The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-04-29
THE BIG FLEET.

|. tie Feet Made Preparations for the
fnp to New fork-sunday On Bssrd the
War ships-Mountslss Of Provisions
Taken on Board.
FORTRESS MONROE, Va, April 23.-
Twenty-seven ships-of-war will sail
f6f New York tomorrow. 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 messengers
hurTying in plunging Launches
from ship to ship, and the typewriter
in the admiraIs office has been going
at a rapid pace. There is no question
but that Admiral Gherardi feels the re-
sponsibility which rests upon him as
the commander-in-chief of the squad
ron. Several times to-day he has been
upon the bridge of the Philadelphia
viewing with anxious eyes the gather
ing clouds Everybody here is natur-
ally hoping the weather in New York
will be clear, but the seasoned old salts,
who know all about the weather. shake
their heads obviously to-day. The sea
runs heavy and great waves are break
ing against the sides of the vessels and
threatening with destruction the little
launches in which venturesOme excur-
sionists put off from shore.
In more ways than one was the fact
that this was the last day of the rem
devious emphasized. One of the most
interesting incidents was the prepara-
ton for provisioning the ships for the
cruise. The steamers from the large
cities this morning Were piled high with
edible freight. Tons and tons of beef
were brought from Baltimore and trans
ferred to the ships cutters, which were
dancing on the waves at the wharf.
Huge crates of canned goods and man.
moth sacks of vegetables stood side by
side with food enough to stock a store.
One pile of bread contained, by actual
count, 1876 loaves. and there were sew
eral other mountains of baked dough
nearly as large American, English,
German, Russian, French, Spanish.
Italian and Dutch sailors lowered
around the food or transferred il amid
babel-like confusion to their own
boats. All this had to be done to-day;
there will be no time for it tomorrow
morning.
Equally interesting, although a scene
entirely different,was the regulation of
the chronometers at noon to-day.
Shortly before IL o'clock company Of
officers filed through the long and mar
row passage to the room in which the
telegraphers were at work. Some of
them had little mahogony boxes under
their arms which they placed with more
than ordinary care upon the small ta-
bles. A dozen instruments were click
ing busily At 11:5O o'clock the Op-
orator touched key board. In
stantly the lids of the boxes
were raised and disclosed the
glass faces of the chronometers. The
officer stood ready with his watch in
his hand. Tick, tick. sounded the tele-
graph, slowly beating to the pulsatIoD
of the great clock in the observatory at
Washington. An officer with a table
was noting the movement of the
chronometers. Tick. tick" clicked the
sounder. n tick for each second of time.
One minute of twelve arrived. During
this minute there was no sound. Then
a short sharp decided click told the
hour of noon. A dozen Observant eyes
and brains noted the second. the min
ute and the hour hands of
the ships timekeepers; and then
with the chronometers again un-
der their arms, the officers
went downstairs and carried the deli
cate mechanicisms back to the vessels.
Thousands of Curious visitors made
circuit of the fleet at twenty-five cents
apiece in excursion steamers II was
the last day of the rendezvous, and
therefore the last day for reaping the
harvest of silver. The fact that it was
Sunday might have occurred to man
if he went out in the woods and reck-
oned up the days of the week; other
wise such n remembrance would hardly
have impressed itself upon his mind.
Senators Butler, Gray and Gibson, Of
Maryland, and Representative Benton
McMillin. of Tennessee, arrived to-day.
Arrangements have been made for
these gentlemen to go around with the
fleet to New York. They will be quar-
tered on the San Francisco, along with
representatives of two New York pa
pcrs. Representative Outhwaite, Of
Ohio. will go on the Philadelphia. In
vitations had also been extended to a
number of other senators and repre-
sentatives. but as they had not ap-
peared up to this evening the COM
mandcrs of the ships at once be-
gan to extend invitations to
their friends. Nearly every ship
will have number of civilians
and correspondents. The latter will
represent the United Press and Wash
ington. New York, Boston and Chicago
papers. 1t was supposed some weeks
ago that no one would sail with the
fleet except four representatives of the
press associations. but this limit. al
though suggested by Secretary Her
bert. has been totally disregarded.
The voyage is likely to be made with
considerable discomfort The CORE
sDondents have been told that they will
have to content themselves with mat
trcSses under the ward-rOom table. al
though the friends of the commanding
officers who have been invited to go
will not suffer any Inconvenience. lf
the weather continues to be rough
there is sure to be good deal of sick
ness among the landsmen on board, but
this does not seem to deter any one
from making the trip.
Secretary Herbert, at the banquet on
the Dolphin, met Admiral Hopkins OF
the English fleet, and in the course of
the evening the admiral asked the sec
retary to attend church service on
board the Blake this morning. Mr..
Herbert accepted, and this morning
Just before the church pennant was
fioated from the Blake, he stepped
into a boat which was decorated with
silver anchor and stars and
was pulled over to the big En-
glish cruiser. The service was con-
Quoted by the English chaplain and
lasted quite a while after the church
pennants had been hauled down from
the American flagship.
Returning to the Dolphin the secretary
entertained some friends informally at
luncheon, and then he came ashore for
the first time since he arrived. He had
heard that quite number Of senator's
and congressman were here and he
r-optad tharn IN Gonna aver and dina