Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-28

EMfEkOfs OF JAfAN-
ed to the review in Kobe bay and had
allotted to them the Toyohashi, tor
pedo tender, with every facility for OBJ
servation as well as entertainment.
The review WAS carried out without
visible hitch or miscalculation, every
evolution being effected exactly as in
tended and on the minute scheduled.
As early as o'clock all the guests on
the ToyOhashi We're astir, and the fleet
was in review order-an immense rec
tangle within which warships lay an
chored in four lines three miles in
length parallel with the shore. The
new battleship the Shikishima, the
first three funneled vessel of the Japa-
nese navy and said here to be the
greatest battleship atioat, had the place
of honor at the head of the first line,
the farthest from the beach Of the bay.
Seventeen other battleships and cruis-
ers made up the two outer lines, while
torpedo boats, deStroyers and other
small craft composed the inner lines.
In all the ships in review were these:
Five battleships, three coast defense
ships, Is cruisers, one torpedo tender
the press boat, one torpedo gunboat,
ten destroyers and Il torpedo boats
The press boat was placed at the head
OF the second line from the shore and
was thus abreast of the battleships
Kasagi and Shikishima.
At o'clock the bugles rang Dress
ship" and promptly the banner lines
ran from mast to mast and thence
from stem to stern. At Q o'clock the
ships of the imperial escort came into
view through the purple haze of Wada
point to the south, the ASama leading,
followed by three cruisers and torpe-
do boat. At the same time the crews
on the waiting ships were piped up and
ranged shoulder to shoulder around the
decks. There was Il moment of silence.
and then, answering n shot from the
Asama while she was still a mile away.
the royal salute began. every vessel
firing 81 guns with its heaviest piece.
The Kobe hills confined the noise, and
pandemonium followed for ten min
utes.
Slowly the Asama approached, the
silence following the salute being bro
ken only by the faint sounds of the bu-
giles playing the national anthem,
KIM ga yo." But as the Asama pass
cd the first ship OF the outer line one
realized that he was participating in
an oriental review. The cheers that
broke out from time to time while the
emperor was approaching died out and
We're followed by absolute silence as
the flagship slowly swept forward,
passing the whole length of the outer
line and through the central avenue of
the two inner lines. Exactly one hour
was taken to complete the inspection,
and then, as the Asama left the lane OF
ships. the massed men on the decks
around us disappeared in the twinkling
OF an eye, and the review was over.
After the review the emperor enter
tanned the attaches and other disUIn-
guished foreigners and japanese on
board ship. At 3 o'clock the emperor
left for Mako, and the royal salute
was repeated.
The British navy was represented by
Captain Ottley and two lieutenants.
The United States was not officially
present. The British officers highly
praised the handling of the ships and
the shape in which close inspection
showed them to he. 1t is customary to
be complimentary on such occasions,
but it was plain that these officers were
deeply impressed with the discipline OF
the crews and the skill of the officers
as well as with the showing Of ships
and guns. One of these gentlemen
said: The Japanese naval officer is.
generally speaking. not only as well
trained in a technical sense as the mill
tary man, but he is a finer man physic-
ally, more interested in his profession.
less listless. less given to stupid forms
OF vice Since the modern navy was
formed no ships OF any kind have been
lost through negligence or faulty naTi-