Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-19
THE GERMAN SQUADRON.
Admiral Gherardrs Dinner on the Dol
nhtn m brilliant Success.

niment of the sunset gun. The German
squadron steamed into the barbOr 50 late
IN tho afternoon that if the kalserln
Augusta bad not begun 10 boom her cam
non some distance down the roads she
would have had TO slip into her anchorage
officially unnoticed until O'Clock to-mor-
row morning. She saluted first the United
States flag and then the flags of the Ameri-
can and English admrals. and her MASSIVE |
and defiant form was hidden behind |
cloud OF smoke as she steamed slowly 10 |
nlace near the Russians. Behind her came |
tho Seeadler, a small gunboat OF l,s0O |
tons. and not unlike the American vessels |
of her size.
While the Kaserin Augusta ia 1000 tons |
smaller than the Blake and IL not quite so |
formidable. she Is nevertheless the most !
modern war-ship now in the fleet and pre- !
seuts many points OF interest even TO those
vyho are not concerned with her technical
details. Your correspondent was tine hrst
American TO 20 aboard OF her as she came
ashore. Her captain speaks Enghsh
fuentlv. and so do many of the officers and
men. THE kaiserm Augusta" said the
captain. rs now IN American waters for the
first time his IS her maiden trp. In
fact. she was only launched at klel IN
March. 1892. and her engines were tried
for the first time on the 10th OF last month.
she went into commission tho next day'
and on the 18th Of March. little. over
thirty davs ago, started tor the United
States. This Is the third port she has
entered. for she stopped only. at Queens
town and Halifax on her way here"
HAS THREE SCREWS.
The Kaiserin Augusta is not only one
of the most modern ships in the harbor,
but she is the only vessel with three
scrcws-one on each side of the erudder and
the third extended some distance ont
from the centre of the stern. The engine
for each screw IS independent OF me
others and i built In water-ught DulN-
heads With these screws she has made
record Of twenty-three knots an hour. ~
Is interesting TO add that when the luted
States cruisers Columbia and Minneapolis
are completed they will be the first Ameri-
can vessels TO have these triple screws.
The Kaiserin Augusta carries nearly
twenty Krupp guns, which, by the way
will he observed with much curiosity by
the Younger students OF ordnance I'm the
navy. and IA her steel hold there are no
loss than six torpedo chambers, Oil lammeo
full Of tOrpedOcs. She carries IA comple3
meut OF AGO men. most Of whom rushed
down TO q supper # black bread and cot
tee a. soon as the heavy anchor bad reach
ed the bottom.
A. the day closed with the arrival of
Gcrmany's two white cruisers, WIN an
the attending ceremOnious salutlng rom
the fort and Admiral GherardIs nagship
and the exchange of clvilltles between 'ne
new visitors and the foreigners at anchor
so did the night begin with the entertain
meut AT dinner of all the oihcerS III the
combined feet by Admiral Gherardi a1d
orr officers on the thirteen ships that
co,uprise the latest addition 20 our ne"
navy. and which are now living at anchor
os evidences Of the progress made III re-
cent wears towards Tehabiiitalon oi
long-deuleted power OF defence tor the
country's protection from the sea.
me ADMmAL's DINNER.
Tonight the foreign officers to the num-
Der of zoo are the cOuntry's guests, ana To-
nlrht the American officers are PLAYING the
mart of hosts. Oar senior Rear-Admlral
entertained the high com mandlhg olhcers' =
and the iunior officers did the honors 70
their fellow-ofiicers on the visiting ships
with all the hOnors and etiquette provided
for such occasion.
On account of tho limited seating ca
nacity on any of our fiagshlps for enter
inning a large number OF oihcers al once,
and Tor the reason that no discrimination
could be made as would necessarily nave
10 toe done in giving two or more dinners,
which would have been necessary q order
a. have d1ued all the visitors Ot tue COM
mauder's rank. Secretary Herbert deter
mined 10 place the dispatch boat Dolphin
M the disposal Of Admiral Gherardl Tor
this purpose Accordingly, she was sent
10 the Norfolk nayy-yard, where her
cabins were enlarged TO seat fifty persons
and her interior fittings made aS iaNish
and magnificent AZ those OF the best OF the
foreign official yachts.
