The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-26
BRI1AIN'S BULW ARKS.
Twenty Miles of Steel Ships
in Line for Review in
the Solent.
TREMENDOUS DISPLAY OF POWER
Gorgeous Naval Pageantry in Hon
OF of the ubiIee-Foreign
Ships in the Great Fleet.
TREMENDOUS DISPLAY OF P0WEI


by Cable to The Associated Press.]
RYDE Isle of Wright, 5 P. NJ. June 26
1ss7.-The Honorary Admiral of the fleet
His Royal Highness. the Prince of Wales
at this time of writing has just concluded
on behalf of the Sovereign of the Realm
the review of the ships gathered in her
honor. The review itself did not add very
much to the picture framed for the specz
tator this morning, saving always the
battlelike roar of great guns which was
enough to waken the dead beneath the
sea-when the salute of twenty-one was
fired.
DuGng the morning the excursion
steamers, densely crowded to the rails,
were very busy steaming in and out of out
lines of ships, lodging about, manoeuvr-
ing for good positions and generally be-
\ having in eccentric fashion, resembling
nothing so much as a lot of huge water
spiders Owing to a wise regulation by
the Admiralty that no vessel was allowed
to use other than the best Welsh coal,
the smoke nuisance proved less disagree
able than anticipated
After a threatening morning, the wealth
er frightened and a brilliant day for the
great Naval Review was promised. The
streets of all the towns nearby We're
thronged with people at an early hour,
and on all sides We're to be seen pewil-
derlng masses OF SIltterIng uniforms, gay
muitftudes of civilians military bands
and sailors of all ranks and nationalities.
In gallant array off the coast We're the
neany zuU British war vessels, manned
by ABOUT 45,UUu men, aggreSaling some
$4,000 tons, which were to be reviewed by
the Prince Of Wales. representing the
Queen, as the final display of the jubilee
celebrations. The Colonial troops arrived
at Portsmouth at eisnt o'clock and Were
met at the railroad station by a military
guard OF honor Then headed by mill
Tary bands, they marched to the Town
tiali where the Lord Mayor and Corpor-
alton OF Portsmouth, in full robes of
office. welcomed the visitors. The
great ovation. Their march from the
station to the Town Hall and from the
Town Hall TO the point of embarkation
was nothing less than triurnpnal prog
ress.
The American Line steamship New
York, with a larSet party of sightseers on
board, left Southampton at five o'clock
yesterday evening and took up the po-
sition assigned to her in the line OF special
merchant vessels. off Ryde. AS the
American greyhound traversed the lines
of British warships, with the Stars and
Stripes flying proudly and a fine band
playing national airs. each warship dipped
her flag and she was greeted with, hearty
cheers from the many thousands of blue
jackets manning the feet. As the New
York passed the German warship koenig
Wilhelm the latters band played Hail
: Columbia - 80
The naval craft present in the Solent
flew about 200 penants-a number which
but for the size and Importance of the
vessels, would have seemed lost in the
crush of attending steamers and yachts
craft of every possible description in
every possible condition from the great
Atlantic and Australian liners, cross
channel packets. Norway excursion
steamers. Mediterranean cruisers, old
yachts. dainty electric launches and fish
ermen'sN dinghyS, venturesome canoes
and many a rowboat filled with wharf
rats.
The decorations of the shipping hotch-
pctch were as variegated as the crafts
they adorned. The stately liners were
is possible in ships and the long string
flags from stem to taffrail showed up
very effectively against the morning sky.
The smart yachts were daintily behagged
but not much could be said for the rest.
1t was therefore a great relief for the
eye when, at eight O'Clock on signal from
the Renown Admiral Ss Sir Rs Roweh Sal
war vessel perfect eruption of color.
Each ship spread every stitch of bunting
it ossessed-streamers from every spar
and rainbows over all. The flags were
mainly signals of the international and
naval codes and their multiform colors
added very perceptibly to an ensemble
: which was as striking as it was theatri-
cal.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by
Admiral H. r. H. the Duke of Saxe-Co-
burg and Gotha and Captain H. r. H.
the Duke of York. the Princess of Wales
and, other Royalties. with their suites, ar
rived at Portsmouth at one o'clock. The
party, Immediately proceeded on board the
Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, in
which forty-one years ago Her Majesty
inspected the. fleet, whereupon Her Royal
4 HighnessS standard was hoisted After
lunching on board at 2;30, the Victoria and
Albert, with the principal Royalties, left
the harbor for Spithead.
She was followed by the yacht Irene,
the Pando, the Carthage and the Elfin,
an Admiralty yacht these vessels carry
ing the distinguished foreign visitors.
atty yacht, with the Hon. George J.
Goschen, First Lord of the Admiralty,
and after her the Admiralty's yacht
retary of State for the Colonies and the
Colonial Premiers. She was followed by
the Eldorado, carrying the Ambassadors
and special envoys, including the Hon.
Whitelaw Reid. Then came the Danube
with the members of the House OF
Lords, the Campania, with the mem
bers q. the House Of Commons, and the
Fire Queen, the yacht of the Commander.
fn-Chief at Portsmouth.
AS the Albert and Victoria was seer
approaching. the fleet. led by the Renowr
s and echoed by the foreign vessels present
fired deafening Royal salute of twenty.
one guns simultaneously the Blue-jack-
cts and marines manned ships" stand
ing on the ironcIads in solid lines rount
their outer edges and filling their tops
Wilde on vessels of the older type the
yards fwere quickly dotted. 1t was very
theatrical and interesting. TheVictoris
and Albert followed by the other yachts
then Uteamed through the lines the
sailorT heartily cheering, the bands play
ing "Qod Save the Queen The Victoria
and albert afterward anchored between
che Rlenown and the foreign vessels. I'm
mediately the steam launches of the
foreign commanders left the sides of theil
big ships and made for the Victoria ant
Albert, on the quarterback of which tn.
co.pH handing officers were received by ths
fe of Wales.
orer d ended the review.
lNakiW Royal yachts then returned tt
n aufasmouth.
q. III cr dinner His Royal Highness' an(
las4 ~ will come out again to the flee
Dol pfiness the illuninations.
dim en- Victoria ascended the throne tht
:, Us of England were wooden. There
ii y no steel battleships, no iron cruisers
yjssIe expansion engines no Steam II
ise "a war vessels, no search lights. Mt
tectrjctty in the service of man, ne
!; sat or quick-fring guns, no torpedoes
Y.a,s lights aboard were still lit witt
s.:llt and steel and were no more brilliant
Ian whale oil could make them; The
guns were still fired with slow match
the three decker was still the model Of
All that was worthy in naval architec
ture, and tonnage was reckpned within
sucsi modest limits that vessel of more
than 5000 was looked upon as a marine
wonder Never before, therefore, has
sovereign seen such changes in the bull