Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-26

nch diapason Of grand organ. Almost inn
mediately after the conclusion Of the brief re-
hsious exercises the Blaks's anchor appeared
above the waters surface and then the Blake
performed feat possible to but few great ships
Of war. With one screw going ahead and the
other in the opposite direction abe turned a. on
pivot.
By this time the Philadelphia, with Admiral
Gherardi on board, was moving slowly toward
the Bake's port quarter. 90 the marines again
made an appearance on the poop. They were
smarter than ever. Some-srtillery marines
wore the dark blue. red and yellow uniform
that adorns Great Britain's gunnery soldiers
the world over. but the majority were clad in
scarlet coats and black trousers with narrow
red stripes down the legs All had white
helmets on their heads. every chin was up,
there was no speck on the pipeclayed belts nor a
dull spot the brasses that assist so materially
in the composition of a snowy garb.
How pleasingly strange 1t was to hear 1.-The
Star Spangled Banner" played by the band of
British warship, but that was the air which
burst out as the movement eastward began.
Succeeding it Immediately came that interna-
tional and especially fitting selec;ion-"The
Girl Left Behind Me-" The girl, and there
were several hundred of her, was on the wharf.
along the hotel front, on the balconies and
above the forts water battery. A few Of her.
wearied by the protracted adieux of the evening
before Cor, to be precise. Of the early morning.,
witnessed the departure from her bed
room. Many OF the officers had tele-
scopes leveled on the forsaken ones, and
if the girls sighed more deeply or with
greater frequency than did their admirers they
must have been extraordinarily sorry. But
grief was not permitted to disturb the business
like arrangements of the best Of Britain S
cruisers; she no longer at anchor The
Philadelphia took up station and was saluted
the others strung out behind the fagships Of
Admiral Hopkins, who led the starboard col
umn, and Admiral Gherardi, who showed the
port column how to get out Of the harbor, and
the great aggregation OF guns and engines and
men steamed slowly away. And while most of
this was going ON the Blake's excellent band
gave utterance to harmonious farewell to vir-
ginia.
1t was quite little while before some Of the
component parts of the fleet arrived at a clear
understanding with each other as to speed and
station, and it was while these experiments
were being worked out that the Baltimore
narrowly escaped collision with the Chicago.
Just who was to blame could not be apparent
to US on the Blake. but we did see that the
Chicagos bow seemed to be perilously near
the Baltimore's quarter. Such occurrences are
always TO be looked for in squadrons where the
vessels have not Unanswered together suf-
fciently. The advantages of drill were
clearly to be seen in the British squadron.
From the admirafs bridge the closest watch
was kept over the Australia. the Magicienue
and the Tartar. The slightest variation re-
suited in signal from the flagship, and as the
wind-waved reprimands distasteful to the
recipients every effort is made to keep perfect
station. The regulation distance from main
mast to mainmast is a cable and a half and as
cable is just 200 yards it may easily be figured
out that each ship should, when in proper sta
ton, be in the center of an ever-moyi circle
OF 800 feet.
At ii O'Clock there was an assembly on the
poop Of those who for some special reason
either wanted to see the captain or did not
want to. Applications for a change in rating or
any other personal matter are presented at such
time and petty offenders are judged. The cases
are soon disposed Of, at least those presented
yesterday were, and then, for lack Of other
immediate occupation. We fell to wondering
where the German ships procured the soft coal
they were burning and why they got it, From
the other tunnels there was merely the faintest
intimstion Of smoke, but the Kaiserin Augusta
and the Seeadler belched forth volumes of inky
blackness that at times almost concealed them
from their consorts' gaze.
NEARING THE CAPEs.
As we neared the capes the Cushing steamed
alongside Of the Philadelphia and soon after
shot ahead, to be seen by us no more until New
York was reached. That was the first desertion,
and another followed soon: for after signaling
Farewell; pleasant Journey" the Dolphin
commenced to drop astern. Our first guess
was that Secretary Herbert did not care to risk
an attack Of sea sickness and would therefore
return to terra frma. The guess was failure,
for within few minutes the dispatch boat
had passed in front Of the figure head which
is supposed to be a counterfeit presentment of
the famous old admiral who, after being civil
ian and soldier for more than half a century,
took to the sea in defense Of English commerce
and in six years had swept away the fleets of
Van Tromp, Ruyter and De Witt-supreme
heroes of the days when Holland ruled the
waves. When the Dolphin crossed the British
fiagship's bows it was plain that the Secretary
was not bound for the nearest shore, but pro-
posed to reach the commercial metropolis as
rapidly as possible.
Pleasant voyage" signaled the keeper of the
Cape Henry light and he was thanked appro-
priately and promptly for his good wishes. He
Is probably pretty good fellow, and if he has
any esthetic tendencies must suffer horribly
when he looks at the hideously painted light
house which is in his keeping.
The coming of 1890 on every vessel is sig
nalized by one tap on the ships bell; on
British man-of-war the bell tap is accompanied
by bugle call, and the two sounds combined
brings to the galley representative of every
mess in the forecastle. The loadstone IL an
oaken and brass hoped vessel, in which is
daily poured Jamaica rum and fresh water in
which the odoriferous compound is measured
cut to those who would rather have it
than take the meager sum which is called COM
mutation. Each man is given gill and half
each day. except when his allowance is stopped
punishment. While Brittanias sons were
disposing of their liquor Capt. Arriens Of the
Dutch frigate Van Speijk must have come to
the conclusion that nine knots an hour wss a
triae too rapid for his ship. for at o'clock the
Dutchman moved out Of the procession and
took up parallel position, where if he should
fall to the rear he would not Inconvenience any
Of the others. The Van Speijk was only a l42-
knot shin ten wears ago. 80 none Of the sailors