The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-17
THE SQUADRON.
Scenes Of the Arrival Last Eve.
ming.
MOST POWERFUL FLEET EVER IN
THE HARBO2.
How They Appeared and Where They An
chored-List of Ofacers-Great Interest

How They Appeared and Where They An
chored-List of OfHcers-Great Interest
in the Event.
"Where are the warships?'' was the uni
versal question yesterday afternoon, Peo-
pie on the islands, on the Cape shore and
in the city contented themselves with
this question. But the tars ON the water
front went into the question deeper.
l"I'Il tell YOU" said one old salt on the
seat near the barge office, known as
Sailors Repose, they'll not be in to-
night. The fog is thick as yer hat outside.
They'll stan off n on till it clears.
Another was equally positive that they
would come in if they could "p1ck up
the land
So the debate went on all the afternoon.
opinions were still current, when little
boy who was watching the observatory
through the barge office telescope, began
to dance about and shout "They are COM
ing! The war ships are comingi''
1t was true. The observer had hoisted
the American flag with the blackball be-
Meath; and this always means that an
American man-ofwar is coming in.
At once the word was passed from the
barge Office to the sailors on the wharf
and by them shouted from wharf to
wharf At the same time people began
to appear on the headlands of the Cape,
on the shores of the island, and on the
IN a.
the black ball had been read by hundreds
of people almost as soon as it had been
hoisted.
1t was 81 minutes past O'Clock before
the prov of the leading vessel was dis
cerned coming into view by the Cape
shore. although the smoke had been seen
long before. The leading vessel was the
Puritan,i although she is not the flagship.
AS the powerful monitor, with her two
turrets, and low deck, just rising above
the water, passed across the lower harbor
she was greeted with whistles from the
harbor craft and shouts from those on
the wharves. The Puritan is of the same
general design as the Miantonomah,
which was here two or three years ago;
but is somewhat larger. The Puritan is
5000 tons. She is of somewhat lighter
draft than some of the battleships, and it
may be that she was sent ahead in order
to anchor further in the harbor than the
others would care to venture.
1t was five minutes to six before the
masts of the second vessel were discerned
over the Cape shore.
sShe is big one, was the exclama-
tion along the wharves. as the tall mast
with signals flying, was discerned over
the tree tops on the Cape. Soon the noble
ship was seen coming out from behind
the point, and at 6.05 p. m. the flagship
New York, with Admiral Sicard on
board, was fairly in the harbor, steaming
for her anchorage.
The almost constant soundings of
whistles were by this time floating up
the harbor, as salutes were given by va
rious harbor craft and replied to by the
fleet, now following quite closly at the
heels of the flagship.
With the islands for back ground the
great ship loomed up to the full express
sion of her magnificent proportions. All
that the art and science of the Nine
teenth century can do in naval architec-
ture, with three million dollars, was in
this protected cruiser.
AS the New York moved up the harbor,
three tall yellow smokestacks came into
view. These marked the swift and pow
erful cruiser Brooklyn, which followed