The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-20
THOUSANDS VISIT THE SHIPS.
Ten THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
on THEN IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS.


Them stay-The Naval Reserve
Omcers Visit the Atlanta.
About 400 people visited the war ships
yesterday. OF this number probably 100
were visitors TO the city. The steamers
Vieilant and Gov. Stafford were kept busy
all day taking down and bringing back
large crowds. Seven or eight trips were
made by each boat. and each time from
80 TO GO passengers were carried. The
latter figure was reached on the after
noon trips when the boats carried as many
passengers as could get aboard almost
The system Of Transporting the passen-
gers 10 and from the city and transfer
ring them al the ships was well nigh per-
feet. The Vigilant and Stafford made al
ternate trips from the city. having en-
tered into an arrangement for that pur-
pose. while the steamer Alpha, which had
been chartered for the purpose Icy the
other two boats. transferred the passen-
gers from one snip to the other. Tn this
way visitors were given the opportunity
Of going aboard each Of the three ships
and returning TO the city within a com
paratively short time.
The boats were scheduled 20 make trips
every halt hour. but owing TO the large
crowds 10 be handled during the after
noon trips hardly averaged more than one
every hour. BY the arrangement agreed
upon the boats plying between the city
and the ships landed and departed from
the Atlanta. while the Alpha transferred
the Messengers from the Atlanta TO the
Raleigh and then to the Amphitrite. The
Stafford caused dissatisfaction by land
ing and departing from the Amphitrite on
one trin fbus leaving a number OF people
who were awaiting at the Atlanta 10 come
back up 70 the city
THE officers and men aboard the war
ships were very clever In showing the VS.
itors about and explaining TO them the
working and mechanism OF the guns anu
machinery The commanding officers ana
the majority Of the officers of lower rank
had the good judgment 10 come TO the city
and thus avoid the tremendous crowds.
Enough were left on board. however, 10
furnish all the information desired by the
visitors.
The Amplitude was. Of course the yes
sci i'm which the chief interest centered,
many of the visitors having seen the CRUZ
sers before hut very few having ever seen
a monitor. 1t did not take long 10 do the
Amphtrite, though, there being little TO
see outside Of her turrets with the big
guns. two i'm each and some compact ana
complicated machinery, which very rev
Of the visitors understood. The visitors
found greater variety Of things of inter-
est aboard the Raleigh and Atlanta ana
consequently more time was spent by the
majority aboard these vessels, the Raj
oigh seeming to be the favorite.
Night put a stop to the sightseeing, and
the Vigilant and Stafford both arrived back
at the city about o'clock with large
crowds Of passengers aboard. With the
1900 visitors who visited the ships yester-
day, and as many 1900 more who have
taken the trip on the steamboats, since the
vessels were brought up to Fort Ogle>
thorpe Wednesday, and probaly 1900 more
who made the trip TO the vessels when
they were out in the roads and on tugs
and launches since their anchorage AT
the fort, the total number of people who
have been aboard the warships since their
arrival here approaches, If il does not
exceed 10000. Many people would estimate
the number al considerably above this
figure, but the steamboat men say this is
not the case. They have not figured up
the total number of passengers carried by
them as yet, but they say that the figure
quoted will fully cover the number who
have visited the ships. II the vessels had
been at the wharves two or three times
that number Of people would have doubt
less visited them.
Unless further orders are received the
warships viii leave Savannah tomorrow
morning In what direction they will 90
the captains were unable to say yesterday
as they do not expect their orders until the
last moment. Mayor Myers telegraphed
Secretary Herbert yesterday urging that
the vessels be allowed to remain here until
the end Of the week on account of the con-
ventions of the State Sunday School AS
ISOLATION and the State Pharmaceutical
Association to be held here this week and
also the visit of the grand division OF tile
Order of Railway Conductors now IN ses-
sion in Atlanta. which will bring quite a
number of people here mostly from the in
terror to whom the ships would be a gem
uine novelty. Mayor Myers is in hopes of
receiving a favorable reply to-day
When the May week committee first
asked for the warships they would have
been more than satisfied to get them for a
couple Of days. Now that they have been
here for week the people are anxious tc
have them for another week. This shows
that Savannah knows a good thing when
she sees ii. The warships have been given
cordial welcome to Savannah and there
q is no doubt that both officers and mer
would be well satisfied to spend another
week here. With the fact established that
good anchorage is afforded il
the river within short distance Of ths
city Is likely that the vessels of the squa,
dron of evolution will be frequent visitor.
TO the city hereafter.
Several hundred visitors came into tn.
city yesterday from along the Savannah
Florida and Western railway and tn,
Charleston and Savannah railway for TIL
purpose of visiting the warships. Nam
took in the warships in the morning anC
Tybee in the afternoon. There was no lacl
of refreshments at the ships and peopl
who visited them did not have to go eithe
dry or hungry. Arthur Won Kamp Ia,
charge Of the buffet on the Alpha and di
a rushing business all day
Blue jackets We're scarce in the city yes
terday A good many of the Amphitrite'
men were allowed to come uD. but tn
leave of those from the Raleigh and Allan
ia expired at noon and the men belongin
to these ships who remained in the cit
were derelict. Only few were taken in b
the police, but il was stated at the shin
that quite a number We're absent Man
took in Thunderbolt and enjoyed the priv
leges offered by that liberal suburb
The officers of Company A. Naval Re
serve Artillery, Naval Battalion Georgi
Volunteers of Brunswick. paid an ofiicis
visit to the warships Atlanta, Raleigh an
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