Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-18
WARSHIPS COMING FAST
England and Holland the
 Latest Arrivals.
PLANS FOR THE DAY AT THE ROADS

scenes at the Rendezvous Grow More In-
 teresting Every Day--Great Stir Over the
 Arrival of the Engllsh-French G1nboat
 Hussard and the Dutch FrIgate Van
 Speyk Anchor With the Others.
 FoRr MONROE, Va, April 1S.-To day is quite as gay as it was yesterday if not more so. Several more foreign ships are expected, and to night tho ward room mess of 6 oh AmeSican vessel will entertain the officers of some foreign vessel The Amer ican Admirals are to entertain the English Admiral and the captains do likewise to the foreign captains.
 Last night there was 8 brilliant display of searchlights on board the American vessels. The reflectors were worked up- ward to throw their flashes of light to the heavens and then on the shore, The rays touched the sides of some other vessel in the fleet and pictured her assome phantom, ship calling the seas without sails; then they criss-crossed and formed all sorts of weird figures as one ray of light fell across another shot from tho deck of some other vessel at the end of the feet. Occasionally they fell on the fortress and showed the hundreds of smooth bored oil guns sticking their muzzles out from the stonewalls.
 While the white electric rays lighted up the slys, the red nand white signal system which we have borrowed from the French kept up an incessant silent conversation with the ships in the Roads. Tho effect of these combinations of lights was wit messed with enthusiasm by those congega- ted on the beach to watch the sight.
 The arrival of the entire British fleet, with a titled officer in command, followed by another French vessel and the anti Quated, but formidable looking, Dutch frigate Van Speyk, has added to the al- ready brilliant scene and increased the in- terest and animation which pervades the multitude now gathered here from every section of the country.
 The appearance tho. five crack ships of the Queens navy presented as they moved majestically over the water and past the outer end of our fleet to the anchorage grounds designated them by Admiral Cher seen hero. At the head of the fleet was the big armored cruiser Blake, a counterpart of our own ship New York, of 9, 900 tons displacement and 20, 900 horse power, heavily armored and the most formidable ship that will be in the review. In her wake was the protected cruiser Magicienns and behind her came the mon- Bter armored cruiser Australia with her sides fairly toothed with fierce looking high powered guns.
 Gliding gracefully next was the cruiser Tartar and in the van was the little barken- tine rfgged cruiser Partridge In perfect line they sailed in with signals flying from their tops and yard arms and the ensign of the country floating deflantly from the taff rails of each ship.
 At the head of the Blake was the pen nant of Vice Admiral J. O. Hopkins, K. c. | upon the signal halliards were combina- | tions of yellow and white signals to the ships behind her.
 Sweeping by the fleet the Blake slowed down just as she passed the Newark, and when abreast of the Philadelphia the signal was displayed to the other ships to anchor As quickly as the signal was seen just az quickly were five bow anchors seen to | splash the water into foam, and the deep rumbling of the chains could be heard as { f"ty fathoms ran through the hawse | L4Jes.
 With the flood tide all five ships promptly swung around with their noses pointed out | of the roads and forming line extending a mile out. The firing recommended, and was kept up necessarily for half an hour. At o'clock there was another cannon | ading, for the Dutch cruiser Van Speyk came in and anchored just abeam of the | Philadelphia.
 Again at o'clock the low white hull o1 @ warship was sighted off the harbor's en, trance She proved to be the French cor vette Hussard. Silently she stood up the harbor until reaching her berth between
 the Italian cruiser Giovanni Bausan and
 the French warship Jean Bart.