St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-19

ROYALTY AT COWES.
The German Emperor's Brilliant Meet.
ing With His English Relatives
in the Isle OF Wight.

CiHpcIOI anu prospective hlllg, With all
their high class surroundings, in one
group. l recently had that experience
and enjoyed it very much. 1t took
nearly whole week to see all the gor-
geOuS conditions of a royal reunion, but
it was worth the time and trouble, more
especially as it was holiday time. when
all England gives itself upt to pleasure.
There was much ceremony attendin g
all the details of this remarkable dis
play OF social. military and naval power,
but there was SO much more in this visit
of the young kaiser than mere display
that one is lost in wonder at the rapid
| changes in this young mans condition
| since he became the rgier of one of the
| greatest nations on the earth in 1883.
| The scenes were novel to an American
| and dazzling in extent and effect. They
| were enacted close about the little sea-
! port town from which [ write, and
which has been aptly called "a song
of the ocean," Not a gunshot away
| the crafts of many nations rode at
anchor, and the waters of the SOlent
were flecked with the white sails of
many pleasure boats. Besides the men
of-war. the royal yachts belonging to
| the rulers Of England and germany sat
| in the bay like swans upon the crest of
whitecapS. The young emperor'S floating
| palace Is handSOmer in outline and color
| than the queens or Prince of Wales,
but not so sumptuouSly decorated or so
luxurious as the English royal yachts.
| There is rich simplicity on-the Hohen-
| ZOllern that would be difficult to dupll-
cate. and as l enjoyed close inspection
| of the vessel in all its points and thor
| oughly studied its build and equipment,
| the good taste of everything struck me
| at every turn.
The Hohenzollern is painted white,
with decorations of gold. Its two
| smOkestacks are yellow with bands of
| red ar the top, but the inferior finish
| all through is rosewood and mahogany.
| Of course, the richest of carpets make
soft the floors, and the walls are hung
with pictures and almost every other
| possible evidence of the cultured taste
| of William Ii. In some of the rooms,
| especially in the after part of the Ho-
| henZollern, several OF the panels are
| done with bits of scenery in oil, which
| the emperor himself and his younger
brother painted, and they bear wit
ness. to the fact that both are artists
| of no mean ability. The music room
| contains some of the best works of the
| old masters, with which the young en-
| perOr passrs q good deal of his time
when at sea. The reading room is
splendidly fitted up. but rigidly simple
in decorations. Only two pictures hang
| on its walls. one a good portrait of Bis
marck and the other of Won Moltke.
The bedroom is severely plain. but the
couch Is richly made up, and the
emperor sleeps under royal purple
| coverings presented to him by
the queen. A small writing desk
| surm0un'ed by crown sits at
the head of the bed, also present from
his grandmother. The bath room is
nearly as large as his sleeping apart
ment and finished in mahogany. OF
course. there are many rooms scattered
here and there for the writing and
sleeping apartments of mis- suite and
secretaries.
The deck of the Hohenzollern is beau
tifully set apart. and in the bow there
are two magnificent Krupp rifle cannon
| mounted on carved brass carriages, and
literally covered with silver decorations
and patriotic mOtt0eS, every one of them
breathing the full force of German mill
tary spirit.
Not long after my visit to the Hohen-
ZOllern. stood OH the deck of the Az
bert and Victoria, the queens favorite
boat. Ii is painted black, with yellow
La
When she is aboard the decks are richly
carpeted, and everywhere along the
mpaniOn-wayS are little hooks richly
upholstered where she may recline and.
enjoy the ocean breeZes. At other
times the upper floors are covered with
heavy Oilcloths, and everything is neat
ness itself. The Osborne, the Prince of
Wales yacht, is painted and decorated
Just like his mothers. except that the
finish below deck is dark rather than
| light, but the decorations are by no
means striking. Queen Victoria has a
| very strong vein of sentiment. The
Albert and Victoria was built in the
| Prince Consort's time, and her husband
| selected the fittings. From that day to
| this she has never allowed pattern to
| be changed. The walls of the vessel
| are all hung in dainty China silk, with
small flower dotting it here and there.
1t is very old-fashioned pattern, and
time and again prettier designs have
| been sent her, but she refuses to make
the change and has the same old pattern
| selected 10y her husband more than
| thirty years ago manufactured at
great expense and re-hung on The walls
| of her yacht whenever they get suiled.
| The finish below, as well as on deck,
! is something very striking, and the
| white and gold above finds its counter
| part below. The light color of the silk
| on the walls is increased by the rich
| maple used in all the wood work.
| The queens bedroom is very
| large, and ivory-handled bells hang IN
every direction. In fact. all the fittings
| of this gorgeous craft are IN solid ivory,
| and must have cost a great deal of
money. There are music. writing
rooms, and bed chambers for the maids
| of honor and ladies in waiting. Then
| there are places tor the secretaries, and
| the Prince Of Wales has an apartment
directly across tie hallway from the
| queens. The smoking room and break
fast apartment are richly upholstered
| in Russia leather, and from stem to
| stern the royal yacht seems perfect i'm
| design and finish. 1t is about $500
tons burden. considerably larger than
either the Osborne or the Hohenzol-
| lern.
| West Cowes is surrounded by all that
| is interesting In English life both high
and low. 1t is Struggling hamlet,
with curious old dwelling houses and
| queer shops with cakes and ales. 1t
| looks like anything but noted place
| and many insignificant villages along
| the Atlantic coast would attract more
attention than this quaint town of only
few thousand inhabitants which
| skirts the banks of the Solent, and a.
little arm of the sea bending in from it,
known is Cowes roads. Across
| the larger body of water is.
| Southampton and further to
the right is Portsmouth. where
the great war ships of this nation
| parade, or lie at anchor, when not on.
| other duties. Across the river from If.
on the Isle of Wight, is Ryde, pretty
| place of some pretensions, and the
wagon road leading from it takes you
| past the queens residence on the way
to Cowes. Yet all these. places only
make up few thousand inhabitants,
| while the Solent within circle of TWEEN
ty miles from this point carries at vari-.
Gus times good deal of the commerce
of the world, besides being the attrac-
ton for high-class Englishmen from the
first of July to the middle of August.