The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-20
In HAMPTON ROADS,
Admiral Gherardi Visited Seventeen
Of the Vessels.
A GREAT NAVAL ASSEMBLY,


FIT MONROE, Va, April 20. "A strange
thing happened Tuesday Admiral
Gherardi visited seventeen ships. and
not gun was fired Ordinarily such a
round Of visits would have been the oc-
casion for filling this beautiful atmos-
phere with sulphurous SMOKE but when
he left his own ships the admiral or
dered that no salute be fired, and Of the
foreigners he made a request that the
same noisy honor be omitted. Tuesday
afternoon he went to the six other
American ships. but he was carried
around with O silence that was more
impressive than the salutes. because Of
its very novelty.
Tuesday morning the admiral had al
lowed his private barge to be used by,
the crack crew Of the vessel for race
with the crew Of the Chicago. With all
the visits that he had TO pay. this was
no time to waste in ceremony. and so
he ordered ont the steel launch and
went scurrying across the water In
double-quicls time, with the spray DASH
ing ali over his gold-cmbroidcred cape.
| These official visits, by the way, have
become so numerous that they tax 70
the utmost not only the already busy
moments Of Admiral Ghcrardi, bnt the
hardly less leisure moments Of the
officers who are lower in rank.
Even with eleven more men-of-war
| TO arrive, tho naval rendezvous has al
ready assumed proportions which en-
title il to rank as one of the greatest
aggrcgations of floating batteries which
the world has ever witnessed. Ad-
miraI Gherardi paused moment as he
stood upon the deck Of the Philadel-
phia Tuesday afternoon when your
correspondent asked him how many
million dollars would be represented
upon the water when all the ships
werc assembled. TEN, fifteen, TWEEN
ty, twenty-five" said he, making q
mental calculation. yes, fully S25,000.-
600, and do you know" he added. 'how
many men there will be on board the
ships? Mop Well. there will be 5000
men. There are 8. 200 men upon my own
ships
Then the admiral expressed his pleas
ure at the interest Displayed by news
papers In the rendezvous. and remarked
the number and popularity Of the
questions addressed to him by corrc-
lspondents He said he supposed your
correspondent would like to know how
much money was wasted in firing sa-
lutos, and receiving q reply In the
affirmative, the admiral threw aside his
| dignity and actually chuclSled.
.sWell, he said, s'as matter Of fact,
nll the powder we use has been con-
| demned. and it really is no good for any
\ fl,fv.r else y
The crowd here continues to increase.
/ II has long since filled up every build
! ing at Old Point and now Is splitting
country hotels of the vicinity. Prices
are high in proportion.
In a thousand and one ways tho
friendship Of the American and English
is shown since the arrival Of the Blake
and her sister ships
The arrival of the German ships
(, Tuesday added to the constantly in
crcasing excitement The big Argen-
tine cruiser left New York Monday, and
was expected here Tuesday, but is prob
ably lying outside the Capes, in com-
pany with the two German ships The
German squadron steamed into the har-
Dor SO late in the afternoon that II
I the Kaiserin Augusta had not be-
Vun to boom her cannons some
distance down the roads she would
have had to slip TO her anchor
age cfffcially unnoticed until o'clock
4 Wednesday morning. She saiuted first
the u. S. flag and the flags Of the Amer
lean and English admirals as she
steamed slowly toa place near the Rus
slams. Behind her came the Seeadler, q
small gunboat Of $500 tons The Kat
serin Augusta Is the most modern war
ship now in the fleet, and presents
many points Of interest