Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-17
LOOKING FOR THE SHIPS.
British Fleet, Expected to Ap-
 pear at Any Hour.
TWO MORE FOREIGNERS ARRIVE


 Description of 'tho warships-saDbath Exercises.
 FoRT MONROE, Va, April 17.-It was thought late last night that the British fleet of five vessels was lying of the Vir- Rinia onpes waiting to come into the Roads early this morning, but when daylight came no British vessels were in sight, and
 an anxious watch up to noon has failed to
 bring them to view.
 It is, however, almost certain that the Vice Admiral and bis fleet will be in before
 another morning breaks.
 The German fleet is also expected hourly now, but 1t is generally conceded that Eng lands flag will be thenext one seen in these waters. . -
 The Giovanni Bausan has arrived She
 is not a stranger to American waters, hav- ing participated in the last review in New York, but her arrival was nevertheless the occasion for much ceremony.
 She is a partially protected cruiser, with two mammoth 10-inch guns, which
 send half a ton of steel as straight as an
 arrow to the horizons edge. She is not fair to look upon, with her black and yell low point, but she can fight. She came to anchor in the vicinity of the American
 fleet, about 600 yards from the wharf, and after she had flung the United States flag at the mainmast and saluted it with 21 guns, which was answered from the fort, an officer of the Baltimore went aboard of her
 with all ceremony,
 Ere the formality of the Bausan's recep- tion had been concluded, the quartermas-
 ter on the bridge of the Philadelphia
 cast his weather eye toward the wide
 stretch of water between the capes and
 sighted another nan-of war, inward sI.. zIlIx I. | IL Il N.-I
 was outlined against the white, aeecy clouds which hung laziIy upon the hori- zon. Unlike the Russian ships, she had
 no tapering masts or graceful yards or
 delicate tracery of rigging. Her masts were thick and dwarfed, and but for tbe
 ''crows' nests" which surmounted them,
 and which betrayed 8. military purpose,
 the craft might have been mistaken for some gigantic coal barge.
 As she steamed nearer, the French en- sign at her stern told her nationality, and the vicious looking ram which extended from her prov proclaimed. her name, the Jean Bart, formidable protected cruiser,
 added to the French navy within the last five years.
 As the cruiser moved slowly down to
 her anchorage, with scarcely a ripple
 breaking from either side of her long and
 slender nose, the John Bart presented K, tall sides were dark aS= night itself, save where the paeling black paint disclosed the
 under coating of red lead The furnishings of her decks, the smoke stacks and the
 steel nlasts were dirty yellowish drab, and even her guns, instead of re flecting the brilliant sunlight, were dull brown. Through her open ports, broadside of five
 or six inch guns, each weapon surrounded
 by it's appropriate crew, were conspicicuous. <@R, ol
 mounted the hollow masts were penetrated
 by the long muzzles or her rapid firing guns.
 The tars were standing at their quarters in respectful attitudes, while a group of officers in full uniform on the bridge, were
 surveying through their glasses the fleet already assembled With equal interest ,4s men upon the United States vessels gazed upon the war-like stranger and the marine who paraded in solitary glory upon
 the stern deck of the Italian presented arms.
 Splash and rattle went the anchor of the Frenchman to the bottom. The same in stant the glorious Stars and Stripes were run up to the summit of the mainmast, just underneath the slender pennant. The gentle southern breeze caught the national emblem and seemed to caress it, while un- derneath the big guns honored the flag with an international salute, of 21 guns. The echo of the firing had not died away when 8 reverberating boom from the dis
 tant fort thundered back recognition and | a welcome. %&
 Even while the Frenchman>s guns were paying their loud tribute to the American | flag, the captain of the General Admiral | stepped into his gig and started as rapidly ! as four oars could carry him, towards the l arrival, reaching the latter's side while the boarding officer from the Baltimore was still some distance away and being received with due honors.
 This act caused some surprise at first | many thinking that the Russian should have waited until the American officer boarded the new conner before he assembled the deck, out of courtesy. Admiral Walker, however, did not regard it in that light The commander of the Italian stood | of in his gig until the United States officer had mounted to the 'Frenchman's deck, when he too proceeded to pay the latest | arrival a visit. -
 The Jean Bart is $50 feet long, of 4,OOO | tons, and has a maximum speed of nearly | 19 knots an hour. She carries IS rified guns, besides 10 machine guns. Her masts are really not masts at all, but in | reality are hollow cylindrical towers of steel, with circular stairway inside, by
 means of which the gunners ascend to the
 turrets of steel, 60 feet above the vessels | deck. s. ' 5 t-... -"
 The only other incidents of the day were the reporting for duty of the young Dan
 ish lieutenant, who is to serve on staff duty under Admiral Walker, and the Sun l day services. The latter were in progress when the l Jean Bart arrived, and were sadly disturbed by the booming of the cannon. Indeed, the chaplain of the Philadelphia was just
 about to pray when the sudden firing of a
 saluting cartridge just over his head
 caused him to start and clap his hands to
 his ears.
 On the haGships the chaplains- sky | pilots they call them in the navy-of1iciated at regular church services, while on the other vessels the morning prayers of the | Episcopal Church were read. Sailors
 stood on the main deck with barred heads | during the services. Meanwhile the
 church pennRnt flew from the yardarm. Save for this service on the ships and in
 the picturesque little chapel which stands under the shadow of budding elms at the
 fort, there was no service at Fortress Mon
 roe.
 Fought a IiGeI fin the Streets.