Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-04-27
SIDE BY SIDE
The Great White Fleet, Uncle
| Sans Pride,
Sailed Up to the New Anchorage in
the Upper Bay,
With the Black huiied Fereisn Crafts, Though
As Friends Meet.

l
April 26,-The phantom ships which sailed
| in out of the mists of the sea yesterday
were bright anu majestic realities in The
glorious sunshine this morning. CleaI
skies, bright sunlight and bracing breeze.
give q setting to panoramic scene whoss
beauty and suggestiveness have never beer
| surpassed.
was shortly after . o'clock when Ad,
miral Gherardi's flagship gave the prelimi
nary signals TO break anchor and fall into
line.
Stsrboard or right-hand column, looking
toward the bows of the vessel, was com
manied by the British Admiral, Sir John
Hopkins. The port or left hand column
was commanded by Admiral Gherardi and
consisted of the American fleet with some
of the visitors thrown in TO make the col
umns even. The two columns of grea,
fighters were made up as follows:
philadelphia, Newark, Atlanta,
San Francisco. Bancroft, Remington, Bal
timor, Chicago, Yorktown, Charleston,
Nesuvius, Concord, Australia, b., Rynda,
b., Hussard, F.. Dougsli, L., Miantono-
moh.
Starboard-Blake, Magicienne, Tartar,
u. Donskoi, G. Admiral, Jean Bart, Etna,
&. Bausan, lnfan,ary, n. Espana, Il. Re
gente, kaiserini See Adler, Van Speyk,
Aquidban, DE Julio.
The start was made promptly at 9.45-
Thousands of spectators had gathered to
witness the spread from the Neyesink High
lands and the heights of Fort Wadsworth
and other points of advantage on Staten Is
land Steaming neck and neck the two
admirals and their fiagships led the way AT
the rate of between and knots an hour.
A brisk breeze courted the waters into
white-capped breakers, but the magnificent
ships glided along so smoothly that their
motion scarcely seemed noticeable.
Three hundred yards separated each ship
from the other and this was maintained
with absolute precision. The contrast pre-
scented by the snow white American ship
and the dark hullen foreigner was very per
coptible as they moved along side by side.
heightening the effect of the other.
The two schools of naval architecture,
for nearly all the ships in the fleet not
American built were of English construc-
ton, were strongly marked and every
patriot felt within him Il glow of pride that
the new navy of nited States did not suffer
by the comparison.
Every ship in the harbor was flying every
bit of bunting it could get together and
buildings in the lower part of the city were
decorated with flags of all nations as the
ships came in. Steam whistles were
screeching and the battery wall and all the
housetops and other places from which the
river could be seen were black with sight
seers
When the leaders in the parade got oppo-
eits Gnynrunr's island bn hiatt in ba
old fort began salute and the fleet
steamed along half hidden for a few min
utes in the smoke from the cannon.
As the Philadelphia reached Liberty
island the Miantonomoh fred a salute of q
guns in honor of the unveiling of the Eric
son statue.
1t was exactly quarter before II when
the Philadelphia and the Blake passed the
island and pointed up river and in ~ min
utes the last ship had passed on its way.
The Philadelphia, with the British cruiser
Blake nearly abreast reached the lower
end of the anchorage ground at Thirty
fourth street at Hip. The wharves on
both sides of the river were lined with peo
pie. The head of the line passed Forty
second street at | 20. The bands played
national airs on the British ships as they
proceeded up the river.
1t was just l .45 when single gun from
the Philadelphia announced that the anchor
age ground had been reached, and answer
ing almost instantly, as a gun doomed on
the Chicago, the anchors of the u Ameri-
can ships dropped as if released by cleo
tricity.
The foreign vessels slowed down and
steamed to positions opposite the escorting
vessels of our fleet. At l2.l0 o'clock the
last anchor was dropped and the fleet was
in position. There was no accident and no
confusion attending the anchoring of the
men-of-war.
The big vessels moved up the river in
positions to which they had been assigned
and let go their anchors almost at the pre-
else points selected for them by Admiral
Gherradi.
No vessels were allowed to pass between
the Lines of the two columns of war-ships
until they were all at anchor. Shortly af-
ter noon number Of steamboats, and pri-
vate yachts began to arrive and cruise
around the fleet. Streets leading to the
river were filed with parties of sight-seers
and the upper part of the city assumed a
holiday aspect.