The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-28

| lies between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth.
! Both these displays were in connection with the
| visit OF the German Emperor to Queen Victor Ia
J The year after his accession tie Emperor came
| 10 England In state on board lis yacht The
| Hohenszollern, escorted by fleet of nearly a
| dozen ronclads. Having a positive passion for
| grand military or naval spectaees II was thought
| becoming TO honor his Majesty with review of
| Bfltannia's sea dogs as gigantic and COM
| pleie footing as circumstances permitted. II
| was impossible TO withdraw all ships from the
Mcdlterranean or the Atlantic and Pacific TO
| humor tie taste of the royal visitor, but there
! was a muster Of about 130 sail, or rather
! propellers, OF all kinds. These included two
| lines OF armOred batlle-ships and cruisers most
| formidable then in the navy, and there were
| also Two lines OF frgates, eoiveites, gunboais
/ torpedo-boats, torDedo-catchers, one submarine
| mine store vessel and one commercial cruiser
| the Teutonic OF the White Star feet, which was
| then the largest vessel atoat bat / now dis
| counted by tile Campan!a OF the Cunard Com
! pany at present on her maiden voyage. Ii was
IN all siNt EN- miles of war vessels at anchor
The Emperor arrived on Friday evening,
August 2, and made ma jestic entrance at the
head OF his fleet In two columns. The salutes
from the BRUSH lines were deaiening as the
black hulis or tie Teutons steamed past TO the
anchorage eff Osborne, the Queens residence
Ia the Isle OF Wight. 1t was not merely the
| presence OF the most powerful fleet that England
NfO' HAStClCu III IHOucIu times thai gave tCIdL
to The visit. The anchorage tor miles on each
side OF COweS was literally black with yachts,
big ocean steamers, pleasure steamers aud a
swarm of mosquito craft.
The shores OF the island and the mainland
around Portsmouth showed dense masses of
spectators who had hocked from ali parts OF the
country for the review. AS the weather turned
out stormy on The eyenttui day, there was no
Inspection OF the feet by royalty, save AT the
respectful distance OF shelter, but for the million
or more who had come down from London and
poured in from every center. the spect Gle was
just as impressive as If the MajeSties had
steamed up and down the lines and the guns had
bOomed the customary saluratiOns.
There were many thousands who saw that
parade, who were also witnesses of the depart
ure of Sir Charles Napier for the Baltic at The
commencement of the Crmean war, 185455.
NapieI's fleet was regarded as redoublable as
invention then Stood and 1t was The last OF the
tEe sights OF noble ships not yet stripped of
their canvas and reduced 10 stump masts for
signal purposes, with tops for machine gun fire.
Not single irOnclad was in that fleet, nor
rlied gun. lhe smoothbore held It's position,
for as yet rifed cannon had not been heard OF,
and even the soldiers life was only coming into
use as a muZzle loader. Vessels were still
mighty if they were three deckers, and the
towering Duke of Wellington was the mightest
| OF them ALL Now vessel Is mighty in prODor-
tlOn as she has one deck and very little of that
visible. Steam had come into vogue, and the
superiority OF the propeller over the paddle had
been demonstrated by the defeat OF the Dasher
But tie engines were weak, and such as would
be laughed at to-day. and not one vessel had
double propelles. Sailors were still sailors.
Most OF the vessels depended as much as ever
on sail power. and had 4 great spread. They
were picturesque under swelling canvas, and
when dressed in bunting looked as gay among
ships as macaw does among parrots. Bur,
Uag VA Aaa
Napier b0mbarded BOmersund, but he could not
touch CrOnstadt and although blamed, was
right in not attempting II.
The famous review which the German En-
peror was to witness at Spthead on the 81 of
August, 1889, did not come OFF, because a south
wester ana deluge OF rain interfered with such
slghtliness was practicable. A lew OF the
vessels were fun igged, but 1t would have been
dangerous 10 man the yards, aud bunting would
have worn 4 woe -beGOne. bedragsled meanness
OF appearance. So the veteran Admiral Com
merel teegraphed to the Queen that i would
have TO be a tame affair If II came of al ALL and
The Queen telegraphed that II had better not
come of. Proudly The fleet rode at anchor ia
the squaljy drifts, but the tout ensemble was
spread over so E:any miles OF roadslead that IL
was invisible 10 the most piercing lorenette.
The gayest as well as the most mobbish thrOng
that could be cOnjectured to pOur out Of London
Tor a holiday auathemaIlZed the weather in tones
that echoed from Fort GilkicKer TO the Nab
Light, but here was nothing for II in consolation
but umbrellas, waterproofs and viciuals. The
Emperor toasted his feet IN slippers At Osborne
and saw the fees on Sunday at his leisure, and
also came board The huge Teutonic whicG
had been launched and named in the nick OF
time TO please him, aud on which there was IL
crowd OF distinguished people anxious TO gaze at
the new potentate under the easy going escort of
his rOtund cousin, the Prluce OF Wales
Next y the feet weighed and went to sea for
the annual maueuvers, now regular feature OF
The naval year. For fortnight so the home
war vessels OF England, The coast guards and tile
forts at the mouths of rivers are in mimic hOstili-
ties. Great is tne excitement as terrific engage
mepts and chaseS occur of BeIehaven, Lough
Swlllz, Londonderry, Aberdeen. in the Clyde or
Forth OFF ScI borough or Milford Haven, or
down channel, and towns are burned or looted
aud mucted in tribute. Correspondents for
newspapers are on board. who swing the pen in
tie dashlng lyle OF historians who could do The
fighting themselves and keep The British public
posted on British prowess.
These maneuvers are a distinct gain in train.
ing the cruising squadrOns. From This point of
view the naval parades which the German En-
perOr has come 10 see are by no means mere
pageauts. Ii IS only by large musters and sub.
sequent evoIutions that the handling of these
eylathans of war can be mastered. There are a
number OF battle-shlps In the British navy each
OF IA, 800 tons displacement-40O0 tons more
Than the biggest displacement at New York.
When these have to be maneuyered in conjunc-
tion with gunboais and torpedo-boats. fast but
tiny aGmital requires TO have his wits about
MIN. II Is more than in the past the Mus of
the head in tactics and combinations that VIII
prevail. The men who will excel must have the
dash of Nelson and Farragut ana the scientific
resource OF Ericsson.
II was for want of practice, doubtless, that
some vessels OF the combined fleet at New York
failed q m aiutain nTOpPr intervals in
Ing or even TO keep IN line. The American aud
English ships kept due distance, but the Bra
zilians struck out course for themselves.
These are the moments when a captain knows
how important the engineer is and what are his
own deficiencies.