New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-24
THE RESERVES IMPROVING
ANOTHER DAYS DRILL on BOARD THE
MEN-oF-WAR
ADMIRAL WALKER PLEASED WITH THEIR wonA
CROWDS OUT TO SEE TIE MANoEUvREs
THE RIVER ILLUMINATED WITH
SEARCUIIGuTc
sEARcu.IGHTs.


THE RIVER ILLUMINATED WITH
sEARcH.IIGHTs.
Once again before the eyes Of admirng citizens
who thronged piers, tugboats and excursion steam
ers the Naval Reserve of the State of New-York
dared the waves of the North River yesterday and
took second lesson in preparing for the defence of
their countrys flag upon the seas. This time
il was under a leaden sky with strong south
east wind blowing and the flood tide running
up the river like millrace that the blue flag
of the Reserve came up the river on Lieutenant
Commander Miller's tug, and that officer, followed
by his staff, stepped on the pier at which the
Minnesota lies mOOred, 10 find 200 OF his men IN
their white working suits waiting to go on board
the various ships to which they had been assigned
and learn how to arm and equip boats Tor distant
service.
The feet lying in the river had been augmented
by the arrival of that wonderfully FAST craio
the tOrpedo-boat Gushing, as swift and sure as
that daring officer whose name she bears. She
lay anchored just below the dynamite cruiser
vesuvus, and, even at anchor seemed to be spring
ing forward. In the afternoon a committee OF
the Chamber Of Commerce, consisting Of ex-Slayor
Abram s. Hewitt, Samuel D. Babcock. A. c.
Barnes Cornelius n. Bliss. Henry IIenN, Wood
bury LangdOn, A. Foster Higgins, Samuel h. Sea-
man, James B. Colgate Charles 5. Falrchild,
Eugene Kelly John Jay Knox, Gustav II. Schwao,
August Belmont, John H. Starin, j. Edward Sim
mons, Ambrose Snow, Thomas p. Bull. william
II. Lyon, Solon Humphreys r. p. Flower ana
others went on board the Chicago to pay their
respects to Admiral Walker. EX-Mayor Hewitt,
after the Admiral had welcomed the delegation
10 his ship and his cabin. made a speech, in which
he expressed the pride that the American people
felt in the Navy, and how greatly interested the
commercial portion of New-fork was in the
present work of the Squadron of Evolution.
Admiral Walker replied and then the visiting
delegates were shown about the flagship, and all
the appliances with which she is fitted TO render
her the more effective were explained. After
this steam launches were taken for the other
ships of the squadron, after hasty inspection OF
which the party returned to the Chicago
By this time the hour of the Naval Reserve
drills was approaching and Lieutenant-C Commander
NIiller's flag was seen coming up the river Some
of the members of the delegation stayed on board
the flagship TO witness the drills and were well
rewarded. From the ChicagO's decks shortly
after o'clock the boats could be seen putting OH
from the Minnesota with ensigns fiutterlng Dngnt
in the sterns and hulls white on the gray water.
Then, the men being on board their respective
ships a signal huttered out from the Chicago and
on each vessel the orders were given to =" arm and
equip boats for distant service"
There was a notable difference in the work OF the
Naval Reserve men from that of Monday. Even
one DAYS experience had taken away from them
the nervousness which came on Monday from the
novelty Of their situation and they carried them
selves with more ease in tossing boats and on
swinging Jacobs ladders. The boats were manned
and equipped in short order and column after
column in the teeth Of the wind which drew
freshly up the river and against the rushing tide
came down TO where the blue pennant of Admiral
Walker tluttcred from the mizzen topmast OF the
Chicago
-They are doing splendidly, splendidly," said
Admiral Walker: but wait until we have got
through with them at Fishers Island. Then
they will be sailors indeed"
Among those who stood on the after bridge
of the Chicago watching the drill with interest
were Russell b. Harrison, Captain Ambrose Snow
and Aaron Vanderbilt. Lieutenant-COmmander
Miller and his staff had gone on board the flagship
as soon as the boats from the Minnesota had got
fairly on their way to the different ships, and
now, as the fiotilla down the river, he stood
with Admiral Walker his officers and guests, On
the after bridge to see the spectacle.
As before, the Reserves were mixed up among
the regular sailors in the boats and each dt-
vision was in command of commissioned officer
The boats formed in seven divisions on the stab
board side of the Chicago steam launch being
at the head of each long string Of boats. The
signal officer on the Chicago ran up and hauled
down his gayly coOred flags. directing the
movements of the boats and as often as
he did so the little red and white
pennants futtered promptly from each boat
OF course the principal part of the
drill was that which showed with the least spec
l,lo . md on
ping of the boats. Cookstoyes, arms, provisions,
etc, were seized and placed securely and snugy in
the boats, and the men swarmed il themselves 50
quietly and promptly that to ordinary lands
man. in search of the pomp and circumstance OF
naval warfare, 1t did not seem as il anything had
been done But it had been, and il reversed the
old adage-it was not magnificent but it was war.
The spectacular effect was furnished, however, by
the boats as they foated III long white lines on the
gray water under the gray Sly. with Hutterlng
ensigns and white-suited crews
The iron steamboat Taurus and other excursion
boats went up hnd down the river crowded with
people who had come out to see what the Reserve
could do, and - admire to fleet. On the pier
heads were collected, rs on Monday, crowds which
left no standing room unoccupied. At signal
from the flagship the boats executed pretty
manoeuvre, reversing order by divisions SO that
the line of boats which had been furthest from
the Chicago was brought next it and all were
headed up stream Then another signal was run
I'D. and the boats rowed by the Chicago's quarter,
all tossing oars as they passed tie Admiral IL
was well DONE a forest of oars springlng INTO
the air at a word, remaining there minute and
then disappearing again 1t was as If the magic
signal futterng from the Chicago had conJured
nm n branchless and leahess forest and then con-
iured il away again. Ii was getting toward
dusk now, and in the fading light another
signal and a welcome one was run up on board
the Chicago. Somebody said the flags composing
IT, looked like raspberry and huckleberry pies and
il must mean supper. SO it did, for it was an
order for the boats TO make the best of their way