The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-17
IHE RALEIGH WELCOMED
Thousands Turn Out in the Rain to
Welcome Dewey's Warship.
CROWDED BY ExoURs1oN1sTs.

Visitors CordlallyWelcomedo on Board,
and the Sailors Proudly Exhibit the
Gun That Fired the First Shot in the
Battle Of Manila Bay.
New York, April 1.-THE celebra-
/ ton attending the return of the Uni.
ted States cruiser Raleigh from Man
lila, which had been postponed Satur-
day owing the warship's late arrival.
occurred yesterday. The Raleigh, &C.
companied by the Alvarado and San
doval, two small war vessels captured
from the Spaniards last summer, and q
feet Of about 25 excursion steamers
and tugboats. paraded from Tompkins-
vile to Grants tomb and, from there
back to anchorage in the North river
of Thirty-fourth street. It would
have been difficult to have selected
more Indictment or disagreeable weather
than that which prevailed all the time
that the Raleigh was passing In re-
view before the thousands Of en-
thusiastic people who lined the river
banks and gave her their hearty cheers
of welcome home.
Before the vessels left the anchor
age at Tompkinsville the Raleigh was
boarded by the citizens committee, led
by Mayor Van Wyck. A brief speech
Of welcome was made by the mayor,
and Captain Coghlan, Of the Raleigh,
made a feeling response.
Captain Coghlan was on the bridge
nearly all the way up the river, with
the executive and navigating Officers.
All were bundled up in rain coats and
received the full force Of the storm in
their faces. Captain Coghlan was
obliged to bare his head to the rain
great part of the time, in waving his
cap in response to the salutes and
cheers Of passing vessels. The officers
paid little attention to the storm, and
waved their caps constantly. not ap-
pearing to mind the soaking which
their dress uniforms, and their bodies
as well, received. As for the sailors,
they never thought of shelter at ALL
A few were clad In oil skins, but most
Of them stood on the exposed fore
castle, with nothing but their blue
jackets covering their shoulders, and
most of the time with their hats flying
in the air. Officers and men alike ex-
pressed the greatest surprise at the
demonstration, and wondered what
they had done to warrant all the en-
thusiasm which was being displayed.
Many of them were heard to remark
to the effect that the battle Of Manila
bay was fought 80 long ago that they
had almost forgotten 1t.
There were very few people along the
river front in the lower part of the
city, owing partly to the weather and
partly to the fact that the entrances
to the piers are generally closed on
Sundays. But great crowds assembled
in Riverside Park, overlooking the
Hudson, and men, women and chill
dren stood there for hours under UNI
brellas, watching the vessels on their
way up the river and on their return.
BY far the greatest gathering of peo-
pie was in the vicinity of Grants
tomb, which was the turning point of
the parade. A national salute was
fired there by the Raleigh and also by
the captured Spanish prizes, and the
scene was rendered memorable one
by the shrieking of hundred steam
whistles from excursion boats and
locomotives and cheers from thousands
Of people on shore and on the vessels
in the river.
When the Raleigh finally anchored
she was surrounded Immediately by
feet of excursion boats, and as fast as
they could reach her gangway the pep
pie aboard them climbed on the cruiser
and extended personal welcome to the
officers and men. The warship was
uncomfortably crowded, but every
body received cordial reception, and
the crew apparently took great pride
in showing visitors over the ship, and
particularly in pointing out the five
inch gun that fired the first shot in the
battle of Manila bay. Many relatives
and personal friends of the officers and
men were aboard as soon as they could
reach the side of the vessel, and the
days celebration concluded with these
general and individual receptions.