So this evening. when the brilliant as
semblage sat down to dinner with Admiral
Gherardl, II found ship we'll suited TO
| TN. occasion dinner that was prepared
with great care, and host as genial ana
( courteous a. ever gTaced table. Nahant
| old Admiral Gherardi had given orders ~
make tho dinner the best the markets
oroUnd here afforded. and the wine, he
served hal been brought with HIM IRON
/ different ports he had entered on MS trlp
/ around from California two months ago.
A RRIHIANT SCENE.
/ The cabin OF the Dolphin presented
/ brilliant appearance when these guests OF
| the government were seated according 10
| their rink IN their respective naYleS. wltH
| Vice-Adnirnl Sir }. q. Hopkins, IA. I. -
| of the British fleet. on his right and the
! Russian captain, the next ranking 0nlc'I
! of the fleet, on his left. Assisting Admiral
! Gherardi to entertain his guests were ti'
| commanding officers Of our ships.
| The dinner was gwen at halt-past
| O'Clock. and AT that hour the glgs and
steam-6arges from the foreign ships began
| 10 arrive. The guests We're attlTed III tul
uniform. with sIde-arms and all the ac
! companying splendor Of naval oiilcer7
dress They were received oy Ih'
| Admiral. surrounded by his stan an an
| the captains of the white fleet. h'
table decorations were elaborate anc
! tasteful and consisted chiefly o
the American colors, blended WITH
| those Of England, RUSSIA, France
Italy. and Holland. The mcut card wa
unIouc and the engraving OF the different
! courses a work of art. Surmountlng tht
| card. which was of pure white. VIII
| hevelled edges of gold. was a Donde'
golden Dolphin with trident through II
mouth and tail-0n emblem OF the snip
name.
THE GUESTS.
Tbosewho sal down with Admiral Gherar
di aud partook of the dainty morses were
Rear. Admirals Benham and Walker. com
mandlng the two divisions OF the Amen
can fleet Admiral SIR John O. Hopkins
X. c. b.. Of the British fleet; Flag-Lleute
napt Sandeman, OF the Blake; Com
mauder Fleet. of the Tartar; Lleutc
nant- Commander McCallister. OF the f2rt
ridge: Captain Hamilton, OF the BlaAe
CAPTAIN Holland, Of the Australia
Captqlu Rohen, OF the Magiclenne; cap
|
Captain Krugh, of the Rynda; captain -
IAedero. of the Giovanni Bausan; captain
Partial, of the Jean Bart; Captain Ar
riene Of the Van Speyk: Captain hrantz
of the Hussard: Captain McGlonsy, ol TN
Chicago: Commander Wilkes, OF the OK
town; Captain Picking, Of the Charles
ton: Lieutenant SeatOn Schroeder, OF IN
Vesuyius; Commander White, of the Con
cord: lieutenant Fletcher. OF the Cnsh
mo; Colonel Frank, Of the Army; nag
lieutenants Klburn. Miller. and stanton
Chief-of-Staff Bridgeman. OF Admlral r1e
rardls staff Captain Barker, OF tEe / hlia ii
delphia; Captain Casey. of the NeWar n
CAPTAIN Higglnson. of the Atlanta; CaI
tam Watson, of the san Francisco; Lev
tenant commander Walker. of the BaI
croft; Commander Bradford, OF the Bei
niugton Captain Summer, OF the BAIT
! more. Captain Potter, of the nayy-yarC
, Norfolk.
TIE HYGEIA AN ACHING VOID.
The Hygeia was devoid of officers III
, evening on account of the entertainment
going on aboard the ships. While Admiri
Gherardi wned ana dined the senlc
officers, the junior American oihcel
. looked after the pleasure OF the juno
officers Of the other foreign ships. Fac
} ship was designated 10 entertain IN
| .Agcors of GoYpa NJ her vessel and tDl