The sun., 1897-04-28
WITH THE FIGHTING SHIPS.
,IL THE PORT IN GALA DRESS FOR
THE FLOATING SNOW.

nm where tho Fleet Lay They walled Tn Three
sales or water with BunttnE-A Thunder
On. salute from thc Double Iine the
po,phin Boro tho President Down Between.
7, was memorable day afloat. A fierce
h-cezc cnmo out of tho northwest, It's back
covered with furry CLOUDS and its claws In tho
-,tor of river and bay. The masses OF foam and
snoondritt that 1t ripped out Of the racing waves
tairly yhitened tho whole harbor. The breath
otit caught the smoke from the tunnels and the
S,eom from the oxhausts OF the harbor craft and
lore them into fragments before they had passed
re- the rails OF tho vessels they came from.
r,e scafaring folk who came to tho piers to take
mart In the marine parade found the gale there
~ Olyo them cooling welcome, with now and
,bsn dash Of spray to add cost to what the
wind was doing.
pnt once tho marinersfor>the day got clear of
the pier heads whatever discomfort they might
have felt at first was lost in wonder and adj
miration at the display of bunting to be seen
along tho water front Rarely. II ever, have
,hipnasters and pier superintendonts made
,uch efforts to fill the air with oolors. On the
East River. from tho bridge to Old slip, where
the sailing craft lie In groves, tho spars
vc-e covered with such masses of
woven foliage as might, perhaps be
compared to tho hillside groves Of tho
Hudson in autumn. The tall-sparred Yankee
slysail clippers at and near tho foot Of Wall
street were especially conspicuous by their dis
pays OF ensgns and signals. II there was
seeming break in the display about the foot of
Broad street and Whitehall it was only because
the hasstafrs on tho capal boats and tugs were
not lofty enough to attract the eye. But fine as
was the East River display. it could not compare
with whas was to be seen on turning up
the North River. Here, in the times Of other
nautical parades, the people in charge
of piers and ships seemed to have been
taking lessons in decorating in order to make q
perfect picture for yesterday. From tho peaks
Of almost every pier house long ropes strung
with flags OF every hue, were stretched to the
snubbing posts at the corners OF tho piers.
There were flags on fagstaffs as we'll, of course.
and In few cases. lines Of flags wero strung
above the roofs. More gorgeous still were tho
vessels beside tho piers Nearly every one was
dressed in rainbow fashion-a line of flags from
the stem to the taffrail-and some sported flags
on their yards and even made fast to standing
rigging. while rails and deckhouses were in
some cases covered.
1t was the vast quantity Of bunting that at
tracted the eye rather than any particular
characteristic Of design; and in this the water
front below Twenty-third street was never moro
striking.
At lo:45 o'clock the floral and arboreal light
house neeC was Scon coming up ITOn StaUon
Island-s tiny white squadron when compared
with the war fleet but every ono as beautiful az
ayacht, and all handled as II In the charge Of
naval veterans.
At tho head of the procession was the Almeria
and following her came the Azalia, tho Zitania,
the Lilac. the Maple and the Myrtle. At inter
walls Of 800 yards they steamed against the wind,
each with futtering rainbow Of signals from
stem TO stern, and with Old Glory at each mast
head and above the taffrail
Those in the excursion fleet following this
squadron up the North River found the stretches
of both shores Of remarkable interest. On tho
city side, above the piers moro crowded with
ships, one might see that the houses lining the
side streets as well as those overlooking the
water were decorated with flags. On the Jersey
side, too, the scattered dwellings were decked
out, and these where set among tho trees that
were Just showing tho frat tint OF green. were
especially conspicuous,
where foothoid overlooking the line Of march
were well filled, but, the ,shiverins blast from
over the water seemed to have kept the bleach
And then the war fleet was reached. Never
dd S9h 6 %
flag carried there by ships as at as these.
THE ANCHORED FLEEr.
just opposite the tomb. on the New York
side. and swinging TO the ebb tide, lay the
covered with bunting that one had to. look
twice to see that the big blue flag Of tho
an her LAY SSPsS SsS ed Sad her aSo Tsh ~he
ensign OF the English navy at her taffrail and
Old Glory at the fore truck and a rainbow of
Tugging at their cables still further astern in
the line lay the yellow. ensigned Infanta Isabel
less conspicuous in their decorations were these
than the others, while the Fulton, with the tri-
the order named completed this line. were as
handsome II smaller than all the rest. So
stretched the line adjoining the New York shore.
clusively Of Uncle Sans ships. The Maine was at
the head and behind her were the Indiana, the
low.lying monitors Amphitrite and Terror. 1t
was a snow.white fleet. and the bunting bios
somed above the snow on stems and branches
that reached high in the air. 1t was a feet to
excite the pride Of every Yankee who saw It;
ahead f of the New f York ks and the Form ahead Of
covered almost mile and a half Of the river.
there were two other fleets that Joined the other.
The one was the lighthouse feet already noted.
while "a long line Of revenue outteTsHsleeE. white.
yacht,like vessels armed with wicked little
brass howi,zers in others, lay below the line that
MIi,,a Mss headed by the Maine. These included the
WHOM ind Wh these TO ensSen os
the lines OF warships there was q stretch of
%nter three miles long that was walled in by
cliffs OF bunting.
Nor was all the life afoat to be found In tho
nutterlnB coors the moving men on tho
government ships. The yacht Golden Rod
decked with rainbow and with her rail a wido
mass or bunting, was cruising about; 30 was the
oneida beautifully dressed; 80 was the Buc-
cancer. while tho great schooner.rigged Sui
lana, with her three masts carrying enough
bunting TO make suit of sails, was at anchor
Just west OF the despatch boat Fern.
AND there were a few-yery few-sloops and
;sSsseosts that with snygreeied canvas bTaYed
down from the Palisades while here and there
aIsN aroW6oat rose and plunged and tumbled about
boat Porter lshe Is said to be really of bottle
green. though she doesn't look it, camo shooting
{hrouRh the fleet. flying the "hveof-clubs" !"
miral Bunce.
EXCURSION FLEET ARRIVES.
AFTER IL o'clock many of tho tugs and eXcur-
sion boats that were announced to form part of
tne merchant ships parade began to arrive
sngy. All of these were dec5ed out In the most
known I'm he harh al unrg