The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-24

FORT MONROE, VA, April 23.-Twenty-
seven ships Of war will sail from here
tomorrow ats o'clock for New York,
At that hour the tide running out to
sea will have swung the massive hulls
and the sharp prows will be pointed
towards the ocean. This is o matter of
no small importance, as an attempt to
turn all the ships at once would be
most dangerous experiment. There has
been no rest for Admiral Gherardi to.
day. Signal flags have been running
up and down from the yards OF the
Philadelphia; blue.coated messengers
have been hurrying in plunSing
launches from ship to ship, and the
typewriter in the admiral's Office has
been going at pace almost as rapid as
the life which the bellies and their
beaux have been living at the Hygia.
There Is no question but that Admiral
Gherardi feels the responsibility which
rests upon him as tho commander.in.
chief OF the squadron. Several times
to-day he has been upon the bridge OF
the Philadelphia viewing with anxious
eyes the gathering clouds and wonder
Ing II the gale would abate. Everybody
here Is naturally hoping that the
weather in New York will be fair, but
the seasoned old salts who know all
about the weather shake their heads
obviously to-day.
The wind has been blowing from the
northeast and is bleak and cold. 1t
whistled this morning most ominously
through the riggingso OF the Chicago and
stittenedthe signal flags on the Philadel-
phia into semblance OF frozen bunt.
Ing. The forbiddipg weather was un-
fortunate for the crowds who with the
earliest morning boats began to swell
the already too numerous colony here.
The steamers from Washington, Norfolk
aud Baltimore was loaded with passen.
gers; the incoming trains bore their
quota OF sightseers; and every craft in
Norfolk harbor seemed to have been
utilized to carry people who wanted to
get a final look at tho men-of.war.
In more ways than one was the fact
that this was the last day OF the rendez.
vous emphasized. One OF the most in.
teresting incidents was the provisioning
OF the ships for tho cruise. Tons aud
tons OF beef were brought from Balti.
more and transferred to the ships cut
ters. Hugo crates OF canned goods,
mammoth sacks OF vegetables, q ram.
part OF bread, stood side on the wharf,
with food enough to stock store. All
this transferring had to be done to-day.
There will be no time for it tomorrow
morning.
Equally interesting, although scene
entirely different, was the regulation OF
the chronometers at noon to-day. Short
ly before y o'clock u company OF officers
filed through the long and narrow pas.
sage into the room in which telegraph.
ers were at work. Some OF them
carried little mahogany boxes un.
dor their arms, which they placed
with more than ordinary care upon the
small tables. Adozen instruments we're
clicking loudly, At ten minutes to u
the chief operator manipulated a key
board, and tho rattle Of saunders ceased.
Instantly the lids OF the boxes were
raised and disclosed the glass.covered
face Of the chronometers. Every officer
stood with his watch in his hand.
click, tick" sounded the telegraph
sounder, beating to the oscilla-
tions Of the pendulum OF the
great clock in the observatory
at Washington. An officer with table
was noting the movement OF the chrome.
meters "Iick, tick" clicked the sounder,
a tick for each second OF time. Ono
minute OF twelve arrived, During this
minute there was no sound. Then
short, sharp decided click told the hour
OF noon. A dozen observant eyes and
brains noted the seconds, the minute
and hour handsof the ships time.keep.
ers and then with the chronometers
again under their arms the officers went
down stairs and carried the delicate
mechanisms back 10 tho vessels.
The scenes on the wharf to-day has
been like county fair. 1t has been q
harvest time for the fatirs. Little brass
souvenirs worth iow pennies have
sold like hot cakes at fifteen cents aud q
quarter apiece, and ono man even does
q lively business in selling at ton cents
each the largo lithographic pictures OF
tho fleet ut anchor in the roads, which
last week did duty asrailroad advertise.
monts. Thousands OF curious visitors
mado circuit Of tho fleet at quarter a
head in excursion steamers.