Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-18

1
will not cause any friction. When the |
Russian Nice-Admiral gets here he will |
outrank even Admiral Hopkins. for his |
commission is an older one, but he too |
will for the time being waive his prece- !
denoe and be under the direction OF the |
American Rear Admiral.
AS soon as the Blake came to anchor |
the uniformed representatives OF the |
several commanding officers OF the various |
fleets boarded her. There was an unusu- |
ally friendly greeting between the Ameri- |
| cans and the English, for the latter seemed |
moro like countrymCn than any OF the |
previous arrivals. These ceremonies of |
welcome over. the officers of the Blake !
| had their hands full IN receiving tho !
corps of correspondents and other vlsi-
tors. The latter rush out TO o newly
anchored ship on every conceivable busi-
ness. One of tho men who went aboard
/ the Blake for instance. was loaded down
with Official letters from the Navy Depart !
inent certifying that ho could supply the
| ships with water at reasonable rates, while
one of the first men TO ascend tho landing
steps of the Jean Bart Yesterday was man
who wanted 10 sell picture.
WcE-ADMIRAL HOPKINS.
Standing on the after-deck was Admiral
| Hopkins He looked q typical mariner.
lis frame, not large, but compactly built,
was well outlined III a ciosely-fitting
| Prince Albert coat, with the insignia of
/ his rank upon the standing collar and the
4 cOlored ribbon of n decoration pinned on
4 his left breast. HIS face was tanned and
hIs eyes were hid behind half-closed lids.
as though still seeking shelter after the
vision had been strained by deop gazing
! 10 the distant horizon. HIS beard.
with some dark hair still untlnged
/ with gray, was cut close around his chm.
| His manner was thoroughly quiet and SELL
contained, and but for the respectful dis
| -. la ltai
might have been mistaken for one OF his
officers. He observed with interest the
scene around HIM. and II was especially
noticeable that he scanned earnestly for
some time the extended line of snowy
| ships that lay before him.
THE FORMIDABLE BLAKE.
Being altogether a remarkable ship. the
! Blake deserves more than passing mention.
I She is to-day the largest, the fastest. and
the most heavily -armored cruiser IN exist
ence. with the exception OF her sister ship
recently launched, and her appearance on
the Atlantic coast last year was her maiden
voyage She Is an ideal of naval archi-
| lecture with displacement of 1000 tons.
! and engines of 20,00O-horse power to pro-
/ pei her through the water with twin
screws at the rate OF TWENTY-FIVE nautical
miles, or about twenty-five miles an
/ hour. She is IA floating battery, capa-.
! bic of throwing nearly 1000 pounds OF
/ metal with each brOadside of her double
row of guns On her forward deck, as
/ well as aft, she has two immense guns;
| each weighing twenty-five tons and
mounted on such massive gun-carriages
/ that man can stand on the deck beneath
! the muzzle without beading. These guns
+ can fire a shot Of 360 pounds in dead
straight line twenty-tOur miles. Down IN
her hold there are fifty huge furnaces
/ and seven immense boilers. whch
/ are attended by $50 fremen. Her
( four sets of triple expansion engines
/ cost alone 81 100000. She carries no
/ less than five search-lights. Her two
immense tunnels are ninety feet high, and
/ her masts are in reality signal-statfs OF steel.
/ Directly IN front of the forward mast IS
! the firing tower. protected By forged steel
[ three feet thick, where the commanding
officer directs every movement during an
encounter with the enemy. She is well
equipped with torpedo-tubes and torpedo
/ boats. and your correspondent. Wnle
! making a tour OF observation through the
enormous hull. noticed dozen torpe-
! does carefully slowed away in one OF
the steel-encased rooms beneath the
/ decks. Sucb are some OF the most inter
esting points about the Blake. but even
these figures do not portray the feeling OF
impresslveness which the great arsenal
| conveys. Even If one does not descend
into the lower recesses of the ship there IS
I
decks. The marine in scarlet coat who
patrols the bridge, the chaplain with his
| mortar-board hat. the groups OF young
| midshipmen. and the gold cords which the
| staff officers wear are all essentially Eng
llsh.
A CERFMONIoUs OCCASION.
As might be imagined the visit of Admi-
raj Gherard to the Blake was made the
occasion of much ceremony. As soon as
I e 81 10 Igl lpb clnlfe0
approaching tine ship the guard was hur-
ried 20 the after-deck, their brilliant uni
forms adding 70 the military scene
As the American Admiral stepped upon
the landing-steps the band played the hr5t
oirht bars of the opening chorus from
Norma and Admiral Hopkins, now in full
uniform and with his little cap With gold
braid upon its visor laid aside for an OIL
cIal chqpe1u. walked forward TO greet his
visitor. lie was surrounded by gorgeous
staff. Admiral GherHrdl was accompanied
by Captain Barker, OF the Philadelphia:
After few words on deck the officers went
below in the luxurIously- ly-furnlshed quar-
ters of the British Commander, were IN
| formal toasts were drunk 10 the President
and the Queen. After twenty. minutes
Admiral Ghcrard retired, his departure
being accompanied by es much state ana
ceremony as his arrival Inc oustotiiart il,
! salute was omitted at his request, but
when Admiral Hopkins returned the visit
iater in the day ne failed to suggest that
no Guns be fred and so fifteen blank car
trdges were exploded.
THE MINOR ENGLIsHMEN.
The other ships of the English SQUADRON
| uh,ia NOT SO interesting as the Blahe,
which, bv the way, carries the ngurenoad
of old Admiral Blake at her bow, possess
many points Of attraction. The Australia
IL tho hest and most powerful cruiser OF
| MQCiClfn0R
is the next in size while the Tartar Is re,
markaple for the tact that her bow ana
her lines under water are almost couu-
teTuart OF the celebrated Yacht Volunteer
rhe Partridge is pretty little gun-hoat.
Some idea of the expense OF maintaining
even iive ships OF the Eng1sh navy may ~
gained from the fact that ID the vessels
winch are now III harbor here there are
nearly 700 men, of whom 600 are on the
Rlake alone. There are fully 201 oincers
and midshiplnen-all cultured and bra'uy
men-apd their presence is enough 70 turn
the heads of soberer girls than the outter.
flies winch fit in the bright sunllght ae
} Fort Monroe. -. Co.
NAL call upon Admiral Gherardi came
/ ashore this afternoon and visited the tort.
He was received there with the honors oue
} his rank, a salute of fifteen guns oeing
fred. Tomorrow he, with al the other
commanding Officers OF sulps ~ POie, W.
be given q dinner by Admiral Gherardi on
board the Dolphin.
THE VAN sPEYK AND THE HussARD.
The additions to tho feet this afternoon
were the Van Speyk, Holland man-of-
, war. and The Hussard. a small French gun
boat and the first of the foreign ships 70
wear coat Of white paint. The Dutch-
! man is very similar 10 the old ships OF tho
7 United States navy. such as the Lam
, easter, aud presents in the very anti
quity OF her makeup some interest.
40 she happens 20 lie pext 10 the Blake
the contrast ls very mafked. In every de-
tail she shows her nationality. Her launches
are clumsy affairs. lacking smsrtness or
oven cleanliness. while the marine guard
. which paraded on the brig was rs small
e aud conicai as the army Of supers in Mae
0 beth as PLAYED By q company at one
Q night stands. Her guns Are visible
D through portfolios cut window-like IN
. the side--a style now obsolete. With
q red sails set on dark night. she might be
. tsaen for revised edition OF the Flying
|. Duichman. but even a ghostly crew could
-. sh..t Af