People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — BRITONS ARRIVE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BRITONS ARRIVE.

Her Majesty’s Great Warships in Rendezvous in Hampton Bonds. Fortress Monroe, Va., April 18.— The biggest naval show ever seen in American waters dawned over Chesapeake bay Monday morning. Over a restless sea, silvered by a bright sunshine, came Great Britain’s big cruisers, jacks flying, guns boSming and pennants whirling. From a dozen mastheads, from forts and warships, all up and down the roads there began the rattle and roar of salutes, nation saluting nation, rear admirals saluting vice admirals and flagships saluting commanders. Within the space of twenty minutes around 9 o clock the

forts and double line of ships shattered the air with over ICO guns as the United States, Great Britain, Russia, France and Italy