Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-30
THE NAVAL PARADE.
East River Made Sea of Stars and
Stripes.

The arrangements for the naval parade
were carried out to the letter At sever
O'Clock the steamer Dispatch, having OF
board Admiral Porter, General SchOhelc
and representatives of the Centennial Com
mittee. left the foot of East Twenty-sixtf
street and gay with flowing flags steamed
down the East River on her trip to Eliza
bethport. where she was to meet President
Harrison and his party. Crowds had gath
cred at the pisr and cheered the Dispatch
az she steamed away. By this time the
harbor was literally alive with sailing
craft of every description, and whistles
sounded and guns doomed salutes as the
Dispatch picked her way on her course.
Half a dozen big men-Ofwar were anchor,
ed in the vicinity of Governors Island and
Ellis Island awaiting the return of the
Presidents boat. These men-of-war were
the Chicago, carrying the hago the Secre-
tary of the Navy; the Boston, carrying the
Admirars flag; the Atlanta, Yorktown,
Junista, Yantic, Essex and jamestown.
THE GENERAL FORMATION
of the line was a column consisting Of the
naval division, the revenue division and
the Yacht division lin the order named. }
1t anchored a little to the west of mid
channel with head two hundred yards
south of the white buoy, northeast OF Ellis
Island. The naval division in single col
umn two hundred yards apart and in the
following order: Chicago, Kearsage, Yam
tic, Essex, Brooklyn, jamestown, Juiata,
Yorktown and Boston. The revenue and
Yacht division, in double columns, one
hundred yards spart and two hundred
wards between columns, eastern column
directly astern of the naval division. The
revenue division included four steamers
and three haTbOr tugs.
The Yacht division included the vessels
of the New York Yacht club, the Atlantic,
Corinthian, Seawanhaka, American and
Larchmont clubs. The sailing Yachts
were anchored between Ellis and Bedloes
Islands close in shore, dressed In flags and
colors. The length of the first column was
about one and half miles In the rear
of the first column was the - - II
ri teS division, ten squadIons IN double
column. on opposite sides of the channel,
heads opposite to Red Hook and Oyster
Island, respectively.
The merchants marine column was com
manded by Vice Admiral G. W. WOolsley,
flagship steamer Bergen. In this column
were over four hundred vessels, varying in
size from the tug and lighters to the large
passenger and freight steamers.
READY FOR THE GRAND DISPLAY.
At 7:3O this morning the naval division
made the regulation time" and dress"
signals Officers in dress uniform, crew in
blue mastering clothes and marines in full
dress) At s a. IN. ships were dressed
rainbow" fashion with the flag Of the
Secretary of the Navy at the main top OF
the Chicago, and the flag of the Admiral OF
the Navy at the main top of the Boston.
The national ensigns were run up to the
top of all other masts. A salute OF TWEEN
ty-one guns was fred by the men-of-wsr,
beginning with the Chicago, in second in
tervas The ships were then made ready
for the pageant.
1t was about is when the start of the
Dispatch on her trip up the Kills was an
nounced by guns from Port Richmond,
and it was after II O'Clock when she came
in sight on the Upper Bay. For several
minutes the roar of cannon as she passed
the several men-Of-war WAS almost deafen-
ing, each of these, together with the forts
in the harbOr. firing the national sslutes.
The bay was crowded with small boats,
vessels of every description, so that from a
distance a glimse of clear water was prac-
ticslly impossible. Every vessel in the
great fleet upon the bay had been placed
before II o'clock, and all eyes were
strained down the Kill Won Kull. Sud
denly the deep boom OF a gun arose
above the Kissing of steam and the swash
of steamers paddles. Instantly every
man in the vast fleet was on the alert for
orders. The gun was the signal from the
tug Nina, anchored in the Kill Won Kull,
and it meant that the Despatch with the
/ Presidential party on board was opposite
| Port Richmond. Then another report from
a cannon set every one in action. This
was the signal from the Chicago for all
vessels to heave up anchors short and pre-
pare to enter the feet Over four hundred
steamers blew their whistles as the Des-
patch passed the Battery at 1920. 1t
made tremendous din, coupled with the
incessant gun-fring, and was kept mp for
three OF four minutes although the sched-
uled limit was only a half minute. On
went the stately war chip up through the
channel aud into the East river, where she
came to anchor off the foot of Wall street.
MONSTERS OF THE DEEP IN LINE.
As soon ss she had got well into the
river a signal gun was fired from the Chi
cago, and anchors that had been hove up
short were got on board with alscrity.
Then began the real naval parade. The
sight of hundreds of vessels of all kinds
was one that will long he remembered by
the thousands of people who lined the
docks and housetops along the river front
of the Hudson.
Almost every steamer OF any size had a
band of music aboard, and the number and
variety of airs that tloated ashore on the
hazy air were something remarkable. The
Chicago steamed on until opposite Thirty
fourth street, when another gun was fired
This was he signal for the yachts and cut
tiers to disperse, and like huge flock of
swans they gracefully heeled around and
sped down the bay to their various anchor
ages. Then the naval vessels came to an
chor Of Fifty first street
Meanwhile the Merchant division was
on the move. Hardly had this been ac-
complshed when the Despatch hove in
sight Following close in her wake was
the Erastus Wrman, the Sirius and Mon
mouth, filled with invited guests and their
families. The flag ship OF the Merchant