The New York herald., 1878-08-15
REVIEWED BY THE QUEEN
Arnored and Unarmored, Tufret Ships, Gun
boats and Torpedo Boats.
LONE OF ENGLANDS SPARE SQUADkOSS."
[BY CABLE TO TIE HRRALD.)

expected to be grand affair and for which
elaborate preparations had been made, has
been lamentably spoiled by the weather,
which was truly wretched. The day was
sharp and squally and the rain fell con-
tinuously from noon till after midnight,
obliterating the picturesque effect naturally
expected from the grand display in the
Solent. ~
A DISMAL SCENE.
The beating. dismal rain made the Solent
look melancholy and as if clothed in gray
black. The grim monster iron-clads, turret
ships and other vessels of tffe feet appeared
more ferocious than ever. and the scores of
yachts, with their wet and dropping sails.
looked more like Aocks of ducks than the
swans and seagulls to which they are COM
pared when the sun shines. Even the
lovely sheet of the Solent, which is always
alive with craft, and the green shores of the
Isle Of Wight look dismal in such weather.
Modern naval reviews need fair weather
more than the old naval displays, when
the three deckers. with their mighty masts
and crowded crews, presented something
to look at Iron-clads are unpicturesque
and sit in the water like ducks. Turreted
vessels of the Thunderer GLASS lie low and
look very ugly. The beauty Of such re-
view lies hidden in figures or beneath the
water line.
AN IMPOSING ARRAY.
The review was Of the port and starboard
divisions of the home feet under Admiral
Sir A. G. Key, K. G. B., F. r. S., recently
commanding the North American and West
Indian squadron. There were ten broad
sides, armored and unarmored; eight tur-
reted vessels, including the mighty Thun-
derer @, 100 tons displacement); sloops,
corvettes, gunboats and ten new torpedo
craft. Altogether the feet included 219
guns, carried on 9,549 tons displacement,
propelled by Y, 35l horse power and manned
by G, 691 officers and crew.
ORDER OF THE REVIEW.
Yet these twenty-six ships only represent
odds and ends Of the British naval force
grouped together for particular service
which it is popularly supposed the Berlin
Congress rendered unnecessary. The feet
formed in two lines, headed with tho most
powerful ships of their class and termin-
ating with the smallest. On one side
namely. the port division--were the turreted
vessels and ON the starboard the iron-clads
The vessels were in the following order -
THE PORT DIVISION.
Thunderer, Cyclops,
Belleisle, Ready,
Prince Albert, Tweed,aa IN -ra
Gorgon, Tay, aerar
Hydra, Vesuvius,
Hecate, Lightning.
6luStOu,
IHE sTARBoARp DIVISION.
Hercules, Boadicea,
Hector, Emerald,
Valiant Cormorant,
Lord Warden, Euryalus,
Warrior, Blazer,
Penelope, Comet
Resistance,
The turreted vessels were broadside ON,
the iron-clads two-thirds broadside
WAITING roR THE HOUR.
At three o'clock the rain was still falling
and the wind was gusty. The scene was
interesting but gloomy. The two lines of
angry monsters looked very imposing and
around them were some scores of yachts,
which would have been increased to hun
dreds if the weather had bcon fine, and
to the waters edge by people eager to wit
ness the grand spectacle.
ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN.
At half-past three n salute fired by the
fleet announced the departure Of the Queen
from Osborne. A royal barge with sixteen
oars took her from the gates at Osborne to
the large steam yacht Victoria and Albert,
flying the royal standard, and shortly after
ward the Admiralty flag on the masthead.
The royal yacht steamed slowly down, the
Trinity House yacht plotting the way! Then
ANNA the In chantress with tho Lorda of the