Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-05

querOr returning to his triumph Of
barbaric splendor; no victorious king
or prince coming home from successful
war ever received such magnificent
ovation as overwhelmed Admiral Dew
ey Friday as he stood on the bridge of
the Olympia at the head of the mag
nificent fleet Of steel thunderers of the
deep, followed by a thousand vessels
of peace, each TERED and coated black
with people, and sailed over the bright
waters OF the upper bay up the broad
pathway of the sunlit river, whose
banks were gay with millions Of flags
and streamers dancing in the wind
The sky was blue, the water rippled
under a fresh wind that held out the
flags straight and jaunty, and the
wharves, piers, rocky heights and
grassy knobs were black with frantic
enthusiastic people, who strived weak
ly to make their shouts heard above
the perfect bedlam of footing whistles
that accompanied the admiral ashore
or af1Oat. AS the tomb of Gen. Grant
on Riverside drive was reached the
feet paid its tribute to the memory of
the great warrior with a naval salute
of q roaring guns. The fleet then
anchored and reviewed the almost
endless procession of craft that steamed
past, all so burdened with
humanity that they looked as if they
would turn turtle before they got back
to their ports. Toward the end the pa
rade became disorganizd and it took
hours for the Heterogeneous fiotilla to
get by. Darkness at last brought relief
to the tired admiral who stood on the
bridge for six hours bowling his ac-
acknowledgements to the stentorian ex-
preston of homage. New York has
never witnessed before anything ap-
preaching this wonderful and remark
able, demonstration. It is not beyond
the mark to say that three million peO-
pie viewed the pageant from the shore
and quarter of million were afioat.
POple who went down the bay were
lost in admiration of the display of
bunting along the water front On
East river from the bridge to the bat
terry, where sailing craft lie in groves,
color as might be compared to a maple
grown hillside in deep autumn. But
the display in East river was not to be
compared with that of North river, up
which the procession was to pass.
FrcntS were decorated with multitudes
of gay devices. The wind shook the
banners from millions of windows,
mr.,
haps in this generation did hearts that
love it bound so quickly at
the sight of the flag. Very
early the fleet of steamships,
steamboats,, yachts and tugs which
were to have place in line, began NOV
ing down the bay to the allotted points
where several divisions were to form,
but many of them could not resist the
temptation to first visit the anchorage
Of men Of war off Tompkinsville Be-
fore II o'clock the Olympia was sur
rounded by perfect mob of every kind
of craft all swanming with people cir
cling round, or pushing their noses
close up under the ship to get a
glimpse Of the admiral pacing the
sion boats played and whistle sirens of
other craft made the air hideous by
their shrieks. They kept coming,
in pairs of half dozens, until they lay
a dozen deep, resisting the charges of
patrol boats in their determination to
get up within shouting distance. Their
recklessness was amazing. It was
wi ~ not no
boats could clear a passage for the ad-
miral's launch when he went off to
return the official visit of the
mayor at noon. When he did
step into his launch the
patriotic shippers afoat grabbed their
whistle cords and made the hills echo.
Meantime the vessels to take part IN
the parade were massing over near the
Long Island shore, until that side of
the harbor became a tangle of stacks
of flags and framework far as the eye
could reach. The grassy slopes of
Forts Wadsworth and Hamilton and
the wharves and shores of Staten ISL
and were covered with sightseers
watching fleets below.
ready for the start, their FURNISHED
metals flaming in the sun, their sides1
white as virgin snow. The officers of |
the fleet did not wear their snowy uni !
forms but were attired in special I'M
dress" There were no gold epaulets, |
no gold bound beavers, no Gathering of |
swords aboard. There was by the ad-
ir>o1 g darc o1H 70
many evidences of his unique modesty. !
Immediately after Admiral Dewey |
returned from Sandy Hook the order |
was signalled for the feet to get under |
way. The gangway was hauled up and |
the booms rugged. An old quarter
master hurried with small dark roll |
of bunting to the main hand over fist. |
Then, just as the signal to weigh was
given, pull on the halyard opened the
roll which spread out the four-starred
flag which Farragut flew as he ran past
the fort in New Orleans. It was the flag
which was presented to Admiral
Dewey. As it broke, sailors at their
stations and marines in quarter deck.
greeted it with a lusty Hip, Hip,
The flag foated proudly all
through the pageantry. 1t is most
precious to Farragut's pupil and when
it is struck Monday it will probably be
forever, as it is altogether unlikely
Dewey will ever command another
fleet. 1t was exactly IL o'clock when
the fleet began to move Dewey
went upon the after bridge as
soon as the start was made,
and remained there through