New-York tribune., 1909-09-23
WARSHIPS in HUDSON
FOREIGN CRAFT THUNDER
.S1LUTES TO ARMADA.
Visits and Shore LeaUc Parties Start
at Oncc-B British and German
Fleets Due To-day.

IN grim and silent procession twenty-one Of
tbe great feet of hfty-two warshps which viii
form Americas naval display at the Hudson
Fulton celebration came into the harbor yester
dsv afternoon and steamed up the North River
"a their anchorages. Since Tuesday night the
sfteen batteships and six cruisers had swung
n anchor of Sandy Hook. waiting for the cur
tain OF mist to lift. Shortly after noon yester-
5sv the fog began to clear away. and a few min
utes before o'clock the feet got under way.
s,esnling at six knot pace for their official
places.
Last night the British feet Of four cruisers
took their places at the Hook, and sent i'm
wireless message that they would come up the
bsy this morning. The German vessels are ex-
nected at the same time. The Italian cruiser
Fna came IN ahead of the American vessels and
rrooeeded TO her berth. off 64th street At dusk
her sister ship. the Etruria, which came in
through the Sound from Bridgeport, anchored
OF 72d street
The guns OF Governors Island doomed out a
salute for the Etna when the Italian vessel
steamed UP the hay. but when the great feet
Of American vessels hove I'm sight of the throng
gathered in the rain along the Battery wall
there was no sound of cannon. and the vessels
steamed silently up the river. AS the great
gray hulls passed slowly by with the crews in
white gathered on the forward decks and the
officers on the bridge, and salutes. sound
of cheering and no screaming whistles from the
river craft, it was not hard to imagine that
northward. where the lowering gray skies met
the sulen blue OF the river the enemy lay to be
met and conquered.
First IN the grim battle line was the Georgia,
and following her in column formation came the
New Jersey the Nebraska. the Rhode Island
and the Virginia Next came the Wisconsin,
presenting strange appearance, on account of
the unusual position of her single smokestack
close UP 10 the skeleton fighting mast After
her came the battleships Missouri and Ohio and
the arrnored cruisers Montana. North Carolina
snd New York and the scout cruisers Birming-
ham. Salem and Chester, bringing up tie rear
OF the first division.
The second division was led by Rear Admiral
schroeder's flagship the Connecticut with long
string Of signals flying from her mainmast. The
Kansas the Minnesota, the New Hampshire. the
Mississippi. the Idaho and the Vermont followed
the Connecticut. The auxiIaries Culgoa, Prairie
and Panther made up the feet. To-day and to-
morrow the torpedo boats. submarines and other
auxiliary vessels will arrive and complete the
American representation Of hfty-two vessels.
As the American vessels reached the foreign
vessels already anchored IN their assigned places
the silence was broken and cannon began 20
boom in salute. In reply TO the rear admirals
salute fred by the warships OF Italy, France,
Mexico Argentina and Holland, the flagship
Connecticut fred an equal number of guns as il
passed the vessels Of each nation, the roaring Of
the guns reverberating from the Palisades
The first Of the American men Of war went up
IS far as Spuyten Duyvil, and the feet lies
strung out in a long line down TO both street
The British vessels will take places behind the
American feet, while next come the Dutch war
ships of ths oficial landing place at 10th
street and behind them the place is reserved
for the German vessels The French ships lie in
line from 18th TO 9Jth street, followed by the
Italian. the Mexican and the Argentina vessels
As soon as the warships had dropped anchor
launches began 10 shoot away from the sides
of the vessels carrying mail to the shore and
bringing back the sacks from the mail wagons
lined up with letters for the vessels. Temporary
laval landings were established at 129th and
T5gth streets and liberty parties began TO come
ashore
Great crowds gathered on the recreation pier
- l29th street and at every point of vantage
along the waterfront. The river soon full
n little craft cruising around the feet and
cheering the vessels. The crowds became so
great along the waterfront that the police be
Fan 10 put into effect the arrangements made
Tor the celebration. Sixty-seyen extra men were
sent UP 10 the West l25th street station and
guards were stationed al the naval landings
and on the piers and along the waterfront 10
keep the overeager from falling into the water
There WAS much speculation among the Amer
ican naval officers last night 10 the manner
IN which the British vessels would enter the
hsrbor to-day. The last time an English feet
entered New York Bay the pilots were surprised
10 see the six vessels pick their way into a
strange harbor at a fast clip with scarcely .
cables length between the ships. 1t was a
lesson in British seamanship TO see the war
ships race UP the channel without stopping 10
ask anybody 70 show the way.
When the British vessels arrive the American
neet viii have to divide the honOrs for power
with their visitors. Admiral Sir Edward Sey-
mours flagship, the Inflexible, is one of the
most powerful warships afioat- She carries a
battery OF eight 12-inch guns and with this
tremendous battery has set Of turbine engines
that give her a speed equal 10 the Mauretania
- the Lusitsnia- With her will be her sister
hatueship cruisers. the Invincible and the In
aomitable having the same armament The
Three smaller cruisers, the Drake, the Argyle and
The Duke II Edinburgh. will make up the British
feet
The German Neet will consist OF the cruisers