Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-27
CROwNING SCENE OF ENGLAND'S
SPECTACULAR WEEK.
ILLUMINATION OF THE FLEET.
BRITAIN's MIGHT AGAIN BROUGHT
OUT WITH STRONG EFFECT.
Review of Fleet by Prince of Wales
the Most Magnificent Display of
Naval Strength Ever Wit
nessed-America Was
There.


week Of delightful spectacIes The night
was pleasantly dark. no moon dimmed the
effect Of mortal creation, the waters OF the
Soient were respectfully quiet, everything
contributed to enhance the success Of the
programme II was all ghostly. fantastic.
suggestive of faiTyland and the world Of
maCic-a fitting termination TO day Of
imposing realities and iron facts. The
brutal grimness OF all the enginery OF de-
struction-savare looking guns. yenOmous
torpedocs, the veritable teeth OF war-was
lost in peaceful shadow and softening
gloom. The spectator knew it was all
there; but it was not relentlessly thrust
upon the mind as It had been all day long
from every angle of vision. The mantle
OF night shut out wnat was Earring to the
non-combatant and revealed only that
which was agreeable.
minute before the miles of waters
showed only such lights as are usually as
socIated with shipping. reds and greens on
port and staTboard, while lights at mast
heads, CLEANS that, like tiny rows of dia-
mords, showed the ports OF passenger
craft, with here and there some parti-
coiored lights that had been lit on private
vessels before the time.
At g o'clock there was a fash, rocket
from the Renown rushed into the dark
did stars signalled the lighting up of the
feet. The stock of the rocket had not
turned toward the water ere the mighty
feet was suddenly skeetOned in brilliant
yellow light kulls. smokestacks, spars and
cordage being thrown into strong relief.
Light lines ran in graceful curves along
the sweep of the monsters, now ghostly
grey in the sudden glare, and from bow TO
stern over the mastheads were garlands
Of incandescent light, like 'jewelled neck
laces hung upon the horns of night"
A few minutes later, they vanished with
the suddenness of their appearance. leav-
ing the spectators peering at the place
where they had been. Then the darkness
was broken again. This time by number
less searchlights, which, with uncanny
glare, like the eyes OF hundred cyclops,
patterned the heavens as a chekerboard
with radiant bands. Later these -eyes"
slowly swept the gathered craft and the
shores beyond, as If seeking something 10
discover or devour. Then they were all
shut OF, leaving the darkness more visible
than ever.
A pause, and the darkness was pierced by
hundreds Of signal rockets, ambitiously
soaring into the blue with messages Of
jubilation. not disaster, delivering them
and falling burned out and useless into the
waste Of waters.
The purpose of this naval exhibition was
not to be overlooked, however, and the
might of Britain, its ever-prepared
strength, was again to be impressed upon
the staring thousands. a signal rocket
leaped from the Renown and now there
was provided an exhibition Of what war
would be Ike, If ever an immense neet OF ot
battleships and cruisers should engage at
night. royal salute Of sixty guns was
fired from every ship capable of hiring II.
Great guns and small guns answered each
other In one prolonged roar. rising and
falling in intensity as more or fewer OF
them fired together. II was truly awful
Even the certain knowledge that there
were no deadly missiles IN the guns did not
prevent q chill feeling from creeping over
many Of the civilian spectators -
The foreign warships moorcd opposite the
British lines joined the Cannonade, and TO
the superstitiOUs there was, from the deep
throated guns of the United states. Rus
sia. France. Germany. note OF defiance,
a resonant. TesOlutc answer. gun Tor gun.
Yet all was in honor Of Victoria.
Then the angry roaring ceased, much 10
the relief Of thousands who were stopping
their ears. and as the panOpy OF unpleasant
smoke slowly drifted away, the heet again
stood revealed In fairy lines OF ightness.
The signs Of war were dimmiEg and disap-
pearing in the shadow. The gentler slce
of things was again put TO the front 10 IN
still into the minds of departing thousands
that while the dogs Of war were ready,
ave, ready" after all that the people came
out to see was the triumph Of peace and
To7night's 6rilliance was preceded dur
ing the day with the most magnificent dis
play Of naval strength ever witnessed: The
Prince Of Wales. representing her majesty,
reviewed a fine feet of fourteen foreign
warships. representing ell the maritime ma
tions of the world. the strongest ana swift
est Of these crafts being the United states
armored cruiser Brooklyn. flying the nag
Of Rear Admiral Miller, The prince also
inspected about twenty-five miles Of Brit
ish warships in five lines of five miles each,
in which were l66 fighting ships of different
classes. carrying about 800 heavy guns ana
manned by over a. coo men
Each maritime nation sent an admiral IN
his flagship to witness the review. Ihey
IA -1.,. s,fF F1an vi "a
ships where they were favoTably placed 10
compare their own naval architecture win
that of other nations. Each nation sent It's
best available ship, and magnificent dis
Following the precedent Of former naval
reviews. there was free access 10 me re-
view ground Up to the hour named for the
official inspection. when all vessels with
visitors anchored I'm their assigned post
tions and the tour Of the heet was COM
menccd by the Prince Of Wales on the
Albert and Victoria. with the principal
royal visitors as his guests. Four yachts
followed with distinguished foreign visit
ors. and then came yachts with George j.
GosChCn. first lord Of the admiralty; Jo-
scph Chamb, rlain. the secretary of state
for the colonies, and the colonial premiers;
the ambassadors ana special ENJOYS, IN
Cludiug Whitelaw Reid. the members OF
the house Of lords. the members OF the
housF Of commons and the commander-in-
chief OF Portsmouth.
The commandor-in-chiet CT the port-Sir
Newell Salmon, Y. G.. X. c. B.-transf arrcd
his flag from the Victory to the battlcship
Mars. one Of the latest additions to the
fleet built and lifted ont in two years The
battlcShius Jupiter, Victorious md Renown
also made their FIRST appearance in the
commissioned feet. These four ships, as
well rs the Majestic ana Magnificent. are
armed with the new twelve-inch wire guns.
of which each ship CaTrloS four mounted en-
barbette. two forward and two aft These
guns have a range of about fifteen miles.
In addition they carry twelve six-inch
quick frcrS. eighteen twelyc-poundcr quick
frcrs and twelve three -ppunder Hotchkiss,
and are fitted with five torpedo discharge
tubes. Another important addition to the
fleet was seen I'm the two cruisers Powerful
and TerrihlC-thc former commissioned for
the China station. The British vessels in
line included: Twenty-one hattleships, car
rying 27l heavy guns and 1900 men. the
guns on each ship ranging from IS to 4
guns and the men from TI5 to 40: eleven
first class cruisers, with l39 heavy guns and
G.5l5 men. ranging from a to y guns and
$40 TO 4N men each; wcnty-seVcn second
class cruisers. with 21 heavy guns and
90l4 men, ranging from y 10 guns and
450 to 2,3 mon each, five third class cruis-
ers, with p heavy guns and 1927 men:
two gun vessels with heavy guns and ~
men: three Eunhoats, with y heavy guns
and l5l men: twenty torpedo gtiuhoats with
81 guns ana lS5l men: thirty torpedo de-
stroyers, with ; guns and 20 men each:
twenty torpedo boats. with ~ men each:
eighteen training ships, with les guns and
4oia mcn, ranging from q to guns and
from 7Ol to p men each: eight special serv-
ice vessels. with SS5 men.
Tho following countries were represented
at the review and their respective ships
and commanding officers France the
thillo. Italy. the Lepante, Vice Admiral
NORM. Germany, the kOCng Wilhelm.
Rear Admiral Prince Henry Of Prussia:
Austria Hungary. the Wien. Vice Admiral
Hermann. Baron Won Spann; Spain. the
Nizcaya. Rear Admiral Segismonda Barne-
JOY Merelo; Portugal the Vasco di