The evening times., 1896-04-07

Atold Point Comfort this wcckthere will
be grand naval demonstration such as has
not been seen in American waters since the
Columbian year.
Secretary Herbert Will be present and
learn for himself what naval maneuvers
Ike when conducted by modern ships. di-
rectcd by the latest devices OF signaling,
and under the leadership OF the finest ar
morcd cruiser of the world. .o...
admiral Buncc's vessels now lying in
| Hampton Roads have been there for the past
three months. owing to the necessity or re-
tanning them in Northern waters while for
cign affairs in the West Indies remain un-
! settled.
No masts OF spars mar the regularity OF
| their rig. and the absence of sails and yards
and great pro jccting jib-booms. with safety
nets TO catch any poor sailor TINT might
| topple Off In heavy seas, give all these
vessels the appearance of mere fighting ma
| chimes.
| The squadron is to have an addition in
| the big battleship Indiana. Iow resting on
| the keel-biocks in Port Royal dry dock,
| whose, arrival may be expected either
Wednesday or Thursday.
THENCE TO SEA.
Then, when Secretary Herbert gives the
| word. the fleet Will drop down through Lynn
Haven Bay to the Virginia capes % nd thence
| to sea for two days cvoiutons in modern
| drill tactics. This maneuyering is preiimi
| nary to an extended series OF drills this
| spring and summer, when the United States
| willhaye as its guard Oh the seas the finest
! specimens OF marine architecture the navy
| has yet produced.
4Atno time since the great federal fleet
| began to disappear soon after the war
| Will there have been SO imposing an array
| OF naval fighters in this country as will bc
| assigned to Admiral Bunce's command be-
! tween now and July next. His fleet is al.
| ready powerful i'll defensive qualities, II not
| in numbers, but the department proposes
within a few weeks TO add to this by some
! OF the most formidable ships yet designed
! for the government.
Two hat ueships, the Indiana and Massa-
chusctts, will headthelHst as fighters of the
first class. No heater ships than the sc fly
| the culors of any country. The Massachu'
| sctts has on q builders trial, shown even
| better qualities than the Indiana. nd il is
now probable thats she viii be surpassed by
| u third sister, the Oregon, the product OF
the San Francisco firm. ~"+
But with these two hattleships from the
Cramps. the two monitors-Amphitrite and
Mian,onouioh. which as coast-tiefensc fight
erS are perhaps. unequaled-and the Terror,
| which flies the flag OF her first commander
on May I 3, together with the Puritan. TO be
| commissioned al New York in June, there
will he six of the highest types of ships of
their class the navics Of the world know of.
THE CRACK CRUISER.
Aside from these monitors and battle
.shjns. there viii! be the two government
built second-,lass a,tlr-ships Texas and
Naine the former built at the Norfolk yard
and the latter at New York. and both fine
specimens OF their class. although scarcely
superior rs fighters 10 the crack armored
cruiser of the world which flies Admiral
Runcc's flag and directs the action of the
other vessels now lying off Old Point.
The cruisers Raleigh and Cincinnati, sister
lships of great steaming radius, powerful
machinery. and strong batteries, are next
In rank 10 the Minneapolis, the fastest
vessel of her class In the world.
The Cincinnati was also built entirely
under government direction at New YORK,
and the Raleigh at Norfolk. As cruisers
they are useful, but as fighters they would
present but sorry appearance alongside
The monitors and battlcshps- The baby
| OF tbc fleet is the Montgomery, built at
Baltimore. In all there will be upward or
dozen. to which must he added the big
cruiser Newark, now on her way N er'h
from South America, after three years
absence as flagship OF the station.
| No american admiral ever exercised su-
nr,.,ne control over SO fine a fleet rs this.
and Admiral Buncc, who will have the
privilege of commanding il, will serve as
| an object lesson TO those younger ofncers
| who bclieye that promotion is slow, ana
| that even should the grade OF commodore
or admiral he reached. there will be no
yrea, su,adrons of the navy to command.
when this fleet will assemble and al
wbat poiut will not he determined until
after the cruise and Mr.. Herberts return
In Washington. The vessels are in prime
condition and require no docking, navy
ward attention or repairs, such as have
seemed necessary TO ships before they
could start on Il weeks cruise.
EJ1NCE HELD RESPONSIBLE.
sTbe,oost stringent regulations were pre-
scrtb,d bv the admiral early in the winter
when it was possible the services or the
shius might be required suddenly either il
Turkish waters or Cuban
He was held responsible by the authori
| ,i.s in Washington for any lack of detail
which might hinder progress when it wa
! most needed. md he, therefore. weeks ago
nrornulratei orders prohibiting Officers
from going beyond flag distance of tn
l fleet.
Each day visitors have noticed thu
| he chimney