The Portland daily press., 1893-04-20
MORE POWDER SPOILED.
French Flagship Takes Its Turn in
Making a Racket.
THE BIG SHIPS NOW AT ANCHOR
OFF FORTRESS MONROE.


Spanish Vessels May Put Into the
Roads with the Caravels-Admiral
Gherardi Figures the value of the
| Fleet at Twenty-Five MiIlions---The
Gallant Old Commander Likes the
Newspapers.
FORT MONROE, Va, April 19.-The
! French flagship Arethuse was sighted
early this morning. At o'clock, as the
bands on the fagships at anchor were
playing the national anthems, the big
cruiser came drifting down the roads un-
der easy steam. Just as she got abreast
| of the Philadelphia, the American en-
sign was broken out from the main, and
as its folds Strengthened out to the stiff
breeze, 81 guns were fired in it's honor.
The salute was returned from the fort,
after which the Frenchman exchanged
the usual salutes with the representa-
tives of foreign vessels.
With the late arrivals, the inter
national fotilla here has increased
to 2S ships. The American squadron
numbers IA in all the flagship Philadel-
phia, the Newark, Baltimore, Benning-
ton, Bancroft, San Francisco, and Allan
ia, under Admiral Benham; the Chicago.
Yorktown, Vesuvius, Charleston and
Concord, under Admiral Walker: the
torpedo boat Gushing and the despatch
boat Dolphin. The foreign fleet is made
up OF the five English cruisers, Blake.
Magicienne, Tartar, Australia and Par
fridge; the Russian cruisers General,
Admiral and Rynda; the Kaiserin Au-
gusta and the Seeadler, which float the
German flag; the French ships Arethuse.
Jean Bart and Hussard; the Italian
cruiser Giovanni Bausan and the Dutch
man-of-war Van Speyk. The fine wealth
er encourages the hope that the Spanish
squadron, which sailed from Havana on
Sunday, may, after all, turn aside into
the Roads. instead of gong straight on
to New York. The Spanish commander
has under him three ships of war; the
protected cruiser Reina Regenta, the IN
protected cruiser Infanta Ysabel and the
torpedo vessel Nueva Espana, as we'll as
the Columbus caravels, the Santa Maria,
Nina, and Pinta; so that the arrival of
the Spanish fleet is eagerly desired as an
important addition to the spectacle here
the loss of which would rob the rem
devious of much of it's historical sug-
gestiveness and spectacular value. Ad-
miral Gherardi is inclined to believe that
the Spaniards will arrive in time, as the
voyage from Havana to the Capes, even
with the handicap of the caravels in tow
would not under favorable conditions.
occupy the feet more than five days. The
Relna Regenta carries an admiral, and is
considered an excellent representative of
the modern Spanish navy. She is little
larger than the Charleston, the Balti-
more, the Jean Bart the Giovanni Bau-
san, and other ships here of her class.
and some interesting comparisons might
be made between her qualities and ap-
pearance and those of the other French,
Italian and American ships.
The kaiserin Augusta, the flagship of
the German squadron, is but one year
old. and is rated as one of the finest ships
in the German navy. Registering 6.052
tons, she will be, next to the Blake, the
largest ship in the international heet,and
in many respects will be the most strik-
ing and effective of all the warships
which go from here next Monday to
New York. With only two-thirds of the
tonnage of the Blake, the Kaiserin Au-
gusta is thirteen feet longer, and with
her rakish stem and stern and her decks
sloping gradually to their greatest
height and massiveness amidships, she
looks at once more graceful and more
modern type of ship of war, her style
and lines approaching more closely and
agreeably those which the new American
navy has made familiar in the seaports
of this country than those of any others
of the foreign ships The Kaiserin Au-
gusta is perhaps more like the Charles
ton in appearance than any of the Cramp
ships, the low fore and aft of the west
coast cruiser aiding strongly the resem-
blance between the two. The Charles
ton is only 312 feet long, however, while
the Kaiserin Augusta is 38S. For a
cruiser of her size the German flagship
carries rather light armament, her lare-
est gun being but SO inch.
Admiral Gherardi paused a moment as
he stood upon the deck of the Philadel-
phia today when he was asked how MANY
million dollars would be represented
upon the water when all the ships were
assembled.
Fully $25, 700, ,oOO," he said. "There
will be 5000 men on board the ships.
There are 8, 900 men upon my own ships.
Admiral Gherardi expresses keen
appreciation of the publicity which is
being given to every detail in the news
papers, and every night as he leaves
shore carries with him copy of every
newspaper he can obtain, and glances
through the naval stories in all before
he retires.
sBut what interests me,' he said. sis
the point of view from which you look at
us. You ask questions about things
that do not concern me at all-matters
to which would never give moments
thought. For instance, it was reported
to me this morning that salute was be-
ing fired on board of the Blake, but
really. did not take the trouble to find
out what it meant
Since then have been asked dozen
times by newspaper men to explain the
reason OF the salute. Then you ask me
how my men are to get enough to eat
and how they wash their clothes; wheth-
er one set of officers eat with another
set of officers, and the next thing sup
pose you will want to know how much
money we waste in firing salutes.''
Most assuredly"
The Admiral threw all his dignity to
the four winds and actually chucSled:
"Well," he said, las matter of fact. ali
the powder we use has been condemned
and it really is not good for anything
elsen