The morning call., 1893-04-23
BIG GUNS BOOM.
Honor to a King Over the
Seas.
GREETING TO THE DOLPHIN.
And Altogether 1t Was a Great Day
for the People Down at Fort
reSS rIonroe.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

FORTRESS MONROE, Va, April 22.-There
was firing of great guns all up and down
the haFbor this morning. almost before day.
light, and long before the sun had touched
the waves Of the ocean cleaning from out
between the capes. The big Italian war
ship Atna, began it. Just at o'clock her
heaviest gun belched out, and then the forts
took 1t up and the Philadelphia, and so it
ran from ship TO ship until presently the air
was breaking and cracking and crashing
with deafening roar of sound, like great
double bass that split the ear. and over it
ali there hung a blue haze of smoke that
grew thicker and thicker until the monster
ships were lost in it. The tiny caravels
dancing upon the waves had vanished ut
terly long before that.
The cannonadng closed as suddenly as 1t
had begun. and the ships came out of the
haZs one by one. Then there was fiuter
OF flags. and it was seen that under the
smoke every ship in the great fleet had run
up yari egated flags until each was as bril-
liant as a rainbow. At the mainmast OF
every shin the gaudy colors of the Italian
flag caught the breeze and tioated side by
side with the color of the nation to which
the vessel belonged.
All this glory Of the ships was in honor
of the twentv-fth anniversary of the
marriage of Krg Humbert.
At noon there was another interchange
OF salutes, brisk cannonading again start
ling the crowd of excursionists and guests,
and at o'clock the salutes were again re-
peated for the last time. and the ships were
undTesSed.
This fantastic attire of the ships was not
the only thing to give piquancy to the life at
fnRla e.
bert arrived this morning upon the Dolphin.
Ii was fully 10 O'clock when the white hull
OF the Presidents yacht was sighted and
as soon as it was abreast of the easternmost
vessel a series of seventeen duh rumbling
sounds and clouds of smoke came from the
fort. Instantly the guns of the Dolphin re-
piled, and then as the pretty vessel passed
down the line it was thunderOusly greeted.
The caravels, which leave tomorrow for
New York. were surrounded to-day by q
feet of little boats carrying people ANXIOUS
10 look upon vessels such as those in which
Columbus crossed the Atlantic.
Again the flag of England went down to-
day before the red. white and blue. A
dozen barges, from nearly all the ships in
the harbor, started in the race for the inter
national trophy. offered by the citizens of
course was mile and three-q quarters, and
with ihree-quarters of the distance covered
the Britishers were in the lead. A the end
of the course, opposite the San Francisco,
was neared. the San Francisco crew, which
was a close second, gave a magn iiicent
spurs. and amid yell that ran like an cleo
trio current along the entire line Of ships,
passed their English rivals.
Tue Chicago's, the second crack crew Of
81. s.sfT::fs n aavy. bent their backs aud
qulckened their stroke. so that when they
tossed their oars at the finish they were
second in the race. just behind San Fran
cisco, with the e-shirted Englishmen
third. The Germans came in fourth and
the Dutchmen in their quaint boats next.
The other foreigners came trailing in a long
procession.
This afternoon dance was given on the
Philadelphia. Secretary Herbert remained
on the Dolphin during the day, and this
evening gave dinner to the flag officers of
the fleet.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-The President
and Mrs. Cleveland received a message
from the dispatch-boat Dolphin at Fortress
Monroe, brought by carrier pigeons. The
pigeons were liberated on the Dolphin
shortly after o'clock this morning and
reached the loft of the owner in this city at
1890 o'clock, covering a distance Of 135
miles In little more than five hours, with
the weather conditions unfa Yorable,