New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-19
GERMAN WARSHIPS ARRIVE.
KAIsERIN AUGUSTA AND SEEADLER JOIN
THE FLEET.
FINE TYPES OF EMPEROR WILLIAMS NAVY
ADMIRAL GHERARDI GIVES DINNER ON
THE DOLPHIN TO THE FOREIGN
COMMUNICATIVE SPECTACLE
AT HAMPTON ROADS.

THE DOLPHIN TO THE FOREIGN
CoMMANDERs-THE SPECTACLE
AT HAMPTON ROADS.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUSEI
Fort Monroe, Va, April ls.-Two more foreigu
ships joined the feet here to-day the German
cruisers Kaiserin Augusta and Secadler dropping
into the Roads just before sunset. The sun hao
disappeared behind bank of fleecy clouds far on
the western horizon, and the roadstead had begun
to settle down into the quiet Of fast approach
ing dusk. when two white men-of-war, flying
flag which in the twilight could hardly be dis
tingushed from those Tapping from the masts OF
the English squadron, steamed slowly in between
the fort and the Rip Raps. The leader fired
salute Of twenty-Onc guns as she neared the ram
parts OF the fort, and on the forts replying, gun
for gun, the already deserted piers and the long
pazzas of the lIygea filled with animated crowds
Of sghtsecrs, anxious to discover who and what
the newcomers Passing the Blake the
bigger warship hoisted the English flag and sa-
luted with fifteen guns. the echoes Of which were
| caught again by the quick return voley from the
British Admiral's flagship. Opposite the Phia-
delphia the stranger again fired thirteen guns
the Rear Admrals allOwance-and the Phlladel-
pha answered with seven, or some smaller, propor-
toned 10 the lower rank of the visitors commander
i
close ashore, had hoisted, on salutns, the stran.
gers colors, and 1t was then that the new
corners were the German men-of-war-the slightly
naval flag of the Empire flying low from their
stern rails. In the growing dusk the blue stripes
and the white background had been mistaken BY
many from distance for the British red, though
the long, low hus of the ships, painted dead
white marked them as anything but English IN
general character.
Passing outside the second line Of the feet the
newcomers cast anchor inside the Roads, near
the Jean Bart and the Giovanni Bausan, and the
welcome they got to the harbor had to be given
| in the short half-hour between sunset and lamp
| light The Kaiserin Augusta which will be the
| flagship Of the German squadron, is but one year
| old, and is rated one of the finest ships in
| the German navy. Registering G,052 TONS she
will be, next to the Blake, the largest ship in the
| international feet, and in many respects will he
the most striking and effective Of all the warships
which 20 from here next Monday to New-Yorl.
With only two-thirds Of the tonnage of the Blake.
| the Kaisern Augusta is thirteen feet longer and
| with her raksh stem and stern and her decks
| sloping gradually TO their greatest height and
massveness amidships she looks at once more
graceful and more modern type OF ship OF war,
her style and lines approaching more closely and
| agreeably those which the new American Navy
has made familiar in the seaports OF this country
| than those of any others Of the foreign ships.
| The Kaiserin Augusta is perhaps more like tie
| Charleston in appearance than any of the Cramp
ships the low fore and aft of the west coast cruiser
| aiding strongly the resemblance between the two.
| The Charleston is only 3l2 feet long, however,
while the Kaiserin Augusta is 3ss. For cruiser
| OF her size the German flagship carries rather
light armament, her largest guns being but SO
| fhaso Sha
40 inch The Charleston, which is one-third
| smaller. carries two s-inch guns, while the
| British cruiser Australia, almost her equal In
size. carries guns of 90 calibre. The formidable
Italian Giovanni Bausan. only haT as blg as the
| Kaiserin Augusta, sta2gers under the weight OF
two IO-inch rifles. the biggest in the fleet But
| the Australia and the Bausan are all bunt up
1 amidships to bear heavy armament and fall about
90 feet short OF the splendid length Of the grace
ful and stately German flagship
The Seeadlcr which quietly followed the Kali
scrin Augusta into the Roads, almost hidden IN
the settling smoke of the repeated salutes from her
consort and the British and American fagships. Is
| an unprotected cruiser about one-thlrd her COM
panon's tonnage, but built. apparently. on the
| same general lines She. too, is but year out OF
the shipyards and preserves the same clean ana
dazzling front as the Augusta. the white coats OF
| ness The two German ships alone of the foreign
souadrons are painted in the American fashion.
and but for the flags they float and the distinctive
look of officers and crew might easily be taken as
| additions TO the American fleet The kaiserin
| Augusta has 90 officers and $50 men aboard. and
the German uniform will undoubtedly in day
| or two be as well known ashore as the STRIPES
shoulder-straps and lace of the Russians, French.
Dutch and Italians.
With the two late arrivals to-day the inter-
national otilla here has increased to twenty-seven
s,ips The American squadron numbers fourteen
| in all-the flagship Philadelphia, the Newark
Baltimore. Bennington. Bancroft, San Francisco
and Atlanta under Admiral Benham; the Chicago.
| Yorktown Vesuvius, Charleston and Concord, un-
der Admiral Walker; the torpedo-boat Cushing ana
tbc dispatch boat Dolphin. The foreign fleet Is
| made nm of the five English cruisers, Blake,
| Nacicienne Tartar, Australia and Partridge; the
| Rnssion cruisers General, Admiral and Rynda; the
| Kaiser in Augusta, and the Seeadler. which hoat
the German flag; the French ships. Jean Bart and
| Uussard; the Italian cruiser, Giovanni batsan ana
the Dutch man-of-war, Van Speyk. The line
weather OF the last four days, with that promised
hv Tho Weather Bureau on this coast until Thurs
dav or Friday, encourages the hope that the
Spanish squadron, which sailed from Havana on
Sunday, may after all, turn aside into the ROADS,
instead of going straight on to New-iork. Inc
Spanish commander has under him three ships Ok
war. the protected cruiser Reina Regenta, the
unprotected cruiser Inlanta Isabel and tile torpedo
| vessel Nueva Espana, as well as the Columbus
caravels, the Santa Maria, Nina and Pinta; %
that the arrival Of the Spanish fleet is eagerly
desired as an important addition to the spectacle
bere-the loss of which would rob the rendezvous
of much of its historical suggestiveness and spec
| ,.cular value Admiral Gherardi Is inclined to
| believe that the Spaniards will arrive in time, az
the voyage from IIavanasto the Capes, even with
the handicap of the caraves In tow. would NOT
under favorable conditions, occupy the fleet more
than five days. With the three men-of-war snd
the three caravcls the international fotla here
would number forty-one-a larger collection OF
warshps of their quality, or perhaps OF any
quality, than has ever before been assembled In
| American waters The Rena Regenta carries an