New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-22
THE CARAVELS IN THE ROADS
SAFE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH SQUADRON
AND THEIR THREE TOWS.
NO sALUTBS FIRED BY THE NEwLY-ARRIvEA
wARsHPs UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD CAST
ANCHoR-SIX VESSELS STILL EXPECTED
AT THE RENDEzvoUs-A POSSIBLE
QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE. y
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuYEl
Fort Monroe, Va. April 2l.-AN anxiety
which had been felt here about the possible fall
ure of the Spanish squadron to turn aside into
Hampton Roads on the way from Havana to New
York was removed early this morning by the
news from Cape Henry that the Spanish men-of-
war had been lying outside all night waiting Tor
daylight TO enter with their fragile tow. Soon
after o'clock the flagship of the squadron was
sighted steaning in toward Old Point, and before
10 all three men-Of-war came plainly into vlews
each with tiny ship hi,h-pooped and latecn-
rigged like painted property-piece from some
fifteenth century marine setting, dancing and tug
ring al the end OF strong rope. These fantastic
tows were the reproductions Of the Nina, flnta
and Santa Maria, the ships Of Columbuss nrst
feet of discovery. built with archaeoloical exact
ness and conducted with infinite pains across the
ocean to exhibit by contrast with modern 'eS*is
and modern maritime resources the eNtraVa2ahs
daring and illmitable hardhood of the voyage
whose happy termination to open new
world 10 human thought and human acuviy,
The low. whitehuled cruiser lnfanta lsaoe''
the flagship of the squadron, led the way H. low
ing the caravel Pinta, the ship OF Coiu"""'s
hardy lieutenant, Pinzon. Next In line can'o
the little torpedo-boat Nueva Espana, WIN ue
tiny Nina: while half mile or more Deiihu' '"'
hic black.hulled protected cruiser Reina Regents
steamed tardly in, dragging at her stern oolun'-
buss flagship the heavier and more seawor'hy
santa Maria From the mzzen-gaf Of the three
yarsbps flew the red and yellow flag OF SPAIN
~ the modern Spain. however, only; Tor the
caravels flag. which was flung from their mizzeh-
yards. and which Columbus probably unfurleu Oh
tbe soil of Salvador would not be recognizaoio
now. oven in the port of Genoa or Palos.
Passing in silence by the sea battery OF tno
fort and the facshps of the British and Amerl-
can Admirals the Spanish warshps WIN 'her
strange consorts continued on their course u III"
extreme western end Of the hotlla, and then turn.
ing. steamed back again TO the position assieheu
70 them in the eastern division Of the third OF
outermost line just beyond the britisn
squadron. The decks of all the YES
sells in the fleet were crowucd WIN
officers and men, eager to see the newcomers.
but the Spanish flagship. failing TO salute hrs.' Ro'
no greetings, except from the Van SpeyK ana tho
Kaiserin Augusta. The Dutch ship Is always piea''"
70 fire a salute, whatever the OCCASION anu quo
,.d of TODAY as on Yesterday. when the Italian
Admra, came in without waiting for the rhiia-
delphia. the Blake or any other flagship to take
tho initiative. The Kaiserin Augusta similarly
volunteered greeting, but got no response as the
Irfanta Isabel had decided TO follow the rules OF
salutcs 10 the letter. and to fire. even TO the 1ort'
only after casting anchor.
Coming down the outer line with the Pinta tho
Spanish flagship took position IN the western u~
vision opposite the Blake, or. rather, opposi'e to
can between the Blake and the Maglciehhe' Inv
little Nueva Espana with the Nlha cast alcno'
cast of the mfanta Isabel, ana the hea'y heih"
po,ent, fell in place west of her in cross-line
from the Philadelphia and the Van SpeyK' Inc
three caraves remained fastened to their consor.S'
dronn;no 70 the lee for shelter from the southerly
Gale and thus forming short interior line De-
tween the second and third lines Of ships
That the protected cruiser Rrina Regen'e was
not made the flagship Of the Spanish squadron
inteal of the Infanta Isabel, which Is an uh-
protected gunboat is to be explained Perhaps a'
in the case of the Arethuse ana the jean bar'' W
the superiority of quarters in the smaller YES
60, for no other ground for the preference is
onnarent The Infanta Isabel is something llke
tho American gunboats in appearance, though
sborter by twenty or thirty feet than the len
ninoton or Yorktown, and having only two-thirdS
~ ,beir tonnage. Both the Bennington and lork-
town stand higher out of the water, however, ana
have greater beam and solidity in proportion I'd
,beir length Painted white, and OF the saue
general lines as the German unprotected cruiser
Seeadler, the two might smost be taken lor
sister ships, except for tile Seeauer erca"i
,o,p,ge the differences in length and shape OK
hull being scarcely noticeable. Inc lnianta is'-
bel is registered at 1,l52 tons, while the German
cruiser has 1850. The Duke de Veraguas nag
shin carries guns nearly an inch pigger In caliore
than the Seeaders, 4.72 as against 4.l' pu'
her battery numbers only four pieces, while tho
German has eight
The embarrassments and difficulties Of firing
from small "A number OF
cuns WAS rather strikingly illustrated when the
Infanta Isabel came 10 anchor and began TO ex-
cbanoe civities with her neghbOrs The first
s,Iute twenty-one guns to the fort, went of quick
lv enouoh . but after the forts reply there was
decided paus, The Spanish commander then po-
Itely returned the sautes fired an hour before.
ON his arrival, by the Dutch and German ships
rhorc wore tcn-minutc intervals between these.
Tben Admiral Gherardi was honored. and quar-
ter of an hour later Vice-Admral Hopkins
Tho greater smartness and precision of the Eng
lish and American seamen, as compared with
those o, other maritime countries, could not have
been more strikingly illustrated than in the man
nor Of salutng The Infanta IsabePs tire, like that
Of most of the other fiagships here was deliberate
and Iaborious There was hang and drag ne.
,wecn the shots which weighed on the ear With
rho Philadelphia and the Blake however. scarcely
haI
mzzenmast when the first gun flashed and the
rest followed puff after puff, in nervous succession.
with lust enough of interval to prevent an abso-
,ute continuity. 1t typical contrast be-
tween the new style Of the newer and more pro-
pressive navies and the deliberate and nnre-
mvenated spirit of the older ones. The French
Admiral, who was next in rank, did not receive
n salute from the Infanta Isabel until nearly noon;
and it was o'clock three hours after her arrival.
before the Spaniard ready to honor the Italian
and Russian flags.
Probably the firing would have been promptee
and more military in its precision had 1t been done
from the big Reina Regente the protected cruiser
which Spain has sent hero to invite comparison
with the Etna, the Bausan, the Jean Bart, the
Baltimore, the Atlanta, the Charleston and the
other lighter-draft vessels of this class. The
Reina Regente is heavier than any Of those YES
vels, registering 4,750 tons. The Baltimore, tho