Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-04-27

FORT MoNgoE, Va, April 24.-At a
few minutes after 5 this morning a
small cloud of light smoke fioated out
above the yellow forward funnel of the
Philadelphia. At the same time. from
the tunnels of the thirty-one other
men-of-war in the Roads. came other
little putfs of smoke. Gradually they
grew in volumes until by o'clock the
whole fleet was putting forth like the
chimneys Of some manufacturing town.
Last night at sunset the Brazilian
fleet, consisting of the cruisers
Aquidiban, Tiradentes and Repu blica,
came in the roads, and dropped anchor
below the British fleet.
The first saluting of the morning
came from the Aquidiban, which
belched out welcome to the, Italian
Admiral and ran up his flag at s
O'Clock. From early this morning the
signaling of orders has been contin-
uouS and sometimes has been supple
mented by the visit of one of the little
launches from the fiagships bearing
some special order. The whole pro-
gram, however, has been carefully pre-
pared and each comma nder knew what
his position in the formation was to be
and only awaited the order to trip
anchor.
At 9:15 O'Clock the Philadelphia an
Choir came slowly out of the water, and
at the same time slight agitation of
the water at her stern showed that she
was in motion. The tide at this time
was at its young ebb, and the ships of
the fleet lay with their noses turned
up theroads pointing toward Newport
News. The Philadelphia moved up
slowly at first and then gathering
speed, passed on more quickly toward
the westerly end of the roads. In an
other momens the Newark was under
way behind che Philadelphia. She
was followed by the Atlanta. Then
came the dandy San Francisco, the
Bancroft, the Bennington, the Balti-
more. Then Admiral Walkers flag
ship Chicag@ joined the procession.
After her came the Y orktown, Charles
ton, Vesuvius and Concord.
AS soon as the Chicago tripped an
Choir the Dig flagship Blake got under
way, and leaning almost on her heels
started down the roads to assume her
position of honor at the head of the
starboard column of the fleet. The
other Englishmen got under way at
the same time and followed behind the
Blake. AS the Vesuvius, the last of
the American fleet, dropped into the
line, the Hollander, Won Speyk trailed
along after her: Then came the Ger
mans with the Kaiserin Augusta, and
the Seadler. The. Philadelphia, at the
head of the. column, proceeded for a
mile and then rounding the entire feet,
started down. the roads. The line fol-
lowing the Blake was composed of, be-
sides the English ships, the Russian
General Admiral and Reynda, the
French ArethuSe and Jean Bart, the
Italian Htna and Giovanni Bausan. and
the rear was, brought up by the Bra
lillian Aquidban, Tirantes and Re-
publica,
At II o'clock the whole feet, in two
regular lines, passed in review before
the thousands On the wharves, boats
and ramparts of the fort. The sight
was so beautiful and impressive that
the crowd, looked, on. in silence. 1t
took something to disturb the serenity
of the scene, and it was furnished by
the little torpedo boat Cushing. When
the last one Of the Americans was pass
ing the fort cheers were heard away
down beyond; the hotel. The crowd
along the way took it up, and in
moment the Cushing came along like
Salvador in the stretch.
The outgoing ships were making
about eight knots, and the Cushing,
which can GO. twenty-four, caught up
and passed them as if they were an
chOrei.