The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-19
SEVENTEEN MEN OF WAR
ARE NOW LYING AT ANCHOR IN
HAMPTON ROADS,
With More of the Modern Battle Ships Ex-
pected Very SoOn-Two New Arrivals Dur
ing The Day, the Giovanni Pausan and the
Jean Bart-A Scene of Grandeur.

snowy cross on q scarlet shield oil the nag
OF Italy and tri-color of France float today
over the white capped waves which rest
lessly rise and fall in Hampton Roads.
The new foreign vessels have arrived-the
Giovanni Bausan and the Jean Bart-mak-
ing seventeen men-of-war now in the har-
Dor. All this afternoon and until the set
ting sun caused the shadows OF the pro-
truding cannons to fall like dark index
fingers es the dazzling sides OF the ships, q
brilliant picture was presented. The
launches and cutters OF the vessels, each
displaying the SNOWY colors OF it's nation
atty, sped to and fro scross the waters
carrying lively parties to the men-of-war
and back again.
The golden sunlight was unbroken by @
cloud. The air was 80 wonderfully trans.
parent that the CLINT of the brass works
on the distant Atlanta shone like a star
point in the heavens. The sky was blue
aud the water was bluer still, with each
wave crested with fleecy rim of foam as
soft and dainty as the fur which encircles
a woman's opera CLOAK. The excursion
boats, thronged with spectators Of the
scene. were moving monuments Of flags.
y corps of yachts, with signals and pen
nants as varied as a Kaleidoscope, added
to the beauty of their graceful forms and
widespread sails. Upon the shore the
busting throngs in the hotel lobby, with
the officers conspicuous in their uniforms,
the gay throng of stylishly dressed women
or ha broad ouI radiant
in spring costumes, aud with huge punches
of liiacs on their breasts, and the merry
chatter of conversation in half dozen
languages gave & spirit of animation TO a
Sunday scene that would have made the
puritan father seek refuge IN the bleak
| forest of another continent.
The Giovanni Bausan was sighted early
this morning, but not too early for the
usual burning of powder. She Is not
stranger to American waters, having par
ticipaIed in the last review in New York,
but her arrival was nevertheless the occa-
sion for much ceremony. She is a par
italy protected cruiser, with ten-uch
guns which send half a ton of stell as
straight as an arrow TO the horizons edge
She is not fair to look upon, with her
black and yellow paint, but sha can fight.
She came TO anchor III the vicinity of the
American feet about six hundred Yards
from the wharf. and atter she had flung
the L. ;. flag to the mainmast and satuted
il with twenty one guns, which was
answered rom the foet, an officer from
the Baltimore went on board OF her with
all ceremony.
After the formally of the Bausau's re-
ccpliOn had been concluded the quarter
master on the bridge OF the Philadelphia
on hlz "a ha ri ha MID Ia
stretch of water between the capes and
sighted another man.Oi-War inward bound.
Like a silhouette her black hull was out
lined against the white heecy clouds
which hung laZllv upon the horizon.
Unlike the Russian ships she had no
tapering mas or graceful yards or deli
cate trace OF rigging. Her two masts we're
thick and but for the crows nests which
surmounted them, and which betrayed a
military purpose. the craft might have
been mistaken for some gigantic coal
barge. As she steamed nearer the
French ensign at her stern told her
nationality and the vicious look
ing ram which extended from her
crow proclaimed her name the Jean
Bort, formidable armOred cruiser added
to the French navy within the last five
years. As the cruiser moved slowly down
tA4D hh'AlOfokN, Win CSoANVAJ u lARNAo
breaking from either eide OF her long and
slender nose, the Jean Bart presented "a
striking although a sOmber picture. Her
tell sides were dark us night itself. save
where the pseling black paint disclosed
the understanding OF red lead. The furnish
ings of her decks, the smoke-stacks and
the steel masts were a dirty yellowish
drab like beach of sand upon a cloudy
day, and even her guns instead OF re-
ilecting the brilliant sunlight. were dull
brown. Through her open ports the
broad side of five and six.inch guns, each
weapon surrounded by its appropriate
crew, were conspicuous. The huge
cylinders of steel which surrounded the
hollow masts were penetrated by the large
muzz es of her rapid firing guns. The tars
were staining at their quarters in respect
lul liludes, while q group of officers in
full uniform on the bridge were surveying
through their glasses the fleet already as
semb.ei. With equal interest the men
upon the u. 5. vessels gazed upon the
wsr-hke stranger and the marine, who
paraded in solitary glory upon the stern
deck oil the Italian. presented arms.
Splash and rattle went the anchor of
the Frenchman to the bottom. The same
instant the glorious stars and stripes were
run up to the summit of the main mast,
Just under the slender pennant. The
gentle southern breeze caught the
national emblem and seemed to caress il,
while underneath the big guns honOred
the hag with an international salute of
twenty-one guns.
The echo of the firing had not died away
when a reverberating boom from the dis
tant tort thunderd back recognition and
welcome.
\ Question OF Procedure.
just at this instant the officers OF the
Jean BAIT ran to the side to gaze curiousiy
upon e strange craft that had come up I'M
observed behind them and was silently
sliding by. It had the form and build Of
@ torpedo boat, with rounded decks scarce
ly above the level of the water and
sheathed with metal painted brown. Over
it's stern was a house on stilts not much
larger than a hen coop of respectable
size. 1t was whale back. common
enough on the lakes. but decidedly unique
in the Frenchmen's ewes While they
were still lost in wonder at the unique
specimen of naval architecture. a siKnifi-
cant incident happened. Even while the
FrenchInan's guns were paying their loud
tribute to the American flag the captain
OF the General Admiral stepped into his
gig and started as rapidly as four oars
cou d carry him toward the new arrival,
reaching helatter's side while the board
ing officer from the Baltimore was still