St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-26
Arrival At GOTHAM.
Promptly on Time the Com
bined Squadrons Pass
Sandy Hook.
Fhe Fleet Comes in a Driz-
Zling Rain in Perfect
Alignment.
Excellent Line and Position
Kept by Uncle Sans
Vessels.
Some Of the Foreigners Find
the Pace Rather Too
Swift.


NEW YORK, April 25.-Promptly on
line the combined naval Squadrons
reached the lower bay of New York
harbor this afternoon. Shortly before l
s'eloek the lookout in the ''crow's nest''
Of the Miantonomah. which was lying
anchored midway between Sandy Hook
and the Scotland Hghtship. Signaled
the fleet IN sight. The Associated Press
tug boat promptly put out TO sea, and,
through gathering haze and drizzling
rain, sighted the fleet moving along at
the rate Of fully ten knots an hour in
double column, perfect alignment, dis
tances accurately marked, three hum
ired yards between each ship, six hum
5red yards between each squadron-a
stately and majestic sight. The big
white flagship of Admiral Gherardi, the
Philadelphia, headed the port column;
The huge black British cruiser Blake,
Admiral Hopkins flagship. led the star
board column. all according to the pro-
gramme, the other vessels following in
regular order.
Broke Ranks
When fairly in the channel, the Phil
adelphia signaled the fleet to proceed
without reference to formations. The
vessels of the starboard column slowed
down and allowed all the American
feet to round the lightship first. Then
the Blake and the other Britishers fol
lowed, safely crossing the bar before
food tide, $3.50 p. m., the squadron of
each column alternating until all had
safely rounded and entered the channel.
Despite the obscurity of the weather,
the procession up the bay was exceed
ingly beautiful. GTayesend bay Was
reached at $50, and the Philadelphia
opened the salutes by firing
fifteen guns in honor of the Rus
sian admiral and his flagship, the
Dimltri DOnskoi, the band on board the
Philadelphia playing the Russian ma
tiOnal air at the same time. The Rus
sian promptly acknowledged the salute.
At 3:S5 the Philadelphia fired one gun
as a signal to come to anchor, and then
the admiral passed the signal to the
other vessels OF the squadron, which in
Stantly hove TO. The instant the Phila-
delphia let 90 her anchor the Associated
Press correspondents on board the flag
ship transferred to their colleagues on
the special tug their story of the trip,
which is here subjOined.
Story OF tile Voyage.
The voyage of 270 miles from Fortress
Monroe to the anchorage was a most de-
lightful one. The predictions of rough
weather. based upon the northeaSterly
winds which whipped into tempestuOuS
waves the usually placid waters of
Hampton Roads, failed to be realized,
much to the rehef of landsmen who
happened to be on the ships. The ocean
was as smooth as the typical mill pond,
and the wind, though cool and fresh,
did not at any time blow with force suf-
ficient to cause discomfort. No acci-
dent occurred, and there was no
hitch in the programme at any
point, save in the inability of some of
the foreign vessels to maintain even the
moderate rate of speed set by the Phil
adelphia When the fleet sailed out of
Hampton Roads yesterday morning it
consisted of twenty-Seven ships formed
into two columns. In this position, and
with the dark bOttle-green torpedo boat
Gushing tossing like a cork under the
port quarter of the Philadelphia, the
combined feet passed out to sea. In
the bright sunshine which fell from an
almost clOudleSS sky upon dark blue
sea, the men-of-war presented scene
to charm the eye and stir the imagina-
ton. This was especially true OF the
United States vessels. which
Aept IN Excellent Line
and position. 1t was no wonder that
a o1 orot- eli or IL
mentS to Admiral Gherardi with the
remark that Your squadron looks very
pretty" THANK YOU" signaled back
Admiral Gherardi, with pleased smile
upon his face.
The vessels kept steadily out to sea
until Cape Henry lighthouse was some
distance astern, and then the Philadel-
phia few gaudY combination of
signals. Prepare to change your
course" said the signal flags,
and a few minutes later the
bows of the Philadelphia and
the Blake, instead of being headed
straight across the Atlantic, were turned
nOrtheasteTly in the direction of New
York harbOr. Like sheep in a pasture,
all the other vessels, as soon as they
reached the place where the leaders
had turned, also swung around. The
picture which they presented was eX-
tremely beautiful. So close to the
Philadelphia that stone might have
been tossed upon her immaculate deck
was the Newark, with her white sides
crushing the water into still whittier
eeam. Every vessel in the squadron
followed at the prescribed distance, pre-
Stnting an array of cleaning hullS and
gliStening guns that
DazZled the Eye.
The starbOard column was also intact.
The sky was bright with azure; there
was not even a ground swell percep-
tiDle, and the ocean and the day were
altogether as perfect as could be i'm
agined.
Admiral Gherardi's order to steam at
ten knots sent the leaders plunging
ahead through the sea, and presently it
became evident that some of the vessels
could not keep the pace. The Brazil
ians were the first to lag behind. and it
was not long before only the tOpmasts
of their ships were visible on the edge
of the horizon. The admiral expressed
considerable solicitude for the Dutch
man, and. being afraid that the German
cruisers behind the Van Speyk might
find their progress impeded. sent word
by the Cushing to the captain of the
KaiSerin Augusta to steam his squadron
ahead of the Van Speyk should the lat
ter be unable to keep up with the pro-
cessiOn. Subsequent events proved
the ability of the Dutchman to take care
of himself.
The starboard column became demor-
allied soon after the long, low sand
oE CoDo IIoDrv- d1connaarad