Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-26
FLEET AT NEW YORK
The voyaes Mads h ths Faissss
Wssthss.
SCENE Of the CENTURY
AbshsagA - pAcs - Was Ten
knoss oua.s - 10 v0ssaGn
CsuADssu Weso DtBean0oa

=
rons rsachsd ths1owss by u New York
harbos this sftsrnooa. Shortly before I
O'Clock the lookout in the crow's nest a
the Miantonomah. which vas lying an
chosed midway between Sandy Hook
Point and the Scotland lightship, sig
nailed tho feet In sight. Tho tugboat
Indian. with the United Press flag 1t
her fore. promptly put out TO 80. and
through gathering haze and drizzling
rain sighted the fleet moving along ut
the rate Of fully ten knots m hour in
double column; perfect alignment dis-
tances accurately marked 30 yards
between each ship. 600 yards
between each squadron. . stately
and maicstic sight. The big white flag.
ship Of Admiral Gherardi. the Philadel-
phia. headed the port column; the hugo
black British cruiser Blake, Admiral
Hopkins' flagship. led tho stxrboard
column. all according to the program.
the other vcssels following in regular
order. When fairly in the channel the
Philadelphia signalled the fleet to pro-
ceed without references 10 formations.
The vessels Of the starboard column
slowed down and allowed all the Ameri-
can fleet to round the lightship first.
A Marvosous Spectacle.
Then the Blake and the other British.
crs followed safely crossing the bar be
fore tioodtide. 3:37 p. IN. the squadrons
Of each column alternating till all had
safely rounded and entered the channel.
Despite ,he obscurity Of the weather.
the procession up the bay was exceed
ingly beautiful. Gravcsend Bay was
reached at 80. and the Philadelphia
opened the sslutes by firing fifteen guns
in honor Of the Russian admiral and his
flagship. the Dillitri Donsko. the band
on board the Philadelphia playing the
Russian national air. The Russian
promptly acknow lodged the salute. At
S::s5 the Philadelphia fired one gun "a a
signal To come to anchor and the Newark
passed the signal TO the other vessels Of
the squadron. which instantly hove to.
The instant the Philadelphia let 60 her
anchor the United Press reporters on
board the flagship transferred to the
United Press tug their story OF tho trip
which is here subioined
Calm Voyage.
The voyage Of 80 miles from Fortress
Monroe to the anchorage was a most de-
lightful one. The expectations OF rough
weather. based on the northeastly winds.
which sent into tempestous waves the
usually placid wsters of Hampton
Roads, failed 10 be realized. much to the
relief Of Senators Gibson and Butler,
Representatives Geinsenhainer. Mayer
and Wadsworth and other landsmen who
happened to be on the ships The ocean
was as smooth an the typical mill pond
and the wind. though fresh. did not at
any time blow with force sufficient to
cause discomfort. No accident occurred
and there was no hitch in the program
at any point. save in the inability
Of some of the foreign veesels to
maintain even the moderate speed set
by the Philadelphia. When the feet
sailed out of Hampton Roads yesterday
morning il consisted Of twenty seven
ships formed in two columns In this
position and with the dark bottle green
torpedo boat dancing 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 a dark blue
sea. the man OF war presented n scene
To charm the eye and stir the imagina-
tion. This was especially true of the
United States vessels which kept in ex-
cellent line and position.
John Bulls Admiration.
It was no wonder that Admiral Hop
kins signaled his compliments to Ad-
miral Gheradi with the remark that
"your squadron looks very pretty"
Thank you" signaled back Admiral
Gheradi. with pleased smile upon his
face.
The signaling was done by young
English quartermaster. who had come
over from the Blake and who waved his
arms and two small red and yellow flags
in "a mosl erratic fashion.
The veseels kept steadily out 10 s'a
until Cape Henry lighthouse was some
distance sstern. and then the Philadcl
phia flew her signals. Prepare to
change your course" said the sig.
nal flags. and few minutes later
the bows q the Philadelphia and the
Blake. instead IL being headed straight
across tho Atlantic. were turned north
easterly, in the direction of New York
harbor. Like sheep in a pasture. all the
other vessels as soon az they reached the
place where the leaders hal turned.
also swung around. The picture which
they presented vas extremely beauti
ful. So close sstern 20 the Philadelphia
that a stone might have been passed upon
her deck. was the Newark. with her
white SIDES crushing the water into still
whittier foam.
Tho Pacr Too Fast.
Every vessel In the squadron followed
al the prescribed distance. presenting
an array nf cleaning hulls and giisten
ing guns that dsgyled the eye. Tie star
board column was also intact Inc SKY
was bright. there was not even a
ground swell. Admiral Gherafdis or
der to steam at ten knots sent the lead
ora plunging ahead through the sea.
AMI presently IL became evident that
come q the vessels could MT keep the
pace The Brsziiisns were the first ~
lag hehind and II was not long before
only the topmssf - their ships vere yis,
ihle on the edge - the horizon.
Presently the zap in between the
Arathuse ard the HusssrSt grew wider
and wider The ltahsns were alan but
mere sperks upon the horizon bot a
thickness of smoke abnTe their dark
hulls told how gsliantly they were striv
ing % keep ia the long PROGRESSION.
shortly after o'rinek in the sfternons
the Jean Berse. evidently weary ~ tol-
Iogin ;he HnSsarf st a spsifs pace.
sheersd oT D. the right AMI then ran
ahead q the little gant~Sst taking a
pn~,fson directly as;eFn q the Arsthase
far;her and farther the Hus-sr'i