The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-21
The Grim Fighting Machines LOOmed
High Above the Smaller Craft
LED BY SIMPSONS FLAGSHIP
The New York, Flying the Rear Admi-
rails Flag, Led the Stately Pros
ccssion-Eyery Available Point
OF Vantage Was Occupied
By Enthusiastic Thou
sands OF sight Seers.

NEW YORK, August 2o.-lIundfeds OF
thousands OF people along the banks OF
the Hudson and thousands on all styles
of river craft blended their shouts Ia
royal welcome to the returned North Al
lautic. .saEsdsap under command OF Rear
ADMIRAL sampson. and as hne an August
dav as could be desired was natures TIL
butte to the return OF the yictors. For
almost three hours steam whistles OF all
sizes. steam sirens and email guns along
the shores. shrieked and doomed in the
effort TO display the heartfelt enthusiasm
for the home coming OF the naval heroes
with their battle-scarred ships.
THE BIG FIGHTERS.
Early in the morning the seven Dig
shlps-the New York Iowa. INDIANA.
Brooklyn Massachusetts, oregon ana
Texas-iav ln New York bay just on
TomDklnsylle. Staten Island. There was
no idea with Admiral Sampson that NeW
York was prepared for rousing recep-
ti0n. bus the news was brought shoruy
BIZ a tug from the navy yard. ana an OF
the ships OF the squadron We're immedl-
ateiv put under preparations for dress
review. By o'clock the big, dull look
ing fighting ships, looming high above the
uictures0ue confusion OF smaller craft
which had come down 20 get glimpse
OF them. were ready for movement.
Strung out along thelr decks IN long,
regular lines were the white uniformed
jackies. wiih here and there a blue coat
ed officer. all strongly contrasted against
the sombre. lead-colored armor OIL the
ships.
ur.r, al. IIur for che start came. IL
looked as If it would bee impossible for
the great ships to make their way
through the perfect jam OF river crat'.
Vessels OF an descriptions, from mo
smallest steam launch 10 the great ocean
liner were. banked around the squadron
Cheers and shouts of welcome rose from
every deck. aud the boats Whistles an
folned i'm the shout Ot welcome. Suuueu-
iv tbere was "a movement on the flagship
New York and the big vessel started ioF-
ward with 20 slow stately glide she was
Immediately followed by the other SIX
ships I'M the following order Iowa, IN
diana BROOKLYN. Massachusetts, oregon
and Texas IL was some time before Inc
vessels could get into review formation
but hv the time the New Norks pro"
came I'm lire with Governors Island, the
other ships had formed i'm regular line.
THE FIRST SALUTE.
The start was made accompanied py
tremendous cheering, screechlnB voices
and booming cannon From castle VIII
u.r came the first salute. IL was mere
~ a flash OF bright red, which was imme-
diately smOthered I'm a sheet Of smoke
berors the denotation was heard. Then
came the roar across the waters, ana
the shlps headed right in the river on
the way TO General Grants tomb. All
along the line on piers. sheds houses
and every possible point of vantage, peo-
pie were packed The river crait crowd
ing the Warships close, were jdmmed
with passengers. sinking the sides OF the
vessels almost to their guard rails on
one side. giving the impression that even
the ships themselves bowed In union
salute 20 the returned naval heroes. me
width Of the Hudson river was strug-
Cling huttering, dartins mass or color
confusion and cheers
AS the vessels moved further up the
river. the water which had been calm
at the battery was churned by the ac-
ton Of the hundreds o. steamers ana
waves dashed over the small boats and
sheets OF spray dampened the passengers
on the lower decks Of the larger steam
ers.
ENTHUSIASM GREW.
As the grim-lO0king battleships moved
up the river the crowds became denser,
and the enthusiasm more marked. At
Riverside drive. with It's steep. grassy
slope. the scene was Ike vast ampnl-
theatre Tens OF thousands Of persons
covered &he green slope and as the bat
tleships approached a mighty cheer
arose that reverberated back and forth
across the Hudson. At the bottom OF
the slope. an observation train crawled
lazily along. keeping even with the SHIPS;
above this the vast sea OF humanity
and. crowning this. General Grants tomb
which was 10 mark the beginning OF the
return OF the squadron, where h@'i0H.li