Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-05-03
STEAMING UP THE BAY.
Fleet of WarShIpS Approaches New York in
Double Column Formation.

locked harbor of New York, when the
first rays of the morning sun drove the
hazy shadows away, was shielded safely
the great Columbian fleet, comprising
the magnificent grim warships of ten
European powers, joined with the cream
of the United States navy. The phan-
tom ships which sailed in out of the
mists of the sea yesterday were bright
and majestic realities in the glorious
sunshine this morning. The only ele-
ment wanting to ensure the triumphant
spectacular success Of the great naval
parade was supplied by the perfect
weather. Not a trace was left of the
steel-gray clouds and rain and fog of
yesterday. Clear skies, bright sunlight
and bracing breezes gave a setting to a
panoramic scene whose beauty and
suggestiveness have never been sur
passed. In the sharp, clear light Of the
early morning every distinctive feature
OF the great warships stood out in
bold relief. Anchored in two
great columns stretched over the
whole surface of the bay, the
vessels Of each Of the ten rationale
ties represented could be distinguished
at a glance. The snow-white bulls and
graceful outlines of the American fleet
were more conspicuous than the huge
black hulk of the British flagship, the
towering military masts Of the French
Jean Bart, or the sharp lines Of the
crack German cruiser Kaiserin Augusta
with her formidable Krupp guns Offset
by the squat form outlines of the Dutch
Van Speyk, which again contrasted with
the graceful build Of the swift Argen-
tine, Nueve de Julio, and the massive
armament of the Brazilian battleship
AQuidaban.
The dawn had broken clear and a
brisk wind was blowing from out the
north. 1t cleared the air over the river
and city to stereoscopic brilliancy. But
the dust and haze had been carried
down over the upper bay and the Mar
rows, and seemed to have been left there
aHOat, low lying and motionless to OBJ
scure the view of those watching
from high points, in the city. It
was as if the breath of an In
the Staten Island hills and
brooded down with it's hazy curtain of
dull gold in the early sunlight. Look
ing over the city from the high point of
the Associated Press offices, the city
was covered with q fiuttering cloud Of
red, white and blue, streaming from
forests of fiagstaffs. Patriotism was evil
dent III the streets. Fathers and moth
ers felt the occasion was one their prog
eny should see, especially the boys, and
:@rongs were seeking places of vantage
which to see the great naval
'"nt. The temperature was crisp
and sharp.
1t was shortly after 9 o'clock when
Admiral Gherardi's flagship gave the
preliminary signal to break anchor and
tall into line. They started up the har-
Dor in two columns, the port column led
by the Philadelphia and the starboard
column by the British cruiser Blake.
Most of the foreign ships were in the
starboard column, nearest the New
York shore and all passed the Battery.
The time. occupied In passing the forts
was exactly half an hour. After the ma
val ships had passed the Narrows and
entered the upper bay, the fleet Of ex-
cursiOn steamers and yachts and big
boats fell in and became volunteer
escort. The scene then became
one of combined grace, animation and
beauty never to be forgotten. The alb
sence of cannonading left the air clear
and every outline Of the magnificent
ships stood out in luminous silhouette
against the cloudless sky. The flags
Of the different nationalities and
even the names of the ships were
clearly discernible from either shore.
The fleets were preceded by navy yard
tugs and patrol steamers, whose duty it
was to keep the course clear. The rear
was brought up by four revenue cutters.
No vessels Of any kind were allowed to
break through this line. The ships
steamed up the river until the Philadel-
phia and the Blake reached point OPP
posite Eighty-ninth Street when the
signal to anchor was given. The rear Of
the double s line was opposite West Thir-
Miantonomah. The Dolphin is now
anchored off Twenty-second Street
and will remain there until
the President boards her at 1880
o'clock tomorrow to review the ships.
The entire water front was lined with
people and the water dotted with all
kinds of craft. Steam whistles were
blown continuously from the time the
fleet entered the North River until the
last vessel dropped anchor.
The naval review fleet of thirty-fve
vessels, representing IN Its show OF war
not only the sovereignty of ten nations
but $heir great idea of international
fraternity, and also the growth in 400
years Of science as typifed in marine
construction, came to anchor yesterday
afternoon at half-past 3 o'clock at the
gates of New York harbor~ below Forts
Wadsworth and Hamilton. Most
Of them came in out of the
foe and mist that spread itself over the
water and made the ships look like
phantoms. They came in by squadrons,
rather than in two long files as had been
expected. The Spanish feet with the
caravels, had arrived the night before;
the Russian flagship came in early in
early in the morning; the Argentine
Republics cruiser Nueve de Julio was
awaiting the others; the Miantonomah
was ready TO great them all. With these
exceptions, the vessels Of the combined
fleet came in from the Thn from .Hamp-
ton Roads in rapid succession and
sought the anchorages that had been
arranged for them.
NO CHEERING NEWS.