The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-30
MILLIONS SEE PAGEANT,
Dewey on Deck Six Long Hours Stern
Reproof to Bungling Officer-Heavens
Ablaze With Fireworks in Even
ing Showers Dampen Spec
tators in Evening.

land were covered with sightseers
watching the fleet below. The war
ships lay spick and span, ready for
the start, their FURNISHED metal flaming
in the sun, their sides white as snow.
Between them and the shore Law the
low, long, lean, wicked looking torpedo
boats, and still inside of them the
graceful f1otilla Of revenue cutters.
At the Olympia the marines and
sailors had been seriously inspected.
All seemed little dazed at the pros
pect before them. and no doubt many
would have preferred a program in
yolving duplication of the Manila
hight to the ordeal they We're to go
through The officers of the fleet did
not wear their snowy uniforms, but
were attired in special undress uni
FORM" There We're no gold epaulettes.
gold bound beavers and Gathering
swords. This was by the admiraPs or
der and added but another to the many
evidences of his unique modesty. The
brother and widow Of Capt. Gridley.
who fought the Olympia in Manila bay,
Col. Franklin Bartlett, former repre-
sentative in congress from New York,
and an intimate friend Of the admiral.
and three newspaper men were the
only civilians aboard. Among the ma
val guests was the engineer of the
Olympia when she was at Corregidor.
Immediately after Admiral Dewey
returned from the Sandy Hook, the feet
was signalled to prepare to go up the
river. Gangways were hauled up and
the booms rugged in. An old quarter
master hurried a small dark roll of
bunting to the main hand over fist
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, a pull on the
halyards opened the roll and spread cut
the four starred flag which Farragut
flew as he ran the forts at New Orleans,
ana which has been presented to Adj
miral Dewey.
AS it broke, sailors at their stations
and marines on the quarterback greet
ed 1t with cheers. The flag fioated
proudly all through the pageant today.
1t is the most precious possession of
Farragut's pupil, and when it is struck,
Monday it will be forever, as it is al
together unlikely that Admiral Dewey
will ever command another fleet
1t was exactly o'clock, the hour fixed
for the start when the fleet with an
chors 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
the 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 a
double line of patrol and fire boats
which cleared the way of unofficial tres
passers. On the port beam of the Olym-
pia was the escorting ship Sandy Hook,
with the mayor and other dignitaries
aboard, and in her wake at intervals of
four hundred yards and stretching out
for a mile, were the armored cruiser
New York. the battleships Indiana and
Massachusetts, the cruiser Brooklyn,
second class battleship Texas, the old
wooden frigate Lancaster the gunboat
Marietta and the Chicago, the flagship
of the South Atlantic squadron.
Old Glory huttered from each mast
head and taffrail. On each quarter of
the New York were the black, low-lined
torpedo boats, three on each flank.
The rest of the procession tailed out
for miles. Slowly and majestically the
procession moved across the shining
waters. 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
afloat and ashore. With him on the
bridge most of the time was Col. Bart
lett, to whom he talked pleasantly
when he was not acknowledging the
salvos of salutes, or personally direct
ing the movements of his immediate
fleet, and the admiral gave close atten-
ton throughout the journey to every
thing which transplred aboard the ves-
sci.
BY his direction the ensign was court
esied and several times he ordered the
crew to stand by to cheer in answer to
some extraordinary demonstration The
guns Of the Olympia spoke but once
until Grants tomb was reached. That
was when they barked in answer to the
paying of the guns of old Fort William.
on Governors 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-
wards each shore. Their whistles were
going continuously throughout the
journey The untold thousands who
thronged the wharves and piers. who
leaned from the windows and balco-
MES and looked down from the dizzv
heights Of sky-scrapers, must have i'm
pressed the admiral greatly. but his
inodesry would not permit him to view
it all as g personal ovation.
Astonishing "Astonishingi" he re-
peated several times to Col. Bartlett
but he said nothing. of himself. AS he
looked behind him, The steam from the
whistles and the smoke from the stacks
blov'i rs across the river, blending with