Evening star., 1898-08-20

Captain F. ]. Higginson; Oregon. battle
ship, Captain a. S. Barker.
The First salute.
The New York was flying Rear Admiral
Sampscn's blue flag, with two white stars:
her decks were crowded with her white
clad crew, VINO lined up silently, observing
the animated scene. At 9:24 Fort Hamil-
ton fired the opening gun of the salute, the
firing being very deliberate; Fort Wads-
worth followed.
When Fort Hamilton fred the first gun
d small uaphtha launch. flying a white
flag, with the words Lambs fired .he
second gun of greeting directly under the
bows of the flagship and then darted off.
The flagship broke out with a signal which
was uninteIligibe to the lay observer, but
it was probably an order to return the
salute, which was obeyeG by the Iowa
The bluff shores of Staten Island were
crowded with people cheering and waving
flags; bunting was flying from every flag
staff innumarable craft crowded with
eager pas SengerS were cheering and wav-
ing frantically.
The folders crowded the embankment of
the forts, cheering and shouting. Smoke
from The forts hun & over the water, but
was soon dispelled by the light breeze The
the Narrows, cityward, densely crowded
with passengers, which careened the
steamer over IL q frightful manner. but
the hag-decked craft Gid not stop her speed
V
her way. Yachts, tugs, sailing craft and
ocean steamers added attraction TO the
marine picture.
She Led the Fleet.
The steam yacht Eleanor, covered with
flags from the tip of her jib boom over the
three masts to the taffrail and from each
masthead on both sides to the rails, led the
fleet. Health Officer Doty ran alongside of
the flagship New York, and after a brief
conversation with the surgeon, who re-
ported AL well throughout the squadron -
the fleet continued ON without abating their
slow pace.
The Brooklyn, in passing. did not display
the flag of Rear Admiral Schley. Her CEN
ter funnel was seen to have a shot through
the starboard sides. The Brooklyn was
flying her battle ensigns which looked
stained and frayed, as if they had seen
plenty of service.
As the squadron approached Tonpkins-
Vile the New York saluted the battle ship
Texas, which lay at anchor flying the flag
Of Commodore Philip. and the salute was
returned by the Texas.
The fleet slowly assembled off Tompkins-
Vile and then proceeded up toward the
North river in the same order with the
Texas in the rear. accompanied by an i'm
merse crowd of river craft, leaving the
ST. Paul at anchor at her usual station off
TOmpkInsville.
While the fleet was passing in thu Mar
rows two explosions on the surface of the
water near Fort Wadsworth. presumably
of loose gun cotton or other explosive shot
up immense columns of water about n hun
dred feet high, which added to the novelty
OF the occasion. The parade. which COM
menced at the Narrows at $50 o'clock was
continued at Tompkinsville and at 1O:30
the Texas, the last of the seven war ves-
sells, took her place In line, the full length
of which extended from Governor Island
to Tompkinsville.
Passed the Eattery.
Amid a discord which has never been
equaled here, and with the great acclana-
tions of the multitudes along the Battery
V all. the flagship New York passed the
Battery at 10.45 o'clock. 1t seemed as if
every possible contrivance for making
noise had started up at once in one tre-
mendous SOUND. Whistles footed men
howled themselves hoarse, fog horns. bells
and every conceivable kind of ear-spltting
instrument started off
There was no salute by the forts, but
when the New York passed Governors
Island the same guns that belched forth
at Santiago sounded again. Then the
Brooklyn, the flagship Cf Rear Admiral
Schley. saluted And the mu,tituGes
Each warship as she passed Governors
Island gave the salute, but in the din that
ensueG 1t was almost impossible to Gistin-
guish the salutes from the battery.
Tha Texas got an ovation she passed
the Battery. The crowd SGrged around to-
ward the north side of the park as the
ships passed. but although there was tre-
menGOUs crush, no one was injured. The
citizens committee ship the Glen Island,
was abreast Of the New York as the Bat
terry was passed. From the warships Off
GERS and sailors waved their hands to the
enthusiastic spectators.
over 5000 men, women and children
shouted, chaered and then sang the Star
Spangled Banner in one mighty chorus as
the fleet passed the Christopher street
recreation pier, at II o'clock. 1t was an in
spring scene, with ali the whistles footing,
the bands Cn the boats playing and the
thousands of people singing on the pier.
Packed With People.
There was an internal din from both the
New York side and the Weehawken and
New York passed 42d street, at Ills
o'clock. The piers along the New York side
were literally packed with people. who
cheered Justify. The lofty cliffs of Wee
hawken seemed to act as a mighty sound
ing board, and sent back in vibration and
the din and clatter and
shouts of the people.
1t was a picturesque sight to see the
CT est of the Weehawken heights fringed
with people, who stood out in sharp out
line against the sky. And when they shout
marionettes.
When the feet passed this point the long
row of factories from 32d street up the
river let off the pent-up steam reserved for
this purpose. The whistles of the factories
drowned everything else. The windows of
the factories were filled with people, who
added to the din. Howard Goulds yacht
Niagara was off the shore at this point,
and there a tremendous cheer from
this and other yachts.
The noise of the acclamations down
stream notified the people at the lower end
of Riverside Park that the fleet was COM
ing. The New York was abreast of the
sloping, grassy banks of the park at Ii %
o'clock. Then Lieut.. Kohler of the second
battery gave the signal, and two field guns
doomed. They kept booming until the fleet
had passed
A large number of people thought that
the parade would be delayed, and the side
streets leading to the southern end of the
park from SSth street down were crowded
with people leisurely walking along. When
they heard the guns boom there was mad
stampede of men, women and children to-
ward the river front. 1t looked like vast
army on the double quick. The booming e
the guns was a signal for a great on. hurst