The record-union., 1899-09-30

were covered Win SlSHlSseTS, Watching
the fleet below.
The warships lay spick and span
ready for the start, their FURNISHED
metal flaming in the sun. their sides
white as virgin snow. Between them
and the shore lay the low, long, lean
wicked looking torpedo boats and still
inside of them, the graceful fiotilla Of
revenue cutters.
Aboard the Olympia the marines and
sailors had been seriously inspected
from the toe of the first marine to the
jaunty cap of the last sailor. All
seemed a little dazed at the prospect
before them, and no doubt many would
have preferred program involving a
duplication of the Manila fight to the
ordeal they were to go through. The
officers of the fleet did not wear their
snowy uniforms, but were attired in
special undress IA as it is technically
known in the navy. There were no
gold epaulets, gold bound beavers and
gathering swords aboard. This was
the Admirals order, and added but an
other to the many evidences of his
unique modesty.
A brother and the widow of Captain
Gridley, who fought on the Olympia in
Manila Bay; Colonel Franklin Bartlett,
former Representative in Congress
from New York and an intimate per-
sonal friend of the Admiral, together
with three newspaper men, were the
only civilians aboard. One of the
naval guests was the engineer of the
Olympia, when it led the way past Cor
regidor Island. He was given three
rousing cheers as he went forward to
see the men.
Immediately after Admiral Dewey
returned from the Sandy Hook, the
wigwagger on the bridge signaled the
fleet to prepare to- get under way. The
gangways were hauled up and the
booms rigged. An old Quartermaster
hurried a small dark roll of bunting
to the main, hand over fist. 1t hung
there while the bugle sounded the call
to quarters, and the marines were mus
tered aft. Then, just as the signal to
weigh anchor was given, pull on the
halyards opened the roll and spread
the four-starred flag which Farragut
flew as he ran the fort in New Orleans.
It was the flag which was presented to
Admiral Dewey. AS it broke, the sail
ors at their stations and the marines
on the quarter deck greeted it with
the hip, hip, hooray We got from our
ancestors. The flag f1oated proudly
all through the pageant to-day. 1t is
the most precious possession of Far
ragut's pupil and when it is struck on
Monday it will probably be forever as
it is altogether unlikely that Admiral
Dewey will ever command another
fleet.
1t was exactly / o'clock. the hour
fixed for the start, when the fleet with
anchors short hove began to move.
The ships had swung to the flood tide,
and were pointing down stream, but
with their twin screws they faced
about as on pivots. and headed for the
Hudson, followed by the long line of
vessels in civic parade. When the
ships had Strengthened out for their
journey across the upper bay the spec
tacle they made will ever be treasured
in the memory of those who saw it. In
advance of the Olympia was a double
line of patrol and fire boats, a lillipu-
tian fleet to clear the way Of unofficial
trespassers. It did not require much
persuasion either, as the shippers had
a wholesome respect for the steel ram
fighting sea monsters.
On the port beam of the Olympia was
the escorting ship Sandy Hook, with
the Mayor and other dignitaries
aboard and in her awake at intervals
Of 400 yards, stretched out a mile long,
were the great towering warships, the
armored cruiser New York, the bat
tleships Indiana and Massachusetts,
the cruisers Brooklyn, second class
battleship Texas, the old frigate Lam
caster, the gunboat Marietta and the
Chicago. the flagship of the South At
lantic squadron Old glory fluttered
from each masthead and the taffrail
On each quarter of the New York We're
the black tow lined torpedo boats,
three on each flank. The rest of the
procession tailed out for miles.
Admiral Dewey went upon 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
ashore. With him on the bridge most
of the time was Colonel Bartlett, to
whom he talked when he was not ac-
knowledging the salutes or personally
directing the movements of his imme-
date fleet, and the Admiral gave close
attention throughout the journey to
everything which transpired on board
the vessel BY his direction the ensign
was courtesied to vessels which sa-
luted. Several times he ordered the
crew to stand
The guns of the Olympia spoke when
Grants tomb was reached. This was
when they barked in answer to guns
of old Fort Williams on Governor s
Island.
Before the battery was reached hun
dreds of tugs and excursion boats had
crowded in behind the patrol boats.
and stretched away rank upon rank to
either shore from the quarter of the
Olympia. Their whistles were going
continuously throughout the journey.
The untold thousands who thronged
the wharves and piers, who leaned
from balconies and looked down from
the dizzy nights of sky scrapers. must
have impressed the Admiral greatly.
but his modesty would not permit him
to view 1T all as a personal ovation.
Astonishing, astonishing" he re-
peated several times to Colonel Bart
lett, but he said nothing of himself. AS
he looked behind him. the steaming
Whistles and the smoking stacks blow
ing across the river blending with the
gray atmosphere, softened the scene
and made the dim vistas through which
the on-coming ships lay seem as if they
stretched out forever The waving OF
hundreds Of thousands along the shore
| could be distinctly seen from the deck