The Portland daily press., 1898-05-02
THE MINNEAPOLIS WAS HERE.
How the Great Cruiser Steamed Into
the Harbor Saturday Afternoon.

Offcers Talked Freely, But Did Got say
How Long They Would Stay or When
They Would Go-The Ship Sailed at 6.5o
O'Clock Sunday Morning.
More like November. than an April,
day, with great riffs in the heavy laden
clouds through which could be discerned
strips Of blue sky and fitful CLEANS OF
sunshine, such was Saturday afternoon
when the United States cruiser Minneap-
oils was sighted by the Observatory OF
Seguin. A stiff wind was blowing, but
it was off shore, and the sea looked
smooth in comparison to what it has been
for the past few days. The dark back
ground of wind-clouds. and the bright
CLEANS of sunshine brought out the cruiser
in bold relief to the spectator standing on
Fort Allen park and gazing at the rapid
ly approaching vessel. This almost SINH
lar color of wave and vessel harmonized
perfectly. the brighter color Of the water
accentuating the great hull of the Mime
apolis, as, with the black smoke stream
ing far behind her from the twoaEgreat
tunnels, she came along like race horse,
every minute increasing her size as she
approached the city until her noble proper
tions were perfectly visible. Her course
was back of Cushings island to ship
could be clearly discerned silhouetted by
the bright sunlight on the black clouds.
On she came, the sharp PROV tossing. the
waves on either SIDE in clouds of foam.
AS the ship neared ship channel the CLINT
of the bayonets of the marine sentries,
and the bright points where the sun was
reflected from the buttons and gold laced
caps of the officers, who occupied the
bridge of the cruiser and paced up and
down the decks could be clearly discerned
The cruiser came to off the entrance to
ship channel, just beyond the point on
which stands Fort Preble, evidently wait
ing for pilot to bring her in past the
mines and torpedoes that line the harbor.
There was not large number of wish
| tors to the park for but few knew that
| the Minneapolis was due here. 1t was in
| teresting to hear the comments as one
after another came on the ground and
| sighted the ship. The first corners who
arrived declared that she was q Spanish
warship, and wanted to know what the
officers at Fort Preble and Portland Head
were thinking of that they did not defend
the city. One lady became almost hyster-
ical and was not treasured until informed
by rough looking bystander that she
| needn't feol troubled as the ship was the
Paris that had been looked for 80 long
| and was said to have arrived off the coast
Few seemed to have any knowledge that
| the Minneapolis was expected. although
the fact had been bulletined by the pa
pers, but perhaps as most of those present
were ladies, the lack of information was
not so strange.
| Just after the Minneapolis hove to off
the mouth of the harbor white steam
launch started for the shore and the way
she cut through ship channel and the up
per harbor was a caution. She came
along as swift as a bird and was last seen
making for Custom house wharf. After
the ship hove to each car brought addi-
tional recruits to the Park and the crowd
waited in the stiff cold wind to see
whether the cruiser would enter the
harbor or whether she would proceed to
would enter the harbor and stay several
days. Several of the later arrivals
brought their cameras hoping to secure
good views of Uncle Sans crack ship
| 1t was little after four O'Clock when
the Minneapolis dropped her anchor of
Fort Gorges and swung around in the
heavy wind until she was headed about
north. With her war paint on the big
cruiser is not handsome vessel. She
looks far more formidable and awe in,
spring as she now is than she appears in
times Of peace and even her long nosed
rifles which peep out from her barbettes
are painted nasty gray color in keeping
with the rest of the ship. From her two
stacks the black smoke was belching in
clouds while the deck was covered with
cinders and the handsome cutters and
whale boats stored inboard were covered
with canvass and hidden from view. On
the quarter deck three marine orderlies
were pacing slowly to and fro, wrapped
in the blue overcoats. A few officers in
pea coats paced back and forth on the
superstructure viewing the distant shore
in wistful way and undoubtedly long
ing to set foot on terra firlna for short
time, if only to relieve the terrible monot
ony OF life on board ship. Forward OF
the superstructure crowds of blue jackets
In soiled white working suits were gath
cred watching the boats along side and
keeping their eyes turned shoreward.
AS soon as the Minneapolis appeared of
the harbor Commander Thomas Perry, U.
S. NJ, boarded the lighthouse steamer
Myrtle which was laying in wait for him