The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-27

Out of the Mist and Sailed to Their
Places for the Review-They Move With
the Precision of Well Trained soldiery
Graft of All Sorts and Sizes Carried
| Admiring Throngs,
| NFw YORK, April 26.-All the high
buildings in the lower part of the town
were at premium today. They afforded
the only way of getting comprehensive
view of the parade, of seeing it in it's en-
| tirety, and as a result the roofs of all the
big down town blocks were black with
people long before the visiting vessels
| showed through the mist of the lower
bay.
| The first indication that these sight
seers had that anything unusual was un-
| der way was when the Miantonomoh sud-
denly crept out from behind Governors
Island and edged her way among the
craft in the bay, her low bows seeming
half under the churning foam she stirred,
up in her progress and only her rusty
looking tunnels and fighting tops coming
the white asphalt walks of Battery Park
had filled with people, and as the Mianto-
| nomoh dropped anchor in the stream a
short distance off shore, the lines in the
| park began to move with sudden glints
| OF. color and of the sound of half dozen
bands as the throng began to gather about
| the spot where Ericsson's statue was to
be unveiled. Sleepy old Castle William
| caught the infection and run up the ma
tional colors. Almost simultaneously
with the raising of the flag on Castle Will
liam the sharp-eyed caught sudden far
| off flash of flame down where Fort Wads-
worth was known to be and, although
| not sound could be heard, every one
knew that the forts down the Narrows
were giving out their welcome. Still
there was nothing to be seen of the ex-
| pected ships. Yet there was something
inspiring in the very air that kept every
one on tiptOe with excitement long before
anything could really be seen.
| Gradually the gossamer line of white
| that was drifting in the Narrows and up
| the Jersey shore began to take more
definite shape. The Blake and the Phil
adelphia slowly began to stand out
| ahead.
| AS the feet came out of the Nalrows
and Strengthened the lines to come up
was again formed, and the two columns
were then 900 yards apart. The tides
| current, however, caused some of the
boats to fall behind and they were some
what out of place when the battery was
in sight Coming up the bay with the
| fleet,
The Sight was Brilliant One.
Every ship in the harbor was flying ev-
cry bit of bunting it could get together
| and the buildings in the lower part of
the city were decorated with flags of all
lAations. Steam whistles were screech-
ing and the Battery wall and all the
housetops and other places from which
the river could be seen were black with
sightseers. When the leaders in the pa
rade got opposite Governors Island the
battery in the old fort began to salute
and the feet steamed along half hidden
cannon. The ships dipped their flags
in answer, but did not return with can
| non.
| AS the Philadelphia reached Liberty
Island the Miantonomoh fire salute of
| 21 guns in honor of the unwilling of the
Ericsson statue. 1t was very timely, for
it saluted the.fleet as we'll.
The Blake, with her two great, taper
| ing buff-colored smokestacks and maies-
| tic mien, caught the fancy of the crowd.
She moved along as if held in check. and
appeared to be going slowly, although
she was making nine miles an hour. She
carried guard flag (awhite field crossed
| with crimson bars) at her foremasthead
| and foated the naval ensign of Great
Britain at her spanker gaff. 1t was ex-
actly quarter before II when the Phila-
delphia and the Blake passed the island
and pointed up the river, and in AZ min
utes the last ship had passed on its way
| up. ALI during the time of the passing
of the great fleet of warships the river
was kept clear of all other craft, the
owners of the various boats which ply in
the river being considerate, aside from
the patrols orders, in keeping out of the
way of the procession, which slowly
moved along to its anchorage grounds.
The Philadelphia, with the British
cruiser Blake nearly abreast, reached the
lower end of the anchorage ground at
Thirty-fourth street at 11.12. The Phila-
delphla stood well over toward the Jer-
sey shore, while the Blake steamed up
near the New York sshore. The three
navy yard tugs which went ahead to clear
| the way for the men-of-war had plenty of
| work. Several tugs with canal boats in
tow were in the way of the Blake off
Fortieth street, and she swung out
| toward lthe middle of the riverSwhere
there was clear water ahead.
AS they passed Castle Stevens, on the
Jersey shore, they presented magnifi-
cent spectacle. The wharves on both
sides of the river were lined with people.
The head of the line passed Forty-second
street at 11.2O. The
Bands Played National Airs
on the British ships as they proceeded up
the river and the strains of music waited
across the water were plainly heard by
the crowds along Shore
The Philadelphia passed the Santa Ma
ria, which was anchored near the JERSEY
shore, nearly opposite Eightieth street.
The Pinta and Nina were anchored
short distance farther up the stream. The
white ships of our own navy made a
showing that was not eclipsed by any of
the squadron of our visitors.