The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-30

get a Glimpse of the Admiral pacing the
quarter deck.
The bands aboard the excursion boats
played and the whistles and sirens of the
other craft made the air hideous by
their shrieks.
They kept coming, coming in pairs and
half dozens, until they lay "a dozen deep,
resisting the charges of the patrol boats
in their determination to get within
| shouting distance. Their recklessness
was amazing. They ran across each
others bows, they rubbed against one
another, they pushed bow on stern, until
| further movement seemed paralyzed by
the inextricable confusion. 1t was with
great difficulty that the police boats
could clear a passage for the Admiral's s
launch, when he went off to return the
official visit of the mayor at noon, and
when he did step into his launch the pa-
triotic shippers afoat grabbed their
whistle cords and made the hills echo
with such blast as can only be heard
when Yankee yacht crosses the finish
first in race with foreign mug hunt
ers. And that was simply the prelude
to what continued throughout the day
an almost continuous roar of steam
whistles.
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
and flags and framework as far as the
| eye could reach. The grassy slopes of
| Wadsworth and Fort Hamilton, and
| the wharves and shores of Staten Is
| land Were covered with sightseers,
watching the fleet below. The warships
| lay spck 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 jamty
| cap Of the last sailor. All seemed a lite
lazed at the prospect before them, and
no doubt many would have preferred i
i program involving a duplication Of the
Manila fight to the ordeal they We're to
go through. The officers of the fleet
y
were attired in Especial mdress A. rs
it is technically known in the navy.
,lnere were no gold epauiets, goldtbotnd
beavers and gathering swords aboard.
This was by the Athnirals order. and
added but another to the many evidences
of he's unique modesty. A brother and
the widow of Captain Gridley, who
fought the Olympia i'm Manila Bay, @ /
1 u oft ufflp u
tative i'm Congress from New York. and
intimate personal friend Of the Admiral.
together with three newspaper men were
the only civilians aboard.
One of the naval guests was the en-
gineer of the Olympia when it led the
way rast Corregidcr Island. He was
given three rousing cheers as he went
forward to see the men,
Immediately after Admiral Dewey re-
turned from the Sandy Hook. the wig
wagger ON the bridge signalled The fleet
to prepare to get qrnder way. "'ls aii-s
ways were hauled up and the bocnls
rugged An cid quartermaster hurried
a small dark roll Of bunting to the main,
hand over fist 1T hung there while the
btlgle sounded the call to quarters and
the marines We're mustered aft Then
Just as the signal to weigh was given, a
null ON the halyards opened the roll and
spread the four-starred flag which Faira.
gut flew as he ram the fort in New Or
leans 1t was the flag which was pre-
sented to Admiral Dewey. As
it broke to the breeze, sail
ors at their stations and the marines
ON the quarter deck greeted 1t with the
hip hip, hoorah we got from "pr ances-
TORS. The flag fioated proudly all through
the pegcant today. 1t is the most preciou
of F'arragut's pupil, and when 1T Is
struck ON Monday, it will probably be
forever, as it is altogether unlikely that
Admiral Dewey will ever command an
other fleet.
lit was exactly cne o'clock, THE hour
fixed for the start when the fleet, w16h
anchors short 7hove, began TO move. The
ships had swung to the flood tide AM
were pointing down stream, but Wlfh
tIair twin screws they faced abonf as
ON p:yods and headed for the Hudson
followed by the long line Of vessels "
civic parade. When the ships mad
Strengthened out for their Journey across
the upper bay, the spectacle they made
will ever be treasured in the nemnft
of those who saw it. In advance OF tlla
Olympia was double lime OF patroa ant
fire boats, a liliputian fleet ito clear tht
way of unofficial trespassers. 1t die