Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-10-06
THE CONQUERING HERO.
MORE THAN 5000, 900 OF PATRIOTIC
AMERICANS WELCOME DEWEY.
The Naval Parade Unequa1ed in the An
mails of HistOry---The Magnificent Land
Pnrade---Dewey's sfodesty Was Striking
Iy Impressive.

is.urned to his triumph of barbaric
splendor; no victorious king or prince
coming home from successful war
ever received such magnificent well
come as that which overwhelmed Ad-
miral Dewey as he stood on the bridge
of the Olympia Friday at the head of a
magnificent fleet Of steel thunderers of
the deep followed by thousand
vesselsof peace, each tlered and coated
black with people and sailed over the
bright waters Of the upper bay and up
the broad pathway of the sunlit river,
whose banks were gray with millions
of flags and streamers dancing in the
wind
The sky was blue, the water rippled
under the fresh wind that held out
flags straight and jaunty and the
warves and piers and rocky heights and
grassy knolls were black with frantic,
enthusiastic people who strived weak
" to make their shouts heard above
the perfect bedlam Of footing whistles
that accompanied the admiral ashore
and afoat. AS the tomb Of Gen.
Grant on Riverside Drive was reached,
the feet paid it's tribute to the memory
of the great warrior with national
salute of twenty one roaring guns.
The fleet then anchored and reviewed
the almost endless procession of craft
that steamed past also burdened with
humanity that they looked as if they
would turn turtle before they got back
to their piers. Toward the end the
parade became disorganized and 1t took
hours for the heteroenous hotilla to
get by. Darkness ct last brought relief
the bridge for six hours bowling his
acknowledgements to the stentorian
expression Of homage.
1t was exactly 1 O'Clock the hour
fixed for the start, when the feet with
anchor short here began to move.
The ships had swung to the food tide
and were pointing down stream. They
faced about as on pivots and headed for
the Hudson, followed by the long lnie
of vessels in civic parade.
When the ships had Strengthened out
for their journey across the upper bay,
the spectacle they made will ever be
treasured in the memory of those who
saw it.
In advance of the Olympia was doub-
lie line of patrol and ritieboats, Iilli-
pultian fleet clear the way of unofficial
trespassers 1t did not require much
persuasion either, as the shippers had
o wholesale respect for the steel rams
of the mighty sea monsters. On the
port beam of the Olympia as the es-
corting ship Sandy Hook with the
mayor and other dignitaries aboard and
In her wake at intervals of 400 yards
stretched out a mile long, were the
towering warships, the armored cruis
or New York. the battleships Indiana
and Massachusetts, cruiser Brooklyn,
second class battleship Texas, the old
wooden Lancaster and the Chicago, flag
ship Of the South Atlantic squadron.
On each quarter of the New York
was the black lowlined torpedo boats,
three on each flank. The rest of the
procession trailed out Cor miles. Slow
and majestically the procession moved.
Admiral Dewey went up On the after
bridge as soon as the start was made
and remained there throughout the
parade. a heroic figure outlined against
the skies for the thousands afioat and
shore With him on the bridge most
of the time was Col. Bartlett, to whom
he talked when not acknowledge
ing the salutes or directing the move
ments Of his immense fleet and the
admiral gave close attention through
out the journey to everything which
transpired on board the vessel. BY
his direction the ensign was cou"tesied
to vessels which saluted Several times
be orderd the crew to stand by to cheer
in answer to some extraordinary dem
onstration.
The guns of the Olympia spoke but
once until Grants tomb was reached.
That was when they barked in answer
to the deep baying of the gums Of Fort
William, on Governor S sland Before
the battery was reached hundreds Of
tugs and excursion boats had crowded
~ behind the patrol boats and stretch