The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-19
SCENES In HAMPTON ROADS
Admiral Gherardi Kept Busy Visiting
the Host of Assembled War Ships.
The German Squadron Arrives and the Argsn-
tine Cruiser Is Expected To-Day-Boat
Race and Baseball Game.

IOhikErc l1ONhOEs BE-
thing happened to-day. Admiral Ghersrdi
visited seventeen ships in Hampton roads
and not n gun was fired. Ordinarily such
o round of visits would have been the 90
casion for filling the atmosphere with
smoke, but when he left his own ships the
Admiral ordered that no salutes be hred.
and OF the foreigners he made q request
shat the same NOISY honor be omitted. This
afternoon he went to the six other Amerl-
can ships, but he was carried around with
. silence that was Impressive. more than
the ~salutes. because of its very novelty.
This morning the Admiral allowed his
private barge 20 be used by the crack crew
of bis vessel for a race with the crew of the
Chicago. With all the visits he had to pay
there was 10 time 20 waste In ceremony,
and SO he ordered out the steel launch and
went s%currying across the water in double
quick time. with the spray dashine all over
his gold-embroidered cape. These of
fetal visits have become SO numerous
that they tax to the utmost not only the
already busy moments of Admiral Gherar-
dI. but the hardly less leisure moments or
the officers who are lower In rank. Even
with eleven more nen-of- var to arrive. the
navni rendezvous has already assumed
proportions which entitle It TO rank as one
of the greatest aggregatIons Of floating
batteries the world has ever witnessed.
Admiral Gnerardi paused a moment as he
stood upon the deck of the Philadelphia
this afternoon when the reporter asked
him how many million dollars would be
represented upon the water when all the
yhIps were assembled.
''ren. fifteen, twenty. twenty-five" said
he. making q mental calculation. "Yes.
fully SIS. coo. 900. and do You know" he
ndded. how many mea there will be on
board the shipsi"
well. there will be nine thousand men.
There are three thousand men upon my
own ships."
At the interest displayed by newspapers in
the rendezvous. and remarked the number
and peculiarly of the questions addressed
TO him by correspondents.
In q thousand and one ways the friend
ship Of the American and English is shown
since the arrival of the Blake and her sister
ships. A notable instance happened to-
day on the philadelphia. the flag ship. The
reporter happened TO mention 10 Admiral
GherardI the fact that Admiral Hopkins
had ex Expressed a desire To see the Texas and
the Raleigh. now building at the Ports
month navy yard.
hear il. Orderly" he added. speaking to
his messenger. '.go at once to that flag yon-
der. give Commander Potter my compli-
ments. and tell him that l would like to see
<tAlii 40 oVOn ~ Oo0lOlC II nk1l bu-
mlrsl wants to see ria yard. and L want to
have every courtesy shown him for making
thu visit"
The arrival of the German ships tonight
added TO the constantly increasing exclte-
ment. The big Argentine cruiser left New
York yesterday, and was expected here TO-
day. but Is probably lying TO tonight out.
side the cape IN company with two Ger
nan ships. The German squadron teamed
into the harbor so late In the afternoon
that IL the kaiserin Augusta had not be-
gun TO boom her cannons some distance
down the roads ene would have had TO
slip into her anchorage officially unnoticed
until : O'Clock tomorrow. She saluted.
first. the United States tag and the flags
of the American and English admirals as
she steamed slowly TO place near the Rus
eia- Behind her came the See Adler. a small
gunboat of l.sOO tons. The kaiserin An
Rusta Is the most modern war ship now in
the fleet. and presents many points of in
terest.
match this afternoon have also given every
body something TO talk about. The first
event. following as IL did closely after the
contest between the Chicago and San Fran
immense crowd. The white barge
of the Chicago was gently lowered
into the heaving sea and presently
from the Philsdelphia the admiraps barge
also sought the water. The Chicago crew,
spurred TO retrieve the defeat of last Sat
urday. gained q lead by q magnificent
squirt and were never headed. The last
bali mile. however. was particularly inter.
esting. for the boats were not at any time
more than five lengths apart, and the ex-
cited seamen yelled and danced like mani
acs upon the crosstrees. the rope ladders
and the decks. This time the Chicago's
band played triumphantly and every body
was happy except tho men on che PhIla-
delphia. who are said to ave lost about
Sl.500.
The baseball event was really funny. A
INT nj nnnn ffa nf hn mn mat
fresh from Annapolis. playe ed a picked nine.
The picked nine. after q couple hours live
ly chasing, retired vanquished.
Tonight the American officers are play
ing the part OF hosts. Our senior rear
admiral entertained the high commanding
officers. and the jnnior officers did the hon.
ors Co their fellow-otficers on the visiting
ships.