Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-20
TO GO TO KEEL
The Best Ships in the Navy Are
Selected.
ALL WILL Be WELL EQUIPPED
The United States Will Be Well
Represented.
WILL MAKE GOOD DISPLAY
YELL EQUIPPED
WILL MAKE GOOD DISPLAY

Four of the finest ships IN the United
States navy are now on their way to Kiel
to participate in the ceremonies attending
the formal opening of the great. North
German canal, connecting the Baltic with
the North sea. They are under orders to
rendezvous at Southampton not later than
June and to proceed from there together
in time to assist in the opening ceremonies
at Kiel on the 18th proximo. The fleet
will be under command of Rear Admiral
Kirkland, commanding the European
squadron, now consisting only of the cruis-
ers San Francisco and Marblehead. Those
two vessels left Algers few days ago
for the rendezvous, where they will be
fitted out for the Kiel celebration.
Two Other Vessels.
The other two vessels which will repre-
sent the United States on that important
occasion are the cruisars New York and
Columbia, which were recently detached
from the North Atlantic squadron for
that express purpose. The New York,
which will be the flagship of the new fleet,
sailed from New York for Southampt on
on Saturday, and the Columbia started
after her from the same port this after
noon. Owing to the superior speed of the
latter cruiser, with her triple screws, the
two vessels will probably reach their joint
destination about the same time. Although
neither vessel will be pushed, it VIII be
interesting to note their performances on
This trip over the course usually followed
by the merchant greyhounds plying be-
tween the two ports. Inasmuch, however,
as they are not due at Southampton until
the LIST proXimo it is not likely that either
vessel will make any special attempt at a
speed record. Coal is too expensive Ii COM
modify to be wasted in what the officials
OF the Navy Department term "a profit
less experiment"
Display Equipment.
The superiority of display equipment of
many of the foreign warships at the Co.
lumbar naval celebration was cause Of
no little chagrin on the part of the hosts
on that occasion, and it has been decided
that the American warships at Kiel shall
be better equipped with holiday attire for
spectacular merry making at kiel than
has been possible heretofore. According to
the present preparations, Admiral Kirk
lands four ships will be especially well
equipped TOR displays at night. Each is
provided with two or more powerful search
nsnts ana each will be Respondent with
thousands of incandescent lights AS a
special decoration each will carry before
ana around the pilot house an immense
shlelu representing the American coat-of-
arms, the red and white bars and stars
en- a blue background, being reproduce
by electric lamps
The name of each ship will be brilliantly
displayed in large electric letters running
around the stern In addition to these two
special features. incandescent lights will
De strung along each vessels stem and
stern from the water to the deck and along
the deck rail from end to end on both
SIDES s Lights Will be placed along the wa
ter line on each side, just high enough 10
be out of the .swash. thus outlining the
hull. More lights will be strung up the
masts and down the side stays and up
md
smokestacks. The lights will be set three
feet apart ard at. a distance will appear
to be unbroken lines of light. There swiIl
be about 1908 of these electric lights on
the New York and about 1900 on each
of the other three ships. The finest display
on The vessels will be the electric shield
which will be sixteen feet high and ex-
tend back on either side of the pilot house,
twenty-four feet
Supply of Fireworks.
Ample arrangements have also been
made for an appropriate display of pyro-
technics. The New York ard Columbia
each carry a good supply of fireworks
These include aquatic works of various
designs, fireworks to burn on the water,
float lights, rockets with floating festoons
and magnesium and prismatic torrents
There are to be four Nominations of thir-
ty-six lights each in red, white and blue.
Set pieces will represent the German and
the American arms, each fifteen feet by
twelve. There is to be grand fire por-
trait Of Emperor William, twenty feet by
twenty, and one of President Cleveland,
whose proportions will be represented in
the same space. The designs for the fire
works were made in this city. There are
dozens of shells. batteries, and exhibition
rockets of varied colors and effects, and
there is a special motto in German text:
"Herzlicher Gruss an Deutschland Won den
Verenigten Staten" C'Hearty greeting to
Germany from the United States').