The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-17
CORONATION NOW OVER
Brilliant Illumination of Har-
Dor at Night.
Five Flags of Admirals Were View
ed in Different Sections of the
Great English Naval
Parade.

Portsmouth, Aug. liking Edward
completed the program of the coronation
festivities today by reviewing the fleet
for the first time since his accession.
From a spectacular point of view the as
semblage of a hundred and odd war YES
sells in the roadstead off Spitthead 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 fleet was by no means for
midable.
The lines of ships were thickly dotted
with ineffectives. Among these may be
mentioned the third-class Calliope of Apia
fame. while others included such relics
as the battleships Devastation, Dread
naugh, Camperdown and Edinburg, which
are classed by some experts as absolute
ly dangerous to their crews. while some
of the nominally effective fighters are still
armed with muzzleIloaders 1t must be
pointed out, however. that the display
represented merely the home feet not a
single vessel having been withdrawn from
a foreign station to participate in the
pageant
Great Crowd Present.
The day opened fine, There was an i'm
Minute the lines of the black hulls wafe
the Solent were covered with pleasure
craft OF every variety from the tiny
canoe to the big excursion steamer and
every vantage point was covered with
spectators
At s a. m, in response to a signal, the
fleet broke out flags and in the space of a
transformed into parti-colored lines of
minute the lines of the black hulls were
huttering buntings. simultaneously the
pennant of Admiral Charles Hotham,
n In of ~
flung out from the peak of the Royal Sow
ereign, which today acted as flagship for
the ileet. Five other Admirals' flags were
also in view in different sections of the
parade. The FIVE lines in which the fleet
Was iiIoofAd were located midway the Isle
of Wight and the mainland.
A Gorgeous Spectacle.
Thousands of persons who were ex-
pectantly awaiting the illumination of the
fleet off Spithead tonight not only were
disappointed. but were drenched and be-
dragged by a sudden and violent thunder
storm.
The storm broke just as the signal for
the illumination was given and the
crowds ashore and afioat stampeded for
shelter The storm continued for an
hour After that 1t was fair and the
illumination was carried out and was wit
messed by thousands along the shore. A
rocket was sent up from the royal yacht
and moment later the dim outline of the
yacht burst out in thousands of mean
descent lights. This was the signal for
the hundreds of other ships and as If by
magic, the entire fleet was Illuminated in
a great blaze of light
The sudden change from dusky shadows
of battleships to one of electric briliancy
and a startling effect on the crowds and
they made manifest their delight by
rounds of cheers. The lines of the fun
nels. masts and upper deck Of the ships
were outlined in mellow, glowing lines
and the flagships by a clear pale light
last night. The brilliant lights of the
merchant ships and pleasure craft adj
ded to the splendor of the maritime fete.
simultaneously hundreds of public and
private buildings ashore V.ere Illuminated,
while an imposing display of fire works
varied in color and form gave fresh in
terest to the carnival. After an hour s
ships were extinguished and were sue
ceeded by a gorgeous display CT colored
searchlights trained uniformly in various
directions and ending with rainbow eff
fects, which were heightened by the
clouds of steam exhausted from the fun
nels of the vessels.
The searchights were still cleaning
when the royal salute WAS fired at mid
night Then all were extinguished save
that on the royal yacht which remained
glitteripg.