The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-10-07

THE cLERMoNT sTEAMING UP THE HUD-
son.
been predicted. The western hemis-
phere has never seen such crowds, just
as the world has never witnessed such
a maritime display.
The Great Naval Pageant.
On the opening day the weather was
well nigh perfect. 1t was cool and
clear, without dust underfoot or clouds
overhead. This was Saturday, Sept.
%, the day of the great naval pageant
Everything that could float, from a
shell to a coast line steamer and from
fiat bottomed canoe to British
DreadnoughtS was on the water. De.
spite the multitude Of craft, there was
not Il single accident to mar the day,
except the slight ramming of the Cler-
mont by the Half Moon, a bump that
did no substantial damage to either
All along the Hudson river and New
York bay the biggest and finest craft
that the invention of modern shipmak-
ers has been able to conceive paid hum
bic tribute to the queerest and stran-
gest little craft that had been seen in
those waters for 300 years
And after believing out their salutes
to this strange looking old relic of
elder days in shipmaking they banged
away again to a steamer that looked
fantastic and odd along the river and
churned up lot Of water with pair
Of funny big paddle wheels.
1t was great thing to hear the
noble monsters Of the British, French
and German war fleets send out their
deep voices in q solemn tribute to the
antiquated little ships that steamed OF
sailed past them. AS a mere tribute
Of courtesy from the greater to the
less it would have been impressive
enough, but it was not possible to
dodge the fact that this was not a
tribute of the greater to the less. but
of the less to the greater-a tribute
from the easily made children of the
Clermont and the Half Moon to the
wonderful ships that were really theif
progenitors.
The big gray and white warships
up the Hudson had been looking for
cession At O'Clock the flags stream
ed up on all the ships at once. and at
this time the waters Of the Hudson
were dotted with little boats. launches
mostly, darting here and there over
the water There were so many Of
them and they darted so impertinently
across the waters and in and out be-
tween the bows Of the big ships that
they seemed like little white kittens
playing about among the paws of big
mastiffs that lay at ease.
Meanwhile the Half Moon was TAX
ing her own place. opposite Staten Is
land, and was the sight of the bay
for, after all. queer as her big paddle
wheels looked. the Clermont was not
so archaic The Norwich. built only
nineteen years after the Clermont. was
steaming around and took part in the
parade. She is still on duty and car
rying passengers and looking rather
trim and saucy at that. in spite of her
age and the figures 1886 painted on
her to show the time of her birth.
Aboard the Half Moon there was,
strangely enough. less unlikeness to
our own time than aboard the Cler-
mont The men Of the Half Moon did
not dress like modern sailors, of course,
but there was something trim and
Yankee-like even about their red trou-
sers and serviceable shirts and the
big, square caps of fur that they pulled
over their heads, looking like the coor-
skin caps of trapper days in Kentucky.
On the other hand, nothing could have
booked stranger than the elaborate cot.
tunes Of Fulton's men, with the big
glazed hats that looked like nothing
modern but aeroplanes, which they
strongly resembled, and the sedate
and correct pantaloons that looked like
nothing modern today, least Of all
trousers.
The Longest Of Parades.
An idea of the magnitude Of the pa.
rade may be had when 1t Is known
that the column that circled the battle
ships and cruisers Of the international
ty-fve miles long.
When the parade went up the river
| the Half Moon, which was being tow
ed by the Fred B. Dalxell. easily dis
tanced the Clermont. Her escort squad
ron attracted more attention than
anything else along the river, because
Of the gray little submarines which
came up with their dogfsh-like noses
stuck out Of the water and their fms
sticking up just above and looking for
| ali the world like a new kind Of IN
| pleasant sea monster.
After them came ships galore Of
I every kind. When they reached Forty
! second street the first shot Of well