New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-17
JOINING THE FLEET.
TWO MORE FOREIGN VESSELS IN HAMPTON
ROADS
THE JEAN BART AND THE GIOVANNI BAUsAN
DROP ANCHOR IN THE ROADsTEAD-THE
RENDEZVOUS WEEK OPENS
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuyE.1

| the Naval rendezvous week here opened bril-
| iiantly enough this morning with the arrival of
| two more foreign ships, ore flying the French
| and one the Italian flag. The corners were
| the Jean Bart, OF the French squadron and the
Giovanni Bausan, of the Italian. They dropped
| into the Roads together about o'clock, and the
| successive salutes of twenty-one guns exchanged
in honor OF their arrival hopelcssy interrupted
| the lat" slumbers Of the gay world at the Hygea.
| lhe Italian cruiser cast anchor TO the west Of
| the Russian ships in tho second or outer line OF
| anchorage. This position brought her almost op-
posite the cruiser Charleston, of Admiral Walk
| er's squadron; while the Jean Burt took a place
still further west, opposite the gunboat Concord,
| which now lies on the extreme inner edge of the
| American feet.
| The AL iition OF these two foreign ships TO the
hotilla already gath, red here and the arrival OF
a formidable string OF yachts tugs and excursion
boats from all points along the coast, gave today
| To the ro,dstead more bustlng and animated
| aspect than it he's yet seemed capable Of
wearing. The Hampton Roads, it has been esti-
| mated could float in comfort and safety. the
| combined navics Of the world, ard in the vast
and unreieved eXpansc of land-locked waters
stretching away westward from here toward tho
| mouth of the James and Elizabeth Rivers there
| seemed to be some danger of effect Of limit
y
| the spectacle even Of a rendezvous of from forty
to fifty ships Ii is still true that 10 produce
the best effect the western half of the Roads will
have 10 be denudcd OF men-Of-war, and the vessels
which do assemble-prObally not more than forty
in numbcr-will have to be massed at the entrance
of the rOadstead with the centre Of the fleet
| resting upon line drawn across the three-mlle
channel from Fort Monroe to JEWELS Point-a
channel through which the tides ebb and flow
with cent-up energy and eyer-changing effects OF
restlessness and whte-capped anger. In this now
turbulent, now bright and dancing passage, with
the wings of the fleet stretching east into the
approaches to the Chesapeake and west into the
more placid waters of Hampton and Newport
News. a squadron of forty ships, with the at
tendant Yachts and steamers which will be drawn
here by the rendezvous would fill the waterscape
with admirable fitness and truly spectacular
effect Such an arrangement may seem to destroy
the pleasing illusion that the real centre OF the
Naval display here is to be the immediate harpor
of Norfolk: an illusion which has been wlhev
spread by tho advertising charts Of the rendezvous
anchorage grounds printed and circulated py 'nS
railroad and steamboat companies.
With tie gradual dwinilinS of the num-
ber of ships, both foreign and Amefi'
can, expected to participate In tne rem
devious, the massng OF the whoie ho.ni@
about Old Point Comfort has become an absolute
necessity. month ago, when perhaps sixty yes
sells were counted on to meet here, it was naturat
70 think that tho feet could have two bases OF
anshoraCe-Od Point Comfort and Norfolk. As
not more than thirty-fve ships viii be likely to
assemble here and start for New-York on the
oath. Norfolk and the western half Of the road
stcod will have TO be counted out active shafer5
in the measures and benefits of the rendezvous.
This is unfortunate as far the satisfaction OF
popuar interest in the spectacle is concerned Tor
the facilities for public entertainment and COM
municaton with the feet are extremely measre
here and comparatively plentiful in Norfolk. let'
though the feet in rendezvous at Old Point can
be seen only with good deal of effort and many
discomforts which will increase disproportlon-
ately as the coming week wears on, those who SEQ
the assembled ships even under difficulties may
find compensation in the fact that their
massng in this least accessible part OF the big
roadstead gives TO the spectacle some Of its most
striking anu satisfying effects. For such
gathering 10 harbor setting could be moro
picturcsquey fitted, and more historically appro-
pirate, and with the bamy and genial influences
of this fortunate climate added. the rendezvous
this week could not we'll promise. except for tho
single quantity Of popular and general enjoyment.
greater brilliancy or success.
The Jean Bart and tie Giovanni Bausan the
French and Italian cruisers which came in this
morning, We're, of course, the chief objects OF
interest to-day - those who visited the road
stead and the hetf. Tie Giovanni Bausan. which
lies near the Government pier, in the outer line,
beyond Admiral Walkers squadron, is formid-
able looking protected cruiser, of the general
ponderous and bulky type, apparently so popu-
lar with the italian Naval Office lying opposite
the American cruiser Charleston. The two ships
s,em of much the same size and class, but the
peculiarites of the Italian become accentuated
on a neafr approach. For her tonnage she seems
higher out of the water, shorter, broader, and in
every way more stocky and ovcr-weightcd Even
her military masts seem topheavy, with the rapid
gun boxes disproportionately big and densely
armored. The Bausan is put down on the Navy
Departments list as of tonnage of only 3,l30.
yet in keeping with her general Italian ponterosity
of style, she carries stem and stern guns Of
ten inches bigger than those on any vessel IN
the American feet and even outranking for
weight of metal the guns OF the gigantic English
cruiser Blake, whose tonnage il 5000, but whose
largest rifle calibIc i, the 0-inch. The BLusan
nodted at her stern the muicolored nag Of
reunited Italy, ami the more pleasing and modest
Italian anion jack az th" fore. Her huh is black
and her uppercci ventltoIS and stacks a saffron
color. From the snore mile away, her two
military masts ris, !rom her hls decks like the
tower, over some fantastic floating castle. The
captain of the Bausan paid his clvilites to the
feet and then came ashore - call on the COM
mandant of the fort. The green, ret blue and
yellow of the Italian fac wa on floating from
several rowbOat> which tel up against the Gov.
crnmcnt pier and new tongue was added q
the international Jarson which Is now the fashion
at the lIygeia.
Tie Jean Bart the first French arrival, is the
largest ship 10 be sent By France, whose Govern
ment has not altogether maintained its accustomed
spirit OF "a aaniry and friendship in responding to
the invitation of this country ~ send here its
representative ships. The Bart is protected
modern in date her style is so dstnctively French
as to seem to eyes on this side of the water almost
antiquated Standing even higher
curving stern and sides. the latter "tumbling
home" narrowing from the water.line up, the
Jean Part is the picture a careless observer Of
the old wooden lne-oi-battle ships which fought
at Nile or Trafalgar or in the great naval con-
tests Of lsl? TO 1915. The tall masts and grace
ful rigging of the early part of the century ara