New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-20

RARDI CURTAILS THE NUMBER Ot
HIS sALUTEs-THE MADE
oUATE FRENCH DISPLAY.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.1
Fort Monroe, va April l0.-The arrival Of the
French flagship Arethuse in the Roads this mora
ing, to join the international fleet now lying here
the occasion OF more vigorous and con-
tinuous cannonading than has been heard. per.
haps in these waters since the close of the Civil
War. The Arethuse, carrying Nice-Admira'
was required to salute and receive a salute in re-
turn from the fort and from the flagship OF each
nation represented in the fotilla at anchor In the
roadstead Steamine in past the water battery
Of Fort Monroe the French warshp opened with
fire Of twenty-one guns, which the artillcrymen
on land returned with even greater volume OF
sound and density of smoke from the l0-inch
smo0th-bOre cannon which line the easements OF
the outer eastern wall. Opposite the British flag.
ship Blake the American flag run down aud
the ST. Georges cross run up ana the Arethuse
delivered salute of fifteen guns in honor Of
ViceAdmiral Hopkins, the ranking officer of the
international fleet
The upper deck guns of the British flagship
responded with the quick barking note OF the
modern high power rifle. the return salute, fifteen
guns also, in recognition of Admiral De Lebrauns
thirds of tie time taken by the gunners of the
French warship Rear Admiral Gherardi was
next saluted by thirteen guns, and the Phila-
delpha answered with fifteen. Lying further In,
the Van Speyk the General Admiral, the
Kaiserin Augusta and Giovanni Blusan in turn
exchanged greetings with the French flagship as
she parsed along the line to her station within the
Roads, the Dutch, Russian, German and Italian
vessels firing fifteen guns While the Arethuse
varied the number discharged according to the
rank Of the commanding officer saluted. Nearly
200 charges were returned within fifteen min
utes and the late Lumbers of the guests at the
Hygea were disturbed beyond the possibility Of
resumption By the continuous thunders In the
roadstead, which shook the light frame buildings
on the Government reservation here to their very
foundations.
Admiral Gherardi, though as thorough a fight
ing seaman as the American Navy possesses, does
not take kindly to the continual burning of powder.
which the strctest observance Of naval etiquette
at the rendezvous seems to require. Even though
the powder used for salute is of the condemned
refuse of the magazines and tit for no other pur-
nose the commander-in-ch chief of the American
squadrons has, perhaps from regard for the fastdi-
ous senses of many of the visitors to his flagship,
ordered the omission of the customary salufes
fired on the reception of foreign commander on
the PHILADELPHIA: and he has likewise requested.
il is said that this noisy mark of attention be
dispensed with on the occasion OF his oiiiclal
visits TO the various foreign ships SO the only
accompaniment now OF any foreign dgnitarys
appearance at the head Of the Philadelphias gang
way is tile hoising of the flag OF the country
he represents, and the turning out OF the marines
who present arms, while the ships band plays
God Save the Queen the Marselaise,' the
"Wacht am Rhein,' or some equally appropriate
national air.
The foreign commanders observe among them
selves. however, almost uniformly the custom OF
saluting by cannon when official calls are eN-
changed, and the quick flash and tardler report
of the guns from part of the fleet or another
are, with the distant striking OF the half-hour
bells on shpboard, almost the only SOUNDS which
from time to time come shoreward TO break to
the ear the stiffness of life on the big cruisers.
stretching three deep in imposing array from
beyond the turbulent mouth OF the ROADS, TWO
miles westward, into the quieter waters about
Newport News
The Arethuse east anchor in the third or outer
most line of the fleet, near the western edge OF
thc anchorage grounds her neighbor on one side
being the Jean Bart. her consort, and on tile
other the little German cruiser seeadler' Inc
Jean Bart is really in the second line at pres
ent, and not in the third, the end position Oh
the outermost division being left Tor the thlrd
French cruiser, the IIussard, which went again
TO Norfolk to-day for some repairs lhough lh-
ferior 10 the Jean Bart in tonnage, strength
armament and every possible offensive ana 90
fensivc quality, the Arethuse Is ranked as tho
flagship of the French squadron, though the
Admiral may perhaps transfer his flag to the
ro,ver and bigger cruiser before the fotlla starts
from here 10 Ncw-York. The Arethuse has been
in the French Atlantic squadron for several years,
and has visited American waters before this. She
Is a wooden ship, iull-rigged, with three masts,
and like the Dutch cruiser, Van Spcyk, with the
oldtimc broadside batteries arranged in tiers
one over the other.
Tho Arethuse's guns number no less than twen-
tv-seyen. four of 6.3-calibre and twentyth Of
~ This armament is twice that of almost any
other shin in the roadstead in the number Of
pcces carried. recalling the days of the ire-fsht-
inc frratcs of the English, French and American
navies. when forty to fifty guns were massed be-
hind n shp's wooden walls The Arethuse looks,
in fact. the typical man-of-war Of the generation
before the possibilities of naval armOr had be-
nun 10 be developed Wide and long in hull with
towering nasts, her sta ,lis, out Of which the
smoke idly rises hint AT the real date Of the
Arethuscs commission. given in the Navy Depart
mcnts official list of ships at the rendezvous. as
1889 The tonnage OF the French flagship is
3,6oO $50 less than that of the Jean Bart Like
the oldtime man of-war that she is she carries a
crew as biz as that OF modern cruisers twice her
size. Her complement is 470, exactly the same
as that of tho 5,60O-ton armored cruiser Australia
of the British squadron. and within sixty of that
OF the aiganti, Blake. From nearby the decks
of the Arethnse naturally look crowded with more
than there can be any possible Use space for yet
the need Of so large force is made evident when
looks at the long double rows Of gun port
holes. from which point the muzzles of the flag
ships twenty seven guns.
Much comment has been caused by the mani
fest failure Of the French Government 10 send a
larger and more representative squadron to par
ticpate in the approaching naval celebration in
Ncw-York. II has been said that the French naval
xLa.aLk