The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-16

miles in width, and there is so to 80
feet Of water a couple or ndr
yards from the shore. All the space
along the water front for WI miles
is owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio
and is a park in grass, with many
trees. On the wide strip are a casino
and other buildings. Your correspond
ent urged one of the capitalists to Sc
cure the building Of HI observatory, to
fly the flag by day and to show
a crown of electric lights at night.
From this observatory Norfolk and
Old Point and scores of miles Of that
fair and smiling country could be seen
The best view of the shipyard Is to
be had from the bluff near it, for the
town is high above the water. There
can be seen the Kearsarge and Ken
lucky, the win battleships which were
launched the same day. On the ways
and nearly ready for launching is an
other battleship, the Wisconsin. The
Kearsarge and Kentucky, it was said,
could be made ready to receive their
guns and equipment in a couple Of
months, perhaps even earlier. But 1t
was said the guns would not be ready
in several months, perhaps five or six
Big as the battleships appear when
n looks at them from above on the
bluff, they are vast beyond descrip-
tlO1 Wnen one enters the ydTO anu
goes aboard. They are each Of II, 500
tons. And some Of the new ones which
are to be built will be bigger still
400 tons. The lifting cranes or der
ricks move through a wide area, their
arms projecting far out each way.
These life 120 tons. One Of them is the
largest in the United States.
GENERAL GRANTS CAMP.
Along the bluff further northward
there is another reminder of war. 1t
is the camp of General Fred. Grants
brigade Of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylva-
MIA and Kentucky troops-infantry,
cavalry and artillery. It is a swelter-
ing day. Not a tree, not a shrub,
gives shade. The dus is in clouds. The
tents are no longer white but a dirty,
rusty brown. Here are the headquar-
ter tents of General Grant, and here
comes that officer himself, riding in
ar ambulance, and accompanied by his
wife and son. He is dressed in the
brown linen uniform, which is erroni-
ously called khaki cloth'-which it is
not at all, as KHAKI is made from a
of grass n is many times bet
ter than this stuff which is passed off
for it. General Grant walks very like
his distinguished father, but is taller
and %stouter He lives in the dust and
heat, as his men do.
War is rough work and so is this
preliminary part of it, needlessly
rough many will say. For these troops
did not know when they would leave.
The artillery and the cavalry were
going on the transports, but the in
fantry stayed there two weeks. The
enlisted men were all in the little shell
teS tents, of which each man carries a
half and one pole. These tents are
o 3R feet high and as the thou
sands of men moved about among
them, in the dust. they looked ike
giants. On one fam Of the camp were
the wagon trains. The wagons are
good. They are just like those in use
in the civil war and the mules are
just as devilish. The wagons have
narrow tires, a great mistake. The
mules are fine beasts. These soldiers
had for a couple Of months been at
Camp Thomas, at Chickamauga. Their
one thought was getting away to Por-
to Rico.
While some Of these troops were
uniform it vas noticeable that most
wore the heavy blue flannel. The
poured from them and
they were sunburned as dark as Gu
Wooden trousers n blOuSeS
and shirts are not fit for wear in the
blistering heat, but the issue has gone
just the same, at a cost of say $3.50
per man, when the brown linen is Of
fered at only $3.50. The equipment does
nOt begin to compare with that Of Eng
liSh troOjS in service in hot. climates.
The troops wear campaign hats, while
the u helmet is far better, as the
English have discovered.
The mex point is Danville, Va, and
the route is northward to Washing
ton, through the ever beautiful valley
national flag is seen all the way along
route. In city n town, at facto-
rieS inc at farm houses it shows the
beauty of it's colors. The
valley is always prosperous. Its farm
ers have made much money by the rise
in wheat. 1t costs them something like
40 cents per bushel to raise it. Any
thing above that is profit.
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
Washington is always fair to see,
though a particularly dry sum-
mer has slightly withered it's trees. The
all-pervading smell Of the universal
asphalt pavement is as pungent as
that of seaside flats at low tide and
makes n think of death and decay.
The street cars now equal anything
this earth affords in the way of loco
motives. While other places are dis
cussing the underground electric sys-
tenn Washington has it. There are no
bell ropes to pull as a stopping signal.
An electric button beside the seat is
pressed and the signal is made.
The congressional library is now
Washington's great attraction. 1t in
this respect completely overshadows
the capitol 1t can arouse the pride and
enthusiasm of the most lethargic
Washingtonian and he will assure you
that it is the finest library in all the
world, hat it's architecture and it's in
terror adornment are a monument to
art. The colors Of the paint
ings have all the richness which char
Egyptian art. The Washing
tonian will tell you that time will tone
down these colors and make them per-
feet. A day spent in the library is
more than worth the cost and trouble
of a journey to Washington.