The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-04-17
rrALIAN CRUISER GIOVANNI BAusAN.

ITALIAN CRUISER GIOVANNI BAusAN.
and with huge punches of lilacs on their
breasts, and the merry chatter of converse
tion in half a dozen languages gave spirit
of animation to Sunday scene that would
hive made the Puritan father seek refuge
In the bleak forests of another continent.
The Giovanni Bausan Is not stranger
to American waters, having participated
in the last review in New York, but her
arrival was nevertheless the occasion for
much ceremony. She is partially pro-
tected cruiser, with two mammoth ten
inch guns, which send half ton of steel
as straight as an arrow to the horizon side.
She is not fair to look upon, with her
black and yellow paint, 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 twenty-one guns, which was answered
from the fort, an officer of the Baltimore
went on board of her with all ceremony.
Ere the formality of the Bausan's re-
ception had been concluded the quarter
master on the bridge of the Philadelphia
sighted another man-o war inward bound.
AS she steamed nearer the French ensign
at her stern told her nationality, and the
vicious looking ram which extended from
her prov proclaimed her name. the Jean
Bart, a formidable armored cruiser added
to the French navy within the last five
years.
Splash and rattle went the anchor of the
Frenchman to the bottom. The same in
slant the Stars and Strips were run up to
the summit of the mainmast just under
meath the slender pepnant, while the big
guns honored the flag with an international
salute Of twenty-one guns. The echo of
the firing had not died away when re-
verberating boom from the distant forts
thundered back recognition and well
come.
While the Frenchman's guns were pay
ing their loud tribute to the American flag
the captain of the Russian cruiser General
Admiral stepped irto his gig and started
as rapidly as four oars could carry him
towards the new arrival, reaching the lat
ter's side while the boarding officer from
= the Baltimore was still some distance
away, and being received with due honors
There is general impression among naval
officers that the ostentatious haste of the
Russian to welcome the latest arrival was
meant to emphasize the friendly relations
which Russia desires to cultivate with
France Admiral Walker however, in
spehking to your correspondent of the In
cident, was not disposed to regard it in
this light, and said that any vessel could
thus formally welcome another, there be-
ing no established rule of precedence.
At the same time there is q feeling that
under the circumstances, when the foreign
ships are here by an invitation from the
United States government to participate
in celebration, 1t would have been more
courteous to have allowed the American
officer to have boarded the Frenchman
first. This the Italian did, her gig stand
ing off until the little steam launch from
the Baltimore was alongside the landing
stage of the Jean Bart
On the fiagsphips the chaplains-sky
pilots they call them in the navy-officiated
at regular church services, while on the
other vessels the morning prayers of the
Episcopal church were read. Meanwhile
the church pennant flew from the yardarm.