The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-27

NEW York, April 26.-The day opened
with the unveiling of the heroic bronze
statue Of John Ericsson. inventor of the
monies were simple. 1t was presented to
the city BY Swedish citizens and accepted
by one of the park officials on behalf of the
city, while the guns of the double turreted
monitor Miantonomoh, lying near, fired q
salute. The unveiling was preceded by
procession of Swedish societies.
The statue, of which John Scott Hartley
was the designer. stands on a well-propor-
toned pedestal Of granite, eight feet nine
inches high. 1t was erected by the
municipality of New York at q
cost Of $1,000 1t presents q heroic
figure Of the great inventor. On each of
the four bases of tho pedestal, which is
seven feet square at tho base, there is q
bronze panel, q by IL inches, present.
ing. in relief, views of the engagement
between the Monitor and Merrimac,
the first screw steamship, the Princeton,
and various other inventions of Ericsson.
The ceremonies attending the unveiling Of
the statue were under the combined direc-
ton Of the Ericsson monument commits
sion, the park commissioners and special
committee appointed by the mayor.
Next to the ceremony of unveiling came
the great pageant of warships, moving up
in two columns from the lower bay
to anchor in the Hudson river op-
posite Manhattan island, where the
vessels will remain till President
Cleveland passes between the lines
to review them tomorrow, which will be
the gala day of the celebration. The day
opened bright and clear, and soon the
whole harbor was blocked with crafts of
all sorts loaded with sightseers.
The vessels which arrived Al Gravesend
bay last night swung at anchor in the
beautiful sunlight and not long after sum
rise everybody in the feet and those who
had TO do with getting ready for its recep-
ton were making the final preparations for
the parade. Upon the bay and river to the
anchorage extending south aud east were
two long lines Of war vessels bedecked in
holiday attire. The ferry boats to Staten
Island and to Brooklyn were filled with
sightseers who were bound to get as near
the start as they could, and long before
tho time for tho parade the high banks
along the narrows and bluffs at the forts,
both on Staten Island and Fort Hamilton,
were thronged with people. and the roads
were filled with spectators hurrying
towards shore to find good point of view.
The feet made too imposing q sight for
tho spectators to cut any figure at
all. By all odds the American line made
the finest showing. The feet was anchored
in squadron formation, the powerful
Blake, with Vice-Admiral Sir John P. Hop
kins' pennant standing out in a stiff wind.
being about 500 yards below Fort LAFAYETTE
and tho Philadelphia, with Rear Admiral
Gherardi's blue flag, with two white stars
at the man, some distance below Fort
Tompkins. Strung behind each leader
were the ships which were to fol-
low up the bay and all in readiness for the
start. As tho Dimitri Donskoi had not
been in port at Hampton Roads it was
necessary for tho other admirals to pay
their respects, and at $50 O'Clock Sir John
Hopkins put off from the Blake and was
saluted by fifteen guns from the Russian
as he stepped on the quarter deck. the
British flag at the same time being hoisted.
Other admirals followed in due course.
| minute or two afterwards attention
was all directed to black specks
up the narrows. and with two streaks OF
foam diverging from her bows and q wide
wake of white water astern, the diabolical
Gushing rushed by at express train speed.
She reached the Philadelphia in short
time. wheeled around as if she was on a
pivot and ran up alongside the flagship
with dispatches to Admiral Gherardi.
Shortly after 8 o CLOCK Admiral Gherardi.
from the flagship Philadelphia, gave the
signal to move. Then the representatives
of the naval strength of ten nations fell
into double lines, the port column, headed
by the Philadelphia. taking the New Jer-
sey side, and the starboard column, headed
by the British cruiser Blake, taking the
New York shore, in the following order: