The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-06
eEM. PORTER OFF FOR FRANCE.
Gen. Miles. ,. X. Gowdy. and May Theatri-
cal Celebrities Also on the 81, PsuL

cal Celebrities Also on the 81. FhuL
Tho American liner st. Paul sailed for South.
ampton at 10 O'Clock yesterday morning with n
distinguished company Of passengers, Tho
crowd at the pier to SEQ the sailing and to say
good.bys to friends who were leaving on tho
ship was said to DO larger than that gathered
at the pier on any similar occasion last season.
It was also said by tho st. Paul's skipper, Capt.
Jamison, that no other ship Of the line ever car
ried away such q cargo OF flowers. There were
flowers everywhere. Many OF the statorooms
had been transformed by friends Of passengers
into veritab,e greenhouses. There wero enough
American Beauty roses to furnish the decora-
tons for half u dozen American beauty we'd
dipgs.
Had any one OF half q dozen OF the passengers
smiled Mt almost any other timo, his sailing
would have attracted attention. When there
were 80 many distinguished passengers popular
interest had to centre about some one person,
and that person yesterday was Gen. Horace
Porter, United States Ambassador to Franco,
who was leaving for his post OF duty. For two
hours before the ship sailed he was tho lion Of
the occasion. Delegations from the Union
League Club. of which ho is President; from the
American Legion OF Honor, OF which he Is tho
commander; nearly all the members of the
staff which assisted him in tho management
and command of tho great sound-lnoney parade
last October; a great number of intimate por-
sonal friends, and many Grand Army Veterans
gathered, on the st. Paurs deck to shake MS
hand and bid him good.by.
Nearly every one of these brought a remem.
we're lower. and suites is and IL. which had
been reserved for the General, Mrs. Porter, apd
Miss Elsie Porter, looked like booths at the
flower show. There were flowers, from the
Union League Club and u great floral fac-simile
Of the button worn by members OF the Legion OF
some OF the members of the sound money parade
star, and flags enough to decorate the Aineri-
Gen. Porter. with Mrs. Porter and Miss Porter.
received his friends on the main DECK. The part.
Ing between sh Gen. Porter and his his ola = pastor or the me
Purtans. was most Affecting. Pr. Young mar
ried Gen. Porter's elder son, Horace. and OH
and he received Miss Elsie Porter into tho
Porter reached Geie out Til his i hanas and Simply said:
God bless you, Doctorl'
DR.. Young raised his hand. as IL in benedic-
ton, while many of tho men who were near
stood with uncovered heads.
Among the passengers was Miss Anna Held.
Some one told her that Gen. Porter was aboard,
and then she wanted TO know for what he was
distinguished and something about him. When
she heard that he was the American Ambassa-
MY compliments TO Gen. Porter. and tell him
shall send him a box for my first appearance
in Paris
The message was conveyed TO Gen. Porter.
who, after hearing who Anna Held was, sent his
lLaiihh u Z
Among the other passengers was Maior-Gen.
Miles, who is going TO watch the GrGco-Turkish
war. Capt. Marion =. Maus,, T.. S. A., goes as
Gen. Miles's secretary. Speaking OF his trip,
Gen. Miles said:
Il shall get to the seat of war as quickly as
possible. II there ia any war when l get there. l
shall see rs much Of 1t as possible. i shall also
look over the armies Of other European coun-
tries"
Other passengers were: Tho Hon; John K.
Gowdy, Cnitcd States Consul-3cneral to Paris,
Mrs. Gowdy and Miss Gowdy; Gen. William
Mckinley Osborne, ConsuiIieneral to London,
Mrs. Osborne and five children; Col. William II.
Williams. special agent of the United States
Treasury in Paris. and Mrs. Williams;. Mrs.
Henry Z. Abbey, Miss Ethel Barrymore, Mrs. J:
Donald Cameron and Miss Cameron, Daniel
Frohman. Mr.. and Mrs. 7. Pcarsall Field; VII.
liam Gillette, who was the last passenger TO
board tho steamer; +. Gray Griswold, MI. and
Mrs. Manton Marble. Victor Hdpes; the Hon.
Richard Westcott. Vice-Consul to London; Miss
blanche Walsh. Mrs. Alt Hayman. Mrs. A.
Mason Jones. and Gen. Thomas w. Hyde.
When the ship was swinging clear OF her berth
and the crowd on the pier saw Gen. Porter with
a small American flag in his hand, the cry went
up.
our Ambassador"
The cheers were given; Gen. Porter waved his
flag and DOTTED his hat, and the band on the pier
played Hail TO the Chief" and Aud Lang
Syne."