The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-24
Sunday Scenes at the Naval Display at Fort
ress Monroe. Where the Battle Ships Of
Great Nations Have Been Recreating.
Arrival Last Night of Three Brazilian
Ships Completes the Entries.
Secretary of Navy Herbert Attended Church
on the Great English Cruiser Blake
Good to Iesul, from the Display.
WAR SHIPS ON PARADE.


to-morrow for New York. The Spanis.
squadron and csravels sailed to-day. 4
that hour the tide running out TO sea Will
have swung the massive hulls and the
sharp prows will be pointed toward the
ocean. This is q matter of no small i'm
portance. as an attempt to turn all the
ships at once would be q most dangerous
experiment. There has been no rest for
Admiral Gherardi to-day. Signal flags
have been running up and down from the
yards of the Philadelphia, blue-coated mes
sengers have been hurrying in plunging
launches from ship to shin. and the
typewriter In the Admiraps Off CO
has been going at q rapid pace.
The sea rar, heavy. and great waves
broke against the sides of the vessels
threatening destruction to the little
launches in which vonturesome excursion
ists put off from shore.
In more ways than one was the TACT tnat
THE was the last day of the rendezvous
emphasized. One of the most interesting
incfdents was the preparation Tor provi-
sioning the ships for the cruise. The steam
ers from the large cities this morning were
piled high with edible freight. American.
English. German, Russian. French, Span
ish. Italian and Dutch sailors hovcrcd
around the food or transferred it amid q
babel-like confusion to their own boats.
All this had to be done t0-day, as there Will
be no time Tor 1t tomorrow morning.
SETTING THE CHRoNoMETERs.
Equally interesting. although . scene en-
tire.y different. was the regulation of the
chronometers at noon to-day. Shortly be-
fore .12 o'clock a company of officers filed
through the long narrow passage in the
room in which the telegraphers were at
work. Some of them carried little mahog-
any boxes under their arms. which they
placed with more than ordinary care on
the small tables. A dozen instruments
were clicking. At l1:60 o'clock the chief
operator manipulated n eyboard and the
rattle of one of the saunders ceased. In.
stantly the lids of the boxes wero raised
and disclosed the glass-covered faces of the
chronomeiers. Every officer stood with
his watch in his hand.
Tick, tick" sounded the telegraph slow
ly, beating to the oscillations of the pendu-
lum OF she great clock In the observatory
at Washington. An Offiocr with q table
was noting the movement OF the chronom-
eters. Tick. tick" clicked the sounder. q
tia fox each second OF time. One ninnte
TO II O'clock arrived. During this minute
there was no sound. Then short. sharp,
decided click told the hour of noon. A
dozen observant eyes and brains noted the
second, minute and hour hands Of the
ships time-Keepers. and then. with the
chrouometers again under their arms. the
officers went down stairs and carried the
delicate mecbanisms back to the veseels.
The scene on the wharf to-day has been
like a country fair. 1t has been q harvest
time for the fakirs Little brass souvenirs
worth q few pennies have sold at 15 cents
and quarter apiece, and one man even
drove nvely business in selling at ~ cents
each the large photographic pictures of the
fleet at anchor in the Roads, which last
week did duty as railroad advertisements.
The half dozen sandwich and beer booths
with busy men in white aprons and red
faces: were surrounded By hungry and
cheap photographs of the vessels yelled
their wares. the impromptu ferrymen,
with tugs and yachts gay with hags
bawied loudly to inquiring strangers,
and even the ticket-scalpers were abroad
In the land. Thousands of curious visitors
made circuit of the fleet at % cents
head In excursion steamers. 1t was the
last day OF the rendezvous, and, therefore,
the last day for reaping the harvest of sill
yer. The fact that il was Sunday might
have occurred to q man if he went out In
the woods and reckoned up the days of the
week; otherwise such fact would hardly
have impressed itself upon his mind.
QUARTERS FOR VISITORS.
On the Washington boat came Senators
Butler, Gray and Gibson. OF Maryland, and
Representative McMillin. of Tennessee.
Arrap gements have been made for these
gentlemen to 90 around with the fleet TO
New York They will be quartered on the
San Francisco, along with the representa-
tiyes of the two New York papers Repre-.
sentative Outhw ate. of Ohio. Will go on the
Philadelphia. The other Senators and Rep.
resentatives invited have not yet appeared.
Nearly every ship will have q number of
civilians and correspondents. The latter
ha q Rb m Ut
Boston and Chicago papers. 1t was sup
posed some weeks ago that no one would
sail with the fleet except four representa-
tives of the press associations, but this
limit, although suggested by Secretary
Herbert has been totally disregarded. Tho
voyage is likely TO be made with COnsid-
erable discomfort.
The correspondents have been told tn at
they VIII have to conteat themselves with
mattresses under the ward-rOOm tables, al
though the friends of the commanding off,
GERS who have been invited to 60 will not
suffer any inconvenience. Secretary Her.
bert passed quiet dey. Ac the banquet
on the Dolphin. laet night he had Admiral
Hopkins of the English man Of war Blake at
his side. and In the course of the evening the
Admiral asked the Secretary to attend
church services on the Blake this morning.
Mr.. Herbert at once accepted. and this
was flown from the Blake. he stepped
into a boat which was decorated
with q silver anchor and four stars and
was pulled over to the big English cruiser.
The service was conducted by the
English chaplain end lasted some
time after the church pennants had
been hauled down from the three
American flag ships. Returning to the
Dolphin. the Secretary entertained some
friends informally as luncheon and then
came ashore for the first time since his ar
rival He had heard that number Of Sem
ators and Congressman were here and he
wanted them to come over and dine with
him on the Dolphin. Representative Dur
borrow was particularly sought for, but be
had returned TO Washington.
While the Secretary was in the hotel. the
correspondents had q pleasant talk with
him.
THE sight of these ships" said the Sec
retary. in answer to a question. is even
moro imposing ard grand than had an
ticlpated. / have been sorry that have
not had q better opportunity of studying
the various types of ships which are as
sembled here. made O very thorough ex-
animation of the Blake this morning after
church. and | was more than surprised nj
the completeness with which she ID
equipped. She is q marvellous cruiser. and
has many points that would like to see
incorporated in our new ships"
DO you not think that this rendezvous
will stimulate a pride in the United States
uayyW