Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12
Correspondence Of The EVENING STAR.

was spent pleasantly by the officers of the
squadron in spite of winds and fogs came two
| days at Belfast on the picturesque Penobscot
bay, Two days more at Bath and two days here.
Belfast is a typical down east town, where
| the people possess enough curiosity to start
| any expedition to the north pole or central
Africa The people from the town and from
miles around swarmed out to see the new
ships till there not room to walk on the
decks. One noticeable feature was that most
Of these visitors paid no attention whatever to
the fact that the officers private state rooms
were not open for their inspection. Women who
would not think of entering private apart
! ment on shore would rush into the ward
| room OF the ship and draw back the curtains
of the state rooms, bound TO it ALL" and
II some officer mildly suggested that that part
of the ship was private the offended stranger
would depart thinking herself insulted The
people seemed to think that they paid tine
taxes that built the navy they own its ships,
| men and officers, body and soul
THE AMMEN RAM.
At Bath cruisers Nos. u and 10 are building
and also the Ammen armored ram. The latter
is to be of very peculiar construction. As ye:
only the keel is laid but the work will be
pushed rapidly forward. The keel will be al
most a semicircle running up to a ram ut bow
and stern She will be of low freeboard
armored, carrying a heavy bow gun
To be successful ramming weasel
according to the latest and best authorities
the chief requisites are weight and speed; the
first 70 Withstand the shock and the second to
enable her to catch the opponent. Weight
this ram will have in abundance, but the low
speed of sixteen knots called for in the contract
will not enable her to catch any first-class
cruiser or battle ship; so that her enemies may
be called upon to give her the old hunters re-
CENT for y1uls0u namaly. sFirat catch
your deer"
sHIPBUILrISe 1T BATH.
Bath has probably built more wooden ships
in the last fifty years than any city in America,
and there are now building there eighteen
large wooden vessels from four-masted ships to
three-nasted' fore-and alters" The waters of
the kennebec river stretch to the northward
from IL and form a great natural canal to bring
the timber from the pine forests in northern
Maine, and yearly over a dozen well-built
vessels go out to attest the fact that we
Americans can still build ships. The citizens
OF Bath very generously entertained the officers
OF the squadron on the night of their arrival
by reception and ball and on the following
day by ''clam bake" at Popham beach. 10
almost every one in the squadron this was a
novelty. and the pleasant sail down the Ken
nebec was pleasing even to seafaring men.
At Portland, however, the citizens have made
the grandest success at entertainment Of any
place visited on the present cruise. On Satur-
day the officers were given a reception by the
citizens at the Cumberland Club building.
Several hundred people were present and
everything was done for the enjoyment Of tue
visitors.
The custom house wharf was placed at the
disposal of the ships boats and carriages were
kept at the wharf, which were at the disposal of
officers wishing to visit any part Of the city.
Monday an invitation was extended by the
citizens committee to the admiral and officers
TO visit the White mountain.
AyIsIT TO THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.
A special train lef. Portland early in the
morning on the Maine Central railway bearing
eighty officers and half as many citizens The
first part of the journey was eighty miles over
this famous scenic route to Crawford's through
Crawford Notch past Sebago lake; thence the
party went TO the foot OF Mount Wash
lnGton and up the cog railway to the
summit. There is, perhaps, not another
railway in the country built on such heavy
grade. In lineal distance of three miles the
road rises through nearly one and half miles,
ami from the final summit of the most
magnificent views in America breaks upon the
observer. The rayines and gulches of several
mountains are within sight, and with
good glass on a clear day the states
of Maine and Vermont are within view.
From the summit the party went by
stages and four-in- hands down the steep wind
ing mountain road to the foot on the other
side. The narrow, stony mountain road zig
zags down the mountain side. at times giving
view hundreds of feet perpendicularly down,
when few feet one way or the other
would precipitate coach and riders
into the valley below. At the foot of
the mountains, surrounded every
side by the highest peaks Of the eastern noun
tain ranges, the Glen House afforded resting
place for the party. Here they were given an
excellent dinner. and then the route extended
by stages to Glen station, fifteen miles down the
Ills river, dashing mountain stream that
flows through deep gulch In the mountains.
At every turn some new view broke on the party.
returning by train, the party arrived in Port
land at II o'clock. and the squadron sailed half
an hour later. The night was dark, and all the
vessels used their search lights to find the
channel, lighting up the harbor and giving the
townspeopie quite pretty exhibition.
MOVEMENTS OF THE SQUADRON.
From here the squadron will sail to Bridge
port for few days and thence to New York to
reft for three or four weeks, after which the
squadron will probably go to Baltimore and
Philadelphia for few weeks.
After that it is an open question whether the
squadron VIII spend the winter in the West
Indies or go into the navy yards at Norfolk and
Brooklyn for the winter. The U. S. s. Ben
ninSton, having successfully completed her
TRIALS. Is expected to JOIN the squadron at New
York, which will make nine vessels in all.
The mos: interesting feature of the officers
visit to the mountains was the completeness
with which the whole trip was conducted.
There was not hitch in the proceedings. A
breakfast WAS served during the trip up and
supper on the way down, and the train was
stopped at the most interesting places tc allow
the guests TO get the full benefit OF the view One
% these stops was made at Willy Brook bridge
n high steel structure that spans a gulch and
its mountain torrent 800 feet below Deep in
the valley at the foot Of the mountains stands
the Willy House, one of the many summer re-
sorts that dot the White mountains and turn its
wildernesses into pleasure gardens and its
peaks into observatories.
VICTORIES OF TRAGEDY
Here few years ago merry party gathered
to spend few Of the hot days of August. Dur
ing pleasant afternoon thunder cloud burst
on the peaks above and the silver-threaded
riyuiets became mountain torrents pouring
down the mountain side. The tall pine trees
trembled and groaned in the wind and q huge
square of granite broke from the mountain
side and came tearing down. This
started landslide that seemed lust
| ready to enguif the house and it's occupants
below. The frightened guests rushed out and
attempted to escape, but they ran from safety
\ into danger. for the land slide divided and
went on either side of the house, leavinh it I'M
harmed. Almost every one in the Inflated
/ party was lost and but few If tbs bcii.s