The Great Naval Display

Nkw ÏujiK, April 2S, 1893. . i ain uijiuo Uown upon the ttomisancls of rools. rain washlDg the S pavements, rain wetting the docks and ii-T oi the iwar monsters ridmg at anchor, wetness pe'.nn-.-itiny, saturating everything, evervwhere - su -h were the conditions oí the carly morning about this flag-oovered, buntinn- decked city. In the night time a storm that had its birti yesterday ,iuay to the westward had stol n i JeraeT billa and wrapped the wor Bqaaaroo on the river. Out on the bosom of the lordly stream, somewhere in th(? dense gray fos, the navies of the nations were softly ehafed by the uneasy tides. As the growing day advanced, a straying breeze feit its way over the b niks ;■ Qo aorosa the waters, where the fleets were. It broke its way through the inists and before the tattered closed in again the ghostly outlin the masts and the lines oí dark huüs appeared and hs ' faded asraln. Then other gusts cif air wandered throngh the fo? land and gradually the little gusts ware reinforeed nntU a stream of them flowed over the high river banks and hlow away the mi.-.ts. First the masts and flffhting tops oí the war vesels were revealed, appear' to be suspended in the air, the tower cloud eoncealing1 b.U elsa afloat. Watching from the New York ehore the black lnills of the foreigners were first brought back trom cloudland to the kvn of man. 'J he g-ieat sharkprowed JeaQ I5art from Prance lay on'13' a stoin-'r. throw from the end of a dock at Sixtieth Street and early on the wharf the denizena of "heli's kitchen" swv her black sides out of the shredded mists. [Jnder tlio val! of EUverside Drive the Btarboard sru;idron greT.v slowly out of the still air whioh the gusty breeze liad jvt j"et stirred, but on the level reachea on the Vork shore the low-lyiag ulouds wfie drifting away in tattered scarfs that dissolved slowly on the wateraoaked atmoephere. 'i'he day broadened and the two rows of bristling vessels were[at leng th revealed, though diraly at best, for a persistent springtidi' rain was falling, ;ni4 distances were uncertain and indistinut. Aloft a stilï breeze seenied astir, but without affecting the heavy eonditions. hen 8 o'eloek had arrived there were signs of activity on all the Fessels in the fleet. From tlie llagships of each nation there was the wig-walging ov the swinging ofsemapbore arms, which indieated tbat orders were being issued to the fleet. A moment each vessel ran up a l.i ■ American ilag1 to the top of the niain unist and bií ílas of her own country fore and aft. The Spanish, ETrench, Brazilian and Argentine sliips ran up ünos of streamera on their yards. Uncle Sam's white uavy iloiiteJ big1 holiday flags trom each mast. All were the siurs and stripes. At 10 o'eloek the l'nited States vessel s ran up bunting and the British, Russian, Italian, Uerman and Hollan i slii].s followed suit until all were iu holiday dress. The early birds were rewarded in some degree by seeingthis "dressing" of the ships, when the Jack tararan u p the flagsand pennants and put their vessels in holiday attire. The effect of these decorations was best appreeiated by those who had seen the cruisera but a moment before denude. l of every bit of color, wit h bare masts. thw repairi 111 a mensure the weary and dismal wait of the throngs. The great majorlty of the crowd did not get to the rivur front, however, before 10 oVloek and these finding every place of shelter pre-empted bravely took their stand upon the river bank under the al most useless shelter of their umbrelhiM. Tlie embarkatin of the Presidential party on board of the boat, Uolphin. was a fforgeous añ'air. A handsome special landing place had been erected for the purpose at the foot of Thirty-third 8tr"et, the approaeb to which was carpeted and draped in buntin.i The President was eseorted by his naval aides and aecompanied by Mrs, Cleveland and the tnembers of the Cabinet with their wivea and the members of the diplomatic corps representing forelifn governments Xo 1 tives of the press or of the general lic were permitted on board the Presidential vacht. Even the Duke of Veragua was lnm.jht along in a separate vessel, the titny boat General Meigs. The Dolphin lr.i.1 been special ly fortlfled for the occasion hy having a graat cabin built clean acrosa the sh.p ;iTut oovering one-fourth of herentire Lenth, constituttng a fmer dintag saloon than that possessed y any y acht that ritles the waters. The n and the after-cabin had been decorated, carpeted and refurnished in hnd carred mahogany ■pecially lea1gnl. Between 10 and 11 o'elock was the hour assigned for the President to commen.ee the review. It was nearer 2 than lu when the signal was givén for the start. As bood as the President stepped on board t ie Dolphin the vesBred one uh i ■' n ■ i. This i i ■■■íleíi v ,1 ■ ■■■ ■ lic.i To :■. ' he whole ■ monitor Miantonomali lvinr at. Hip i tne port löiuiim. lu-ed kjT the firet time in port one of her iiu-e lüinch fiiins. charged with ncarly 250 poundsof powder. Al most uefore the reverberations of tliis gun haa died away in t'c distant echóos the whole fleet was called toquarters. yards were miinned and cvery preparation made to reccive the i'í-: :'■"' oí the United . with beooming respect. 8een ;it this moment, and b ifore the envelopinf,r clouds of gunpowder smolce from the Bubseqnent salutea has obscured i . the scène was as pretty is wel) eould be imayined. As the Uo'.pjiin's bow carne in line with eaoh man-ofwar, "presentarías'' was FOanded on the bugle, olh'eeis and orew saluted; the bands struck up the uational air and a pational sahite of twenty-one gnns was Bred by ea :h -i'p-3 During the half hour or mor,' tliat the Presldential progresa lasted tliis canaonading never i ased anti] more than 1,600 gtina had been ftr d. Towards the close of their booming lon ite identilj n meryed int one titantic roar, wh le Hasta ia oí ree iiuiue and dense ulphurous clouds 1 the - ■ tatora on tin tshore eonld ! tiringr be pan with the Grer -ui Sagship K'aiserit Augusta, and the lirazilian battleahip Aquietaban; it w:.s calcen up ín a more onderóns manner by the Uütch Van Speyk and Spanish Infanta Isabel; it a as f ollowed by the Argentine Noevo do. Julio un . the Itniian Ktna: was conI by the American Charleston and t ie I'ivnrh Arethnse, followed by the lip Newark and tha Kusaian Admiráis bhip Dimitri Donskoi, and cios-'d by Admiral Gherardi in the Philadelphia and Admiral Sir John üopkins n the noble Klake. The intervals between the artillery exercises of the Dag ships were iilled up by similar exercises on the part of these Is of the squadron. [owing close in the wake. of .the Dolphin an 1 gelting the fnll benefit of the f-alutes, carne the army steamer, Ueneral .hiys. bearing the honored fonig-n gut'st oí vhc day, the Duke of Verag i :■ .1 by Gen. Sehoh'eld of the arm Admiral Kelknap or t he navy. hen the Üüiphin reached the end of tlicline, in the oeighborhood of Nlnetyüfth Strekt. Bhe dropped anchor and mido preparations to receive the communding officers of the foreig'n squadroos, who ir,1 preaented to the Presidei ! by their respective ministers. Dnly attirrd in f i 11 ceremonial unitorm, with cocked hats and t.words, the ilst;: is entered their barges and pulled otï for the I'resia! ya ht. Sir John 0. llopkins, the Brilish Admiral, was fir I rooeived. He was preaented by Sir Julián l'itnncefote. the Iiritish ambassador. Next carne VK-e-Admaa] KoznakofE the Rusian adm ral, wlio was introontacuzene, the Russi a i minister. llear Admiral Do ! il run of France was third, presented bj M. l'atenotiv. tiie Freitch ambasThen followed Rear-Admiral : : Ti _rlii if Jt.:i)y. for whom Baron The Spanish admiral, Señor T. Lono, tbough an invalid, did not fail to pay this ceremomal mark ot' respect to theehief exccutive at.d was followed by Beac-Ad miral Howard of Argentine, Rear-Ad' miral Nornona of .: lian lieel and the blonde-haíred and blue-cyed i captains of the '-.i..:n and Duteï iel b, Even '"i'i.11 the íestrictions which nav-1 discipline impcsed, the oppor'unity for viewing at close raime thv crack shijis of the ten oations formod a leading feature of the entertainment, which vi!l be memorial fov its Bpectacular eft'e 'ts, for tlie deafentng whioh the simultaneous discharga j f 840 gnns at once can produce, and the evidence of international friendsliip. which the peaeeful presence of the warships of so many foreign povrera in American waters afforded.