The sun., 1919-04-15

At some mastheads were odd looking
clocks. seemingly as out Of place as
church bell In steeple. but with vital
use In time OF action. and snugged up
on deck beside forward gun turrets,
ready to be dropped overheard. were tho
paravanes, those queer. almost sentlent
things which shipped the German mines
and made them harmless. Truly thing
OF weird and intricate technicalities is a
modern battleship.
Dcstroyers Lead the Fleet.
But the men that work them are very
human. and there wasn't a COB or officer
Of the 10000 that manned this armada
OF 100 ships whose face was not shining
with soap and anticipation OF getting
ashore. They have had little liberty, for
many OF them have been on duty abroad
for months, and after n short time here
In December went South to the training
station of Guantanamo that they might
kick the kinks out OF their machines.
spruce up bit on target practice, and
do all the other things necessary TO what
was the reorganization OF the North
Atlantic Fleet
II was a complete and efficient bit Of
lighting mechanism. All It's varied mem
bers ruled from the big ship Pennsyl-
vania, where Admiral II. p Mayo few
his nag. that showed up of the Hook
Yesterday morning. Its long line
stretched away below the horizon, miles
and miles Of steel gray shapes. Every
one had expected the battleships to lead
the procession up the harbor, but 1t fell
to the lot of those swifter engines OF de-
struction. the destroyers, to come first
into port.
90 iuh
to gladden. the eye even of the most cal
lous landsman, In two squads of twenty
and thirty-two. They rolled in past the
lightship. the sharp high prows split
ting the waves which rolled astern past
their slim forms with hardly a break
Of white. leaning now and then with a
swift movement, like the sway OF
graceful woman. They steamed up
through the Narrows and through the
harbor. feathery plumes OF white at
their prows, their officers standing stifiy
on the bridges as II proudly conscious or
the fact that they were handling the
prettiest engines of naval warfare afoat.
A man Of the most radical tendencies,
who hates war and all its instruments
with an abiding hatred, watched them,
and even he was moved to admiration.
How beautiful e. was his only COM
ment..
But graceful as they were. there was
an Amazonian look about them. as II
they could strike hard. They were OF
ali types. from the tiny boats OF pre-
war days to the veritable cruisers built
to combat the great German submarines
on equal terms, the last word In de-
stroyer construction. Some of them had
served abroad and on few officers can
point out scars of conflict.
There Is the Cassin, which was tor
pedoed while stalking a crafty U-boat.
but was able to make port and after re-
pairs go out again on patrol On the
Manly a depth bomb exploded in a COL
lision on the foggy North Sea. killing
several of her officers and crew. The
Benham, the McDougal, the Wainwright
and the Stockton also were banged up
in sea collisions due to the constant
gales and fog. but were kept Off their
sea duty only short time. Most OF
them, however, had been commissioned
Just before or Just after the arInistice
was signed and 30 did not see foreign
service, but no one watching them could
help but feel that over this branch OF
the navy Uncle Sam can AFFORD TO crow
with real pride.
They slid UP the river. past parks and
piers, to which people ran when word
spread of their coming. and in the
be handled dropped anchor at their as
signed berths on the New Jersey side.
There are so many of them that later
two or three will cuddle under the wing
OF each battleship so that river traffic
will not be choked.
A few hours after the destroyers had
passed in and after the crowds had gone
away thinking that the show was over
for the day. the battleships began to
pass through the Narrows. They moved
more slowly, these huge masses of metal.
and swung in stately line along the
Staten Island shore and then turned for
the run up the harbor to the river, so
that from the Battery one could look
down past their towering sides and see
the perfection OF their formation. each
line OF basket masts towering In line
with those before.
There was an unwonted silence on
the river also TO make their coming
more unusual. Because OF the hnrbor
strike the bay and rivers are almost
barren OF craft and there was hardly q
toot Of whistle to show that New York
was glad to see It's men home again and
wanted to assure them Of welcome
Only down the Narrows was there a
salute, and there the monitor Amphitrite
banged out the Admiral's salute OF nine
teen guns. Overhead an airplane or two
buzzed by and swooped in long curves
over the ships and then wheeled and
| vanished.
The Mississippi, which led them all
attracted more attention almost than the
| Pennsylvania, for she has the sweeping
clipper bow which makes her a driel
| and handler vessel in a seaway. Sh,
| IA one Of the COrnDletest ~ all tina abtpe