The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-11-14
JACK|ES OF TWO
NATIONS Dine
Yankee TaTs and British COu.
sins at COney Island.
HANDS ACROSS The SEA-"
Blood Thicker Than Water Was Seen
Everywhere, and Heard In Speeches.
A Rouslrg Celebration.
HANDS ACROSS The SEA-"

cording TO schedule at stauch's pavilion.
Coney island last night.
The histories OF the two navies records
nothing like It. Twenty-six hundred SAL
lormen and 100 OF their officers sat down
to supper in one big hall. The whole 27OO
were moved. al times TO rise and below
for anybody and everybody in husky sea
voices
College roofing national conventions
and Jerome meetings retire and take a
back seat when compared to the cheering
of the British and American squadrons on
pleasure bent.
Coney has seen many a sigh. but never
a sight like that Hands Across the Sea"
blowout last night II was in its zenith
at l o'clock this morning.
At 3 o'clock five or six hundred Amer
| ican bluejackets and marines from sew
eral vessels lined up aft the turrets on
tho Alabama, officers of that craft keep
ing them I'm order. Every man jack OF
them was grinning in anticipation. on
the after bridge stood a sigma Imam who
had dallied too much with rum on shore
leave and had TO stay aboard for punish
ment.
Every time the officer OF the deck turned
his back this signal man raised his arms
and wig wagged derisive remarks in the
interna tional code The good conduct
squad thumbed their noses at him or made
wings with their hands beside their ears.
The officer OF the deck turned and
caught them at IT, thousand hands
dropped and 500 smiles were ironed out
BRrrIsHERs wAKED UP.
The white-caped British sailors Of the
Bedford rolled aboard from their launches.
Because they were ge4Hs - have a seea
time they looked sad and depressed The
officers of the Alabama steered the squads
over the gangplank on to the passenger
steamers and breathed ceep relief. 1t was
now up 10 the petty officers.
At first the British tars and his ma
jestys iollies stood aloof and regarded
the shore line Then Sergt. Robtaile Of
the marine corps. who has had the affair
very much on his mind. began to circu-
late with cigars. Take all you want,
boys. plenty more aboard" he said.
The ice began TO break. American tars
walked up to the British as they had seen
their officers do and said: I'm Jones OF
the Massac chusetts." or I'm Smith OF the
Alabama" Things loosened up. The
men OF the Bedford tucked themselves
into the cabins for IL was cold after
noon. and swapped small talk with the
tars OF the North Atlantic squadron
LANDED AT CoNEY ISLAND
Finally the fleet of boats started for
the island and the men were landed at
the iron pier. whence they proceeded TO
Stauchs pavilion.
or the glory Of Stauchs pavilion az
decorated by the committee from the
American fleet the poet Of the Maine will
sing later Neither expense. flags nor po-
icemen had been spared. Every ship
had been robbed of bunting The blue
Jackets and marines filled the floor. the
galleries and alcoves. found seats and sang
while they waited for Prince Louis
An orchestra OF so pieces. picked from
the squadron and led by Bandmaster Fer
guson OF tho Kentucky, led the singing
The table OF Prince Louis and his Of
fcers arranged comb fashion, stood at
one end OF the main floor
SAME FARE AS MEN.
The higher officers OF the two squad
rous who had been sitting two by two, an
American with an Englishman, initiated
the Princes stunt and appeared one at
time I'm the upepr gallery They all got
hand
The drinks were now bubling merrily-
beer for the men. champagne for the offi-
GERS. When the wine came around to the
Prince he covered his glass.
Bring me beer. please he said. Most
Of the men failed TO see that little COM
pliment. He was taking the same fare
they got
After this the committee on arrange
ments sprung the best thing IL did. The
lights I'm the hall all went out, except for
those I'm the bandstand, which stood out
In blaze OF red fire.
A doll i'm n sailors costume and slung
I'm bos'n chair was lowered from the
ceiling. The band struck up. Hands
Across the Sea-" and two sailors an
American and Britisher, stood forth In
the red glare hand In hand. OF course
that brought roar. When II died little
q band went on with a number OF melo-
dies At times the singing from the floor
quite drowned tho orchestra.
BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER"
Blood is thicker than water" Written
on the frontispiece OF the menu cards.
this famous saving OF tho American naval
officer. Tatnall, was the keynote OF the
cheering with which the 25oo British and
American sailors made the great pavilion
ring 10 the echo.
II was the toast 10 which they drank
across the long tables which stretched
down the great hall beneath the overhang-
ing British and American flags. II was tho
theme OF the speeches that followed. or
rather accompanied. the cigars and the
18th round OF beers OF this mammoth
feast
While the men made merry az Coney ISL
and the warrant officers OF the British
squadron entertained the warrant officers
~ the American ships at n ball on the
Drake. a special dancing floor was laid
under a canopy composed OF ensgns rep
resentative OF every nation In the world
even that OF Japan mingling with tho
more sombre one OF Russia
The centrepiece consisted OF the Ameri-
can Stripes radiating from the cluster OF
f6 incandescent lights representing the
stars The dancing floor. which was con-
structed ON the afterdeck. was throngcd