Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-24
80 HayA
~ -

NatazsS ,oo ~
FORT MONROE, VA, April 23.-Iwer-
ty-seven ships of war will sail from here
tomorrow at 9 o'clock for New York.
At that hour the tide running out to sea
will have swung the massive hulls and
the sharp prows will be pointed toward
the ocean. This is matter OF no small
in yOrtance, as an attempt to turn all
the ships at once would be a most dan
gerous experiment.
There has been no rest for Admiral
Gherardi to-day. Signal flags have been
running up and down from the yards OF
the Philadelphia; blue coated messen'
gers have been hurrying and plunging
launches from ship to ship, and the
typewriter in the Admirafs Office has
been going at pace almost as rapid as
the life which the bellies and their
beaux have been living at the Hygea.
There is no question but that Admiral
Gherardi feels the responsibility which
rests upon him as the commander-in-
chief of the squadron. Several times
to-day he has been upon the bridge of
the Philadelphia viewing with anxious
eyes the gathering clouds and wonder
Ing II the gale would abate.
Everybody here is naturally hoping
that the weather in New York will be
fair, but the seasoned old salts who
know all about the weather shake their
heads obviously to-day.
The wind has been blowing from the
northeast, and is bleak and cold. 1t
whisted this morning most ominously
through the riggings of the Chicago
and stiffened the signal flags on the
Philadelphia into a sembiance Of frozen
bunting.
THE FoRBIDDING WEATHER
was unfortunate for the crowds who,
with the earliest morning boats began
to swell the already too numerous col
ony here. The steamers from Wash
ington, Norfolk and Baltimore were
loaded with passengers; the incoming
trains bore their quota of sightseers,
and every craft in Norfolk harbor
seemed to have been utilized to carry
people who wanted to get final look
at the men-of-war.
In more ways than one was the fact
that this was the last day of the rem
devious emphasized. One of the most
interesting incidents was the provision
ing of the ships for the cruise. Tons
and tons OF beef were brought from
Baltimore and transferred to the ships
cutters. Huge crates Of canned goods,
mammoth sacks of vegetables, a ram
part of bread, stood side by side on the
wharf, with food enough to stock a
store. All this transferring had TO be
done to-day. There will be no time for
1t tomorrow morning.
Equally interesting, although scene
entirely different, was the regulation of
the chronometers at noon to-day. Short
ly before - o'clock company Of Off
GERS filed through the long and narrow
passage into the room where the tele-
graphers were at work. Some Of them
carried little mahogany boxes under
their arms, which they placed with
more than ordinary care upon the small
tables. A dozen instruments were
clicking loudly. At then minutes to u
the chief operator manipulated q
KEY board and the rattle Of saunders
ceased. Instantly the lids of the
boxes were raised and disclosed
the glass covered face of the Chrome
meters. Every officer stood with his
watch In his hand. Tick, tick"
sounded the telegraph sounder, beating
to the oscillations of the pendulum of
the great clock in the Observatory at
Washington. An officer with table
was noting the movement OF the
Chronometers.,, Tick, tick" clicked the
sounder, tick for each second of time
One minute of twelve arrived. During
this minute there was no sound. Then
a short, sharp, decided click told the
hour of noon. A dozen observant eyes
noted the seconds, the minute and hour
hands of the ships time-keepers, and
then, with the chronometers again un-
der their arms, the officers went down
stairs and carried the delicate mechan-
isms back to the vessels.
THE SCENE ON THE WHARF
to-day has been like a country fair. It
has been harvest time for the fakirs.
Little brass souvenirs worth few pen
nieS, have sold BIKE hot cakes al fifteen
cents and a quarter apiece, and one
man even does a Lively business In sell
ing at ten cents each the large litho-
graphic pictures of the fleet at anchor
in the Roads, which last week did duty
as railroad advertisements. Thousands
of curious visitors made circuit of the
fleet at a quarter a head in excursion
steamers.
On the Washington boat came Sena-
tors Butler, Gray and Gibson, OF Mary
land, and Representative McMillin, Of
Tennessee. Arrangements have been
made for these gentlemen to go around
with the fleet TO New York. They will
be quartered on the San Francisco.
along with the Representatives of the
two New York papers. Repre-
sentative Cultivate, OF Ohio,
will 90 on the Philadelphia.
Invitations had also been extended
to a number OF other Senators and
Representatives, but as they had not
appeared up 10 this evening the COM
manders Of the ships al once began to
extend invitations to their friends.
Nearly every ship will have number of
civilians and correspondents. The lat
ter will represent the Press Associa-
tious and Washington, New York, Bos-
ton and Chicago papers.
SECRETARY HERBERT
passed quiet day. AT the banquet on
the Dolphin last night he had Admiral
Hopkins, of the English man-of-war
Blake, at his side. and In the course OF
the evening thn>sdmiral asked the Sec