Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-17
Some Vessels in Grand Review Absolutely
Dangerous to Crews.
ENGLAND QUEEN OF SEAS NO LONGER
Majority Of Navy Considered Mere Dummies
Too Feeble to Fight
THOUSANDS ATTEND REVIEW OF FLEET
From Spectacular Point of view As
sembIREe of Hundred War Vessels
is Magnificent, hut Strength
of Fleet is Lacking.

PORTSMOUTH, Aug 16.-King Edward
completed the program Of the coronation
festivities today by reviewing the feet for
the first time since his accession From a
spectacular point Of view the assemblage
OF hundred odd war vessels in the road
stead on Spithead was a magnificent show,
but to those looking beneath the brilliant
veneer of paint and polish It was evident
that the fighting strength Of the feet was
by no means formidable.
The lines Of ships were thickly dotted
with inefectives. Among these may be
mentioned the thlrd-class cruiser Calliope
of Apia fame, while others included such
relics as the oattleships Devastation.
Dreadnaught. Camperdown and Edinburgh.
which are classed by some experts as alb
solutely dangerous TO their crews, while
some OF the nominally effective fighters
are still armed with muzzle leaders IL
must be pointed out, however, that the
display represented the home fleet not a
single vessel having been withdrawn from
a foreign station to participate In the
pageant.
The day opened fine. There was an i'm
mense influx of visitors. The waters of
the Solent were covered with pleasure
craft OF every variety, from the tiny canoe
to the blk excursion steamer, and every
vantage point on shore was covered with
spectators. At s, in response to a sig
nal the fleet broke out flags and in the
space OF minute the lines OF black hulIs
were transferred into parti-colored lanes
of fluttering bunting.
simultaneously the pennant of Admiral
Dir Charles Hotham. the commander-in-
chief at Portsmouth, was flung out from
the peak Of Royal Sovereign, which today
acted as flagship Of the fleet. Five other
val 1af garr-
ferent sections of the parade. The fye
lines in which the fleet was moored vera
located midway between the Isle of Wight
| and the mainland
Special Service Vessels,
Nearest to the Portsmouth shore were
the special service vessels and yachts and
a tew distinguished visiting vessels and
yachts headed by the conspicuous white hun
oil the Japanese torpedo boat destroyer AS
aschio.
The next line was made up OF thirty-two
! British torpedo boat destroyers Then
| there was line Of cruisers and gunboats,
then double line of battleships, and
| finally another line Of cruisers Another
| parallel line, nearest to the Isle of Wight
was made, UP OF foreign en-of-war, in
| cluding two Japanese cruisers, the Asama
and Taskasago; the Italian armored cruiser
Carlo Alberto and the Portuguese cruiser
| Don Carlos /.
The precaution had been taken to conn
| pei all the vessels present to burn smoke
less coal, but as the day advanced a haze
spread over the water. and the small craft
frequently disappeared in banks of mist
AT 1880 r. m. the lines of the feet
| closed, the guard boats drove all unauthor-
| lied craft out Of the forbidden area. and
| promptly at O'Clock the royal yacht Vic
| toria and Albert, with King Edward, Queen
| Alexandra and other royal personaRes on
board, slowly got under way. This move
| ment was signaled by gunshot from the
| royal sovereign, and thousands Of tackles
| swarmed over the decks, superstructures
and lighting tops, and manned ship in honor
OF their approaching majesties. Then came
the firing OF the royal salute.
| Amid the crash of naval ordnance the
kings yacht moved slowly, accompanied By
the royal yachts Osborne and Alberta and
three others and escorted by a fiotilla of
| torpedo boat destroyers
brilliant stan is There.
The king. who wore the uniform OF an
admiral OF the feet, surrounded by a
brilliant staff AS his majesty passed each
ship the officers and men cheered, ana
when the Victoria and Albert, after travers-
| ing the lines, took up fresh moorings
abreast OF the royal sovereign, the whole
| fleet Joined in a final roar Of cheers for
! the king, who then personally signaled the
invitation to all the flag officers, including
those Of the foreign ships. 10 join him on
tho royal feet.
The king will again inspect the feet Mon
day, when all the, ships will steam past the
| royal yacht After what one writer calls
This display showing the progress of
n L.
! from the time Of the early wooden yes
sells" the feet will disperse
The great naval parade on spithead is
filling columns Of the London papers, with
| indictments Of the admiralty, as we'll as
panegyrics Of the magnificent pageant.
William Laird Cloves, the naval critic
and historical writer, who is unquestiona-
| bly, an authority on comparative naval sta
I tisties, and who cannot be classed as an
alarmist, writes that. while there are a
dozen very efficient battleships OF Spit
head and few cruisers. all comparing ia
vorably with those Of the best foreign con-
struction, the bulk OF the great feet ls
merely an exhibition Of flags, paint and
gliding. and the majority might as well be
built Of cardboard. as they are mere dunn
mics too feeble to fight and too slow TO run
away"
illumination After storm.
PORTSMOUTH, Aug. 16-Thousands Of
persons who we're eIpectantly awaiting the
Illumination Of the feet OF spithead tonight
were drenched and bedraggled by a thun-
derstorm and rainfall OF almost phenomenal
suddenness and violence.
The storm broke Just as the signal for the
illumination was given and the crowd ashore
and afoat stampeded for shelter. The storm
continued for an hour. after that the night
was fair and the illumination was carried
out and was witnessed by thousands who
appeared on the shore. rocket was sent
up from the royal yacht. and a moment
later the dim outlines Of the yacht burst
out in thousands or incandescent lights. This
vas the signal for the hundreds OF other
ships, and as II by magic the entire feet