New-York tribune., 1902-08-17
FLOATING CAPITAL.
ENGLAND'S SEA POWER RE-
VEALED WITHOUT EFFORT.
BATTLESHIPS, CRUISERS AND LAND
BATTERIES SALUTE KING EDWARD
IN REVIEW OFF SPITHEAD-


Especial 70 The New-Yo-k Tribune by French Cable,
Copyright: 1892; BY The Tribune Association)
Portsmouth, Aug. 16-The British Empire
has had to-day a floating capital in the tranquil
reaches off Spithead in place Of the white
winged yachts which the King idly watched
during his convalescence. Battleships anu
cruisers have closed in around the royal stand
ard with their irresistible grip The sea power
of the British navy, which is beyond the reach
of J. PierpOnt Morgan and other American
fnanciers when they find pasti"1e in buying up
merchant fleets has been rendering its tribute
to the crowned sovereigns, and is guarding them
tonight with inviucibIe power SO closes the
bsIated coronation reveI with Britannia Rules
the Waves as the answering refrain 70 GOD
Save the King" The naval review was a re-
production. on a slightly reduced scale OF the
splendid marine pageant OF 1897. with which
the Victorian Jubilee was brought 70 a close
There was double line of about twenty small
craft and naval Yachts of the entrance to the
harbor with Admiral Nelson's old flagship. the
Victory. further in. gorgeous in decorative ount-
ing and more glorious in memories The Hrsr
watery Iare an open passage for the Admiralty
boats and the pleasure craft swarming VITA
sightseers was bounded side by over
thirty torpedo destroyers and the other
by twenty-nine torpedo gunboats. briss, train
ing ships and aIdtime cruisers The track began
a third Of the way between the Southsea Prone
made and Normans Fort. and stretched west
ward beyond the blockhouse. Fort Gillldcksr
and Monckton. When the steamers with Wis
itors had turned into the second lane. several
miles beyond Stokes Bay, there was new line
of twenty cruisers and battleships at anchor
seward 1t opened with second class cruisers
like the Rainbow. the Minerva. the Severn, the
MeIampus and the Apollo afoat from nine TO
twelve years with coming towers and steel
citadels around their engines. There were three
first class cruisers IN the centre, all built late
in the eighties, and further on newer one. the
Crescent. capable Of steaming nineteen knots
an hour. The Devastation, a second class bat
tIeship. came next an old time vessel low IN
the water and completely armOred, reconstruct
ed a dozen years ago, with two turrets and
a military mast. Eight first class battleships
completed the line built from 1885 to 1892. and
ranging from $500 to 14OOO tons in displace-
ment The Sans Pareil. the Resolution and the
Empress OF India were among the best ships
of the lot with compound belts Of armOr and
formidable arrays of turrets and barbettes-
The Revenge the sister ship Of the ResOlu-
ton was at the end of the line, opposite South
sea- and when it was rounded another file Of
battleships and cruisers opened westward Five
of these battleships. the Majestic. the Jupiter,
the Prince George the Mars and the Magnih-
cent were in the Jubilee review, and the Han
nibaI could be cIassed with them. These float
ing batteries had not cost less than t1.OOo,OOO
apiece. and their displacement UP 70 nearly
15pOO tons The Trafalgar and the Nile were
older battleships. and the Dreadnaught with her
3S-ton muzzIeloaders. and the Edinburgh gun
merry training ship were second class vessels of a
less useful type The Royal Sovereign. with
Admiral Hotham's flag, which had taken the
place of the London. had been afOat about
twelve years. and closely resembed the Empress
of India. The line filled out with nine
cruisers the Sutlej and the NiObe being among
the newest and fastest of them. and the remain
ing vessels being either in the second third
class. The Sutlej splendid example of
an armored cruiser of the latest and most i'm
proved construction
The number of the battleships about the
same as at the Jubilee review, but there were
fewer cruisers and in place of them in the fifth
line we're twenty fOreiGu vessels OF war There
were two Japanese ships. the Asama and the
Takapage: one Italian. one Portuguese and one
or two more. Outside the naval lines there
were swarms OF excursion steamers and small
craft from No Mans Fort in the Shoals. 70 the
seaward Passage to Ryde Pier. While there
were fewer ships under British and foreign
flags than at the Jubilee review. and while
also the newest types of naval construction
were not on exhibition. it was demonstration
OF sea power which other nation could
match. Not single ship was recalled from the
Mediterranean for Jo-days review of the Chan
mel home and cruiser squadrons. nor was there
anv draft on the adjacent military stations for
manning the land defences
Yet with this mighty. floating rampant in
Spfthead Harbor and with a chain OF shore de-
fences stretching eastward and westward. and
also inland Portsmouth was revealed as an i'm
pregna BILE naval arsenal of adamantine strength
The imperial federation may battle the keen in
telIigence OF broad minded men. like Chamber
lain and the colonial premiers. but England
has mastered the problems of sea power and
POLAND! POLAND POLAND! POLAND!
The water is positive cure acute Brights Disease
-AdVt.