,
some trace of the old lines of beauty which formerly graced
our ships might still be observed, on the other band, the
port, where lay the turrets and monitors, every trace of any-
thing approaching to beauty of form has been unsparingly
obliterated. But utility has no laws in the engines of war,
and committee after committee abandoned all idea of
avoiding ugliness. Speculative designers have contem-
plated all kinds of services to be rendered by different
orders of ships—all varying as much as in land warfare
do ponderous siege guns from the smallest mountain gun
carried on the back of a mule. Here were side by side
vessels fit to go to the antipodes, and to weather the
severest gales, while darting in and out among these great
floating monsters, as if in parody of their weight and un-
wieldiness, were diminutive torpedo boats, travelling at
railway speed. And yet, as has already been said, this
mixed fleet alone is a powerful force, and from the very
variety of armaments and diversity of uses to which they
could be applied would present a serious obstacle to any
foreign Power in any war in which we might be engaged.
"It was not Her Majesty's intention to have visited any
of the vessels, so that the bad weather did not interfere with
that part of the programme, but from the signal which was
made it was evidently the intention that the Fleet should
have been got tinder way and have performed some such
simple manosuvres as steaming round the Royal yacht, either
in two columns or in single line ahead, and then resuming
their atatiens at Spithead. But that it was wise to abandon
this project all those who witnessed the review must agree,
as from the confined space, the crowds of shipping and
small boats, the violent squalls of wind and the occasional
blinding showers, it would have been attended with con-
siderable risk. This we say fearlessly, and regardless of the
croakings of the old school, who cannot open their eyes to
the plain logic of facts that a ponderous modern ironclad
Is not to be handled in narrow waters with the same im-
punity as were the old wooden vessels of bygone days. It is
time this feet should be recognized, and that the Admirals
of the present day, who have brought the Navy to its present
state of efficiency, should be no longer twitted from the
seclusion of Pall Mall with ignorance and want of seaman-
ship. Her Majesty now made the signal, 'Am much pleased,
and regret that weather prevents evolutions,' with which
gracious message, and under the smoke of a second Royal
salute, the Royal yacht and her train of followers steamed
away towards the Sotent.

" This was a general signal for the visitors to disperse, and
.soon the entrance to Portsmouth harbour was crowded with
vessels of all kinds making for the various landing places.
Dense crowds of people were now perceived to line the sea
walls, the piers, and even the distant house tops of South-
sea, waiting patiently through the gusts of wind and
blinding squalls of rain te see the far off spectacle across
the broad waters of Bpi thead. As the vessels approached their
respective berths alongside the jetties ef the Dockyard they
were promptly moored, and in a very few minutes dis-
charged all their passengers. A special train was in wait•
lug to convey away the members of the two Houses who had
been sumptuously entertained on board the Euphrates as
guests of the Admiralty.
"No accident of any kind it is believed occurred through-
out the day, and no small credit is due to those responsible,
when the crowded state of the harbour and the strong tide
which sweeps in and out are taken into consideration. Ex-
cept that the weather was not propitious everything went
off most satisfactorily, and the Naval Review of 1878 will
be long remembered, as giving proof what resources are at
our command on the shortest notiee."