The morning call., 1893-04-27

- y together, in celebration
--- or in battle, such an
- imposing and formidable
feet of naval fighters as that which weighed
anchor in the lower bay this morning and
steamed in martial array for their anchor
age in the Hudson for the great review to-
morrow.
1t has been reserved for the New World,
in the celebration of the four hundredth
anniversary of its discovery, to give to the
Old World such a naval pageant as the most
imaginative mind of century ago never
hau the power TO picture. As the squadron
of splendid fighters moved slowly up the
bay and river thousands upon thousands of
people lined the shores Of Staten Island
and Long Island and the American Rhine.
They stood by thousands, too. upon the
decks Of hundred excursion steamers that
lowered about the fleet, approaching as
near as the police boats would allow.
1t was magnihcent scene, as the feet
rode at anchor upon the waters Of the
lower bay. Admirals, commanders and
junior officers, respondent in the uniforms
OF the nayies Of the world, with badges and
decorations of honor upon their breasts.
stood upon the decks and bridges OF the
war-ships, inspecting through their glasses
the scenes iE the harboT, and then turning
their attention TO The city Itself and study
ing its magnificent buildings with their tops
towering toward the dome of the skies.
The day was perfection. Contrary TO the
harDings of the weather prophets, the sun
burst through the msts in all its mag
nifeent splendor. A crisp, cool wind was
blowing at daybTeak, ana the atmosphere
was sharp and cold. As the sun rose higher
in his days journey, however, the chilliness
was dispeled. and the day was a perfect
one for the observation of a sight which,
as long as they live, will remain memory
In the minds of its witnesses.
And, oh, such thrOngS from everywhere;
almost from the four quarters Of the globe
it would seem, they have gather ed TO Man
haitian Island, Staten Island, and Long
Island, aud on the shores of the Jersey
coast. whose great high bluffs, extending up
from the waters, afforded grand stands par
excellence for1he observation of the feet.
In the sharp, clear light of the early morn
ing, every distinctive feature of the great
warships stood out in bold relief anchored
in two great columns, stretched over the
whole surface of the bay, the vessels of
each of the ten nationalities represented
could be distinguished at glance.
The snow-whiJe hulls and graceful outlines
Of the American feet were not more eon-
spicuous than the huge black hulk of the
British flagship, the towering military
masts Of the French Jean Bart, or the
sharp lines of the crack German cruiser
kaiserin Augusta, with her formidable
Krupp guns, Offset by the squat form of the
Dutch VaHspeyk, which again contrasted
with the graceful build of the swift Argen-
tine Nueyo de Julio, and the massive arma-
ment of the Brazilian battle-ship Aquidaban.
The most striking feature of the scene
was the absolute silence that prevailed dur
ing the early hours of the day. Each of
these formidable, death-dealing engines of
destruction lay motonless at anchor, re-
fiected in the placid waters in the early
morning rays of the sun, like the often
quoted painted ship upon painted ocean,"
There was a grim suggestiveness of re-
pressed force and stern discipline In this
impressive quiet, but it did not last long.
AS the morning wore on and the prepara-
tions for breaking anchor began the scene
changed to one Of brisk animation and life.
The bay became alive with pleasure craft
of every description. and the patrol-boats
had difficult task to keep the anchorage
ground clear of intruders to permit the
formation Of the columns in which, In
5LhAEtJ pADEtNsIgli. tie NGsSGfS were 10 pass
through the Narrows to the upper bay and
to move up the hudson River to their
assigned stations to await to-morrow's re.
View.
The ferry boats to Staten Island and to
Brooklyn were filed with sightseers who
were bound to get as near TO the start as
they could, and long before the time for the
parade the high banks along the Narrows
and the bluffs at the forts, both on Staten
Island and Fort Hamilton, were thronged
with people, and the roads were filed with
spectators hurrying toward the shore to
find good point of view.
The fleet madeIa too imposing sight for
the spectators TO cut any figure at all The
feet was anchored in squadron formation,
the powerful Blake, with ce-Admiral Sir
John o. Hopkins pennant standing out in
the stiff wind. being about 500 yards below
Fort Lafayette, and the Philadelphia, with
Rear-Admiral Gherardi's blue flag with two
white stars ot the main, the same distance
below Fort Tompkins.
Strung behind each leader were the ships
which were to follow them up the bay. and
all in readiness for the start.
As the Dmilri DOnskoi had not been In
port al Hampton Roads it was necessary
for the other admiras to pay their respects
and at $3.50 O'Clock Sir John Hopkins put
of from the Blake and was saluted by ff-
teen guns from the Russian as he stepped
on the quarterback, the British flag at the
same time being hoisted. The other ad-
mirals followed in due course.
A minute or two afterward the attention
Of all was directed TO a black speck ND the
Narrows and with streaks of foam dvergirg
from her bows and a wide wake of water
astern the diabolcal Cushing rushed by at
express-train speed. She reached the Phila-
delpbia in short time, wheeled around as
if she were on pivot and ran up alongside
the flagship with dispatches to Admiral
Gherard
1t was shortly after o'clock when
Admiral GheTardfs flagship gave the pre-
lminary signal to break anchor and fall"
into line. The starboard, or right-haud
column looking north, commanded by the
British admiral, Sir John Hopkins, con-
sisted Of foreign vessels in this order:
Starboard column: Great Britain-The
Blake, Australia, Magicienne and Tartar.
Russia-The Dimitri Donskoi, General-Ad-
mlral and Rynda. France-rhe Arethuse,
Hnssard and Jean Bart. Iialy-Etna. Gio-
vanni and Bausan. Spain-The lnfaDta
Isabel. Reina Regenta and Nueya Espana.
Biazi-The AQuidaban. Tiradentes and Re-
publica.
The port column. commanded by Ad-