Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-19
ONE DREAM OF JOY
The Fleet Il Hampton Roads =
Blessing
10 OFFICERS, GIRLS AND MEN
Ihs Maatvo v1sgtaiao 0cllDses d . Dts-
p<nsostoa of Ppostneace and
CAAsees NJ TAiaes.
10 OFFICERS, GIRLS AND MEN

buttons freahly polished. with London
crease in the regulation trousers. and
with the spike tails unbuttoned, a. pro
vided for in the naval rules. the admiral
boarded . steam launch and went OF Ia
pay Official calls upon the vessels of the
first American squadron. the five Eng
lishmen and the Dutchmen. Or.
dinarily such round IT visits
would have been the occasion al
filling this beautiful atmosphere
with sulphurous smoke. but when he
left his own ship the admiral ordered
that no salute BE- fired. and III the for
eigners he made request that the same
act of noisy honor be omitted This aft
erncon he went IN rix other American
ships. but he was carried around with a
silence that was more oppressive than
the salutes. because of its very novelty.
These official visits. by the way. have be
come ~ numerous that they tax TO the
utmost not only the already busy
moments Of Admiral Gherardi. but the
hard earned leisure moments Of officers
lower in rank
Many Omcial Gala.
From early morning till late at night
the dainty and snowy launches Of the
Americana. the neat little cutters of the
Englishmen and the numbering barges
Of the other Foreigners. swing like
pendulums from one ship to the other
The admirals call upon each other. the
commanding officers visit all day long
and the officers 81 lower rank keep up
brisk pace with their wardroom calls
With twenty seven ships in the har-
bor il can easily be imagined that there
il little time for other duties, to say
nothing of pleasures. and the way in
which the lobby of the hotel has been
denuded of gay uniforms has already de-
veloped loud murmur among the girls
However. when night comes and the
official calls cease there 10 JOY at the
Hygeia. Back flock the officers to the
hotel like doves to cote at nightfall
Even with eleven more men Of war the
naval rendezvous has already assumed
proportions which entitled IL to rank an
one Of the greatest aggregations Of bat
teries which the world has ever wit.
messed. II docs not. to be entirely ac-
curate. compare with the naval review
Of the British navy Of Spithead on the
occasion q the jubilee celebration of
1887. whom OVER hundred ships were
gathered together.
Vast Sums Represented.
Since that time. however. there have
been enough improvements in construc-
tion and armor Of our naval fighters 10
make the exhibition here thoroughly
unique. Admiral Gherardi paused a
moment. a. he stood upon the deck Of
| the Philadelphia. when your correspond
ent asked him how many millions OF
dollars would be represented on the
water when all the ships were assembled.
Ten. fifteen. twenty. twenty five" he
eaid. making a mental calculation.
"Yes. fully e250O0OOO: and do you
know" he added. how many men there
will be on board the ships:"
No"
We'll. there willshc 1900 mon: there
are 1000 men on my own ships"
The crowd here continues To increase
\ II has long since filed up every build
ing at Old Point and is spreading over
into the country hotels Of the vicinity
Prices are high in proportion. II IL a
| harveet time for the water men. the
| hack drivers and the hotel keepers
1 Dingy. dirty rooms with no conven
inces in the suburbs rent d s3 night
and are in demand.
A Virginia Picnic.
There were enough people at the
! Hygcia hotel this evening applying ~,
rooms 10 have filed the structure il
everybody else in the housc had sud
denly determined to depart. They came
from everywhere. The country people
think IL . grand picnic. They brins
/ their lunches. imrlense bags 81 fresh
and succulent peanuts. and sit summing
themselves upon the wharf. in happi
ness which IL ~ undisguiscd "a il is real
Every excursion steamer from Bals
more and neighhoring ports has been
gathered into service. Tugs and yachts
lie ain and six abreast II each other nj
the wharf Theee little tugs ard cxcur
sion steamers give the mon. ~ wal
much annoyance. They all dip thei,
colors to all visitors and the foreigner,
generally order tho compliment an
swer~d. AZ this happens every fcu
minutes there must be good deal N
swesring in foreign language.
4 toat race this morning and ba.s
hall match this afternoon have ala
given everybrdy something 10 tall
about The 6rst event following at i
did closely after the contest between IN,
Chicago and tho San Franciscos crows
attracted to the chips an Immenss
crowd. The Chicago crow was success.
ful today. and the mon on the Philsdel
ph,s are aa.d w have lo~t ahrut ti c0
Tho base ball event vas between min,
Young officers ~ the Chicaao. frrsh from
Annapolis and q nine picked from 'h'
remainder ~ The feet Th~re wrre lo,
- sport. hut very little hall playing
The picked nine were MT IN ~
German Squadron Arrives.
The German sqaadron steamed int
the hsrtos sc late In the afternoon ths
n tho kaiserin augusta had not hegul
to hoom her eAnnors .on~ disssnc'
down the Roads she wo,id hsv, had I.
slip into her anchorage ofncially unne
',o-si until morning She sslu'ei tr-s th'
United States sss sod the fiAgs q 'h'
American ard Ensl,sh aJmirsls .. sh'
steamed slosiy ~ rise. near 'he Rus
-ians Behind her came the s~~s'iles.
susii gunioat - so tone Tough
osf a~niof rear admiral entertained ,h
commanding ascer- n The eisi,in,
saastsons ehii- the junior officers eH
irstainsa their fsiias ofseers 90 the fns
eigh ships