The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-27
THE WARSHIPS PARADE.
4 AFORERUNNER OF THE SPECTACLE
That WILL TAKE PLACE TO-DAY.
All ofthe Vessels in Their Proper Position
for the Great Revlew-Mr. Cleveland
and Party Arrives.

ships which sailed I'm out Of the mists
OF the sea yesterday were bright and
majestic realities In the glorious sunshine
this morning. The only element want
ing to insure the triumphant spectacular
success Of the great naval parade was
supplied by the perfect weather Not
a trace was left Of the steel gray clouds
and rain and fog of yesterday. Clear
skies. bright sunlight and bracing
breezes gave a setting to a panoramic
| scene whose beauty and suggestiVeness
have never been surpassed.
In the sharp, clear light Of the early
morning every distinctive feature or the
great warshps stood out in bold rellef.
| Anchored in two great columns stretched
over the whole surface OF the bay, the
vessels OF each of the ten nauonalities
represented could be distinguished at
! glance.
The snow-white hulks and graceful out
lines of the American fleet were not
| more conspicuous than the huge Diack
| hulk Of the British flagship, the towering
| military masts OF the French Jean Bart
or Of the sharp lines Of the crack Ger
man cruiser Ksiserin Augusta with her
| formidable Krupp guns. offset by the
1 -
which again contrasted with the graceful
! build of the swift Argentine Nuevo de
Julio. and the massive armament OF the
Brazilian battle-sbip Aquidaban.
The most striking feature Of the scene
was the absolute silence that prevailed
! during the early hours Of the dry. Each
| of the formidable deathdealinS engines
Of destruction lay motionless at anchor
reflected i'm the placid waters of the
| no hxr carly rnnrnfpg OF the
sun like the often quoted painted ship
upon painted ocean" There was
| grim suggestiveness Of represented force
and stern discipline in this impressive
| quiet.
But It did not last long As the morn
| ing wore on and the preparations for
| breaking anchor began the scene changed
to one Of brisk animation and life. me bay
became alive with pleasure craft Of every
description, and he patrol boats had
| difficult task 10 keep tho anchorage
ground clear Of intruders and to permit
the formation of the columns il which
in stately procession the vessels were 10
pass through the Narrows into the upper
bay and TO move up the Hudson river
to their assigned stations. and there
to await to-mOrrOw's review.
Shortly after 2 o'clock this morning
Adm iial Gherardi gave the preliminary
signal for the American and foreign
fleets TO break anchor and fall into line
Tho start was so prompt at Si5 that
thousands OF spectators who gathered TO
witness tho spectacle from IIavesink
Highlands and the heights of For Nad -
worth and other points Of vantage on
Staten Island. had hardly taken up their
positions before the guns Of Forts Ham
Ilton and Wadsworth doomed their wei -
cOme to the advance fleets. Steamiag
reck and neck. the two admirals Cine
rarSi and HOpkins) and their tils ships
led the way at a rate OF between eigh.
and nine knots.
he brisk breeze cured The waters int }
wiite capped breakers. but the magnin-
cont ships glided along SO rmoothly thet
their motion seemed scarcely perceptihle.
The time occupied in passing the forts
was exactly half an hour. After passing
the Narrows the vessels entered the
ulper bay and the fleet of excursion
steamers and yachts fell in and became
a volunteer escort. The absence Of cal
ronading left the air clear. and every
outline of the magnificent ships stood
out in a luminous silhouette against the
clCudlesa sky. The flags OF the different
nstionalities. and evel tac names Of the
ships were clearly discernable from
either shore
The fleets were preceded 10y navy-yard
tugs and patrol steamers. whose DUTY II
vvaq to keen the course clear. The rear
was brought UP by four revenue cutters
No vessels OF any kind were allowed 70
break through the lines. Tho ships
steamed up tho river until the Phiadcl-
nhia an1 Blake reached q point opposite
Eightv-ninth street. when the signal was
GIVEN IN anchor. Tn, rear Of the double
line was opposite west Thlrty-Iour.h
street and was held by the Miantonomoh.
Tbe Dolnhin was OFF TWenty-second
street. where she will remain untii the
president boards her at l0.oO o clocA " W.
r1crrou, ia review the ships. 1t was Just
1.ii when the single gun from the Thii-
odolnhia announced that the anchorase
oronnd had been reached, ana, answering
oImost instantly. a gun doomed on inc
C,bicaqo and the anchors or the tWelFt
American ships dropped as If released
~, electricity. The foreign Vessels
siouod down and steamed TO positions
or,osito the escorting vessels OF our Meet
ccnroa n, tugs crowded with sight-seers
and excursion boats and conih'''c,
boat followed the column OF the wa wa
china up the North river Inc navy 80 at'
and signal boats directed '"7
80, war where to anchor'
ii,u,' - from any point on the river
- >-tnotv-gixth street down 20 Ihift ~
sa.,rtb street was a beautiful one ana
,ood forerunner Of the spectacle 'ii"' y" '
tate Mace tomorrow. ASIDE from ~.
eignol Gun TO anchor there was 10 60"
,.onadirs IA wake the echoes OF th'
i,olieodeq or heights Of Riverside farK
II was high noon when the las. li,,n,, "',''o
: r,as dropped and the fleet was III l'a's' =,
, and the British ships eN''nu'u
Eiehtieth street, the Russians -
ar,t etreet the big black Jean ba't, -
: thc French navy. being oppos''e t,,S,.'
etroet The Italian Etna Is ." 80, i,sS
ninth street with the GloNa,Ih 'e., Do, = !,
;n line Opposite the Etna IS the tohToi =
, tbe last in the American lines l1e Jun.
a. onnosite the Bausan, while tne va
! So "a near abreast of the lnlaht'
fss6e1a Germany has two vessels "l
tbe Jersey side. opposite the other span
, lard The Brazilian ships are Just sou'i
- tho Spanish vessels on New YORK shore
, and are anchored nearly OF Ihlrty-slN'i
' street. ,,1 M oorfusio,
Z offending the anchorage OF the meh-oI
, ~,ar The big vessels moved up the rive
in the position 10 which they had peer
assigned and let go their anchors a
= almost precisely the points selected 10
ther, nv Admiral Gherardi NO Vessci
,rere allowed to pass between the llne
, Tho two columns of war-ships until the.
, rere all at anchor. Then steamboats,
euod with siehtseers, passed up betw ,el
,ha lines and in and out, 10 obtain
. II, 81 our white cruisers and the foat
= ,ne war castles OF the foreign nation
\ who are represented a., -,
,rhe streets 70 the river were flled WIZ