The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-01
A MARVELLOUS SPECTACLE.
The Magic-LiIse ManOeuvers of the
Illuminated Warships mt Night.

HYDE, Isle OF Wight, June 2O.-lO u. m.
The illumination of the feet ut Spit
head was one of the most charming sights
of week of delighting spectacles The
night was pleasantly dark, no moon dim
med the effect of mortal creation, the
waters of the SOlent were reposefully
quiet and everything contributed to en-
nance the success Of the program. 1t was
all ghOstly fantastic, suggestive Of fairy
land and the world of magic-a fitting
termination to a day of imposing reali-
ties. The brutal grimness of all the en-
gines of destruction-savage looking guns,
venomous tOrpedoes, the veritable teeth
of war-was lost in peaceful Shadow and
softening gloom. The spectator knew il
was all there, but it was not relentessly
thrust upon the mind as it had been the
whole day long from every angle of vi
sion. The mantle of night shut out what
was jarring to the nOn-combatants and
revealed only that which was agreeable.
minute before O'Clock the miles of
waters showed only such lights as are
usually associated with shipping, reds
and greens of port and starboard, while
lights at masthead, CLEANS that like tiny
diamonds showed the ports of passenger
craft, with here and there some parti-
colored light that had been lit on private
vessels before the time. At 0 o'clock there
was flesh, n rocket from the "Renown"
ripped into the dark blue, and bursting
with splendid stars, signaled the lighting
up of the fleet. The stock of the rocket
had not turned towards the water ere the
fleet was suddenly skeltonized in brilliant
yellow light, hulls, smokestacks, spars and
c0rdage being thrown into strong relief.
Light lines ran in graceful curves along
the sweep Of the monsters, now ghostly
gray in the sudden glare, and from bow
to stern over the mastheads were garlands
OF incandescent lights like "jeweled
neckless hung upon the horns of night"
"A few minutes later they vanished with
the suddenness of their appearance, leav-
ing the spectators staring mt the place
where they had been, when darkness was
broken again, this time by numberless
searchlights, which, with uncanny glare
IKE the eyes of a hundred cyclops, pat
termed the heavens as Il blackboard with
radiant bands. Later these "eyes" slowly
swept the gathered craft and the shores
beyond, as if seeking something to dis
cover or devour. Then they were all shut
on, leaving the darkness more visible
than ever.
a pause, and the darkness was pierced
by hundreds of signal rockets, ambitiously
rearing into the blue whims of jublation,
not disaster, delivering them and falling.
waters. .a r.W t.t.t
The purpose of this naval exhibition
was not to be overlooked, however. the
might :, of Britain, its ever prepared
strength. was again to be impressed upon
the staring thousands. A signal rocket
leaped from the Grown, and now there
was provided an exhibition of what war
would, be like IL such an immense fleet
of battleships and cruisers should engage
mt night. A royal salute of sixty guns
was fired from every ship capable of FIR
ing it. Great guns and small guns
answered each other in one prolonged
roar, rising and falling in intensity as
more or less Of them fired their guns. : 1t
was truly awful. Even the certain
knowledge that there. were no deadly mis-
siles in the guns did not prevent a chill
feeling from creeping over many of the
civilian spectators.
The foreign ships ,Ifi6ofed opposite the
British lines Joined the canhonade, and
to the superstitiOus there was from the
deep throated guns of the United States,
RUSSIA, France and Germany d note of
defiance, n resonant, resOlute answer, gun
for gun, vet all was In honor Of Queen
Victoria: As the panoply Of unpleasant
smoke slowly drifted away, the feet again
stood revealed in fairy lines of lightness.
The signs of war were dimming and dis
appearing in the, shadow.
The gentler sides Of things was again
put to the front to instil into the minds
of departing thousands, that while the
dogs Of war were ready, hye, ready
that after all what the people came ouf
to see was 1.-THE triumph Of peace and
the glory Of the queen" wt