Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-10
At nine O'clock the unner hav ~nresentef

IL UElllldlltly lcSIIVe appearance. IL Was S.5U
when the Atlantic, which carried the depu-
tation of the Chamber of Commerce and
the city officials, got off. She was followed
by a tlotilla of tugs, barges, steamers, fer
ryboats and yachts. Most of these vessels
had a band Of music or a drum corps OH
board. When it is said that there were in
all ninety vessels in the welcoming fleet it
will be understood that there were at least
fifteen thousand people afloat in this extra
ordinary spectacle. The testimony of
French and American naval officers is unan-
imous that it exceeded in its imposing
beauty and animation anything they had
ever seen.
The procession as it came up the bay,
stretching over miles OF water, was wit
messed from the shores of Long Island, of
| Governors Island (where General Hancock
! and a brilliant array of officers and ladies
were stationed), and Of Staten Island by
thousands o fpeople. The two episodes in
the escorting sail up the bay were reached
in passing the Narrows and ON arriving at
Bedloe's Island. The salutes from the
heavy guns of Forts Hamilton and
Wadsworth were answered by La
Flore, the French frigate, and later by the
Powhatan and the Dispatch. Along the
line, seen anywhere at this time from any
point of view, the scene was a memorable
one. The great steamers, black with human
beings, blossomed suddenly into white as
the myriad handkerchiefs futtered in the
breeze. Cheer after cheer came from every
vessel, and as the noise of the salutes
ceased there was heard the strains of the
'Marseillaise' at every point of the COM
pass.
On arriving at Bedloe's Island, where had
assembled for the ceremonies at least five
thousand people, the scene on the water
grew even more animated as the long line
broke up. Each vessel, as it passed the
lsere. contributed its share of welcome in
s%alutes, in cheers, and in the music of the
"Marseillaise." AS a fitting crisis all blew
the steam-wnistle until the whole fleet gave
forth screams and ear-piercing iubilation
which threatened to deafen the twenty-five
thousand souls VINO could not get away
from it.
The commander of the Isere had looked
for a formal and quiet official reception: he
encountered a popular outburst that amazed
and delighted him. The crews of the
French vessels were wild with delight. AS
the bands on saluting steamers struck ur
the "Marseillaise" the sailors waved theil
turbans, shouted, danced, and clasped each
other, many OF them with tears streaming
down their bronzed faces.
FINALLY the lsere was escorted to her I'M.
lOaulng SIatlOn at .BedlOe'S Island. Every
steam vessel in the t1otilla rounded her Nitl
q parting salute, and then sped to the city
docks. The steamer Atlantic arrived and
was made fast. The first man to cross the
gang-plank was Senator William M. Ry.
arts, Chairman of the American committee.
Mayor Grace and a large number of CITY
officials and officers of the New York ex-
changes followed, passing through the
double file of bowling and smiling sailors.
The signal gun sounded and the process.
sion began. A stop was made opposite
Fort Hamilton, when the New Workers
transferred Captain DeSaune and staff to a
launch, on which Rear Admiral Lacombe
and his staff Of the La Flora were already
placed. Then the party called on Secretary
Whitney and his brilliant corps of Ameri-
can naval officers on board the Dispatch,
aflerward making a short call at Bedloe's
Island, where they were received by numer.
GUS French societies, and introduced by
French Consul Brunweart, of Chicago.
Meanwhile a crowd of people, estimated
by the police at one hundred thousand. had
assembled on Broadway, from the City Hall
to the Observation-Disclosures of a mile of
solid Misunderstanding for the land
demonstration. Such another vast gather
ing has not been seen in this city since the
funeral of Lincoln. All the off platoons of
Metropolitan and park police were assigned
to Broadway and the Battery. but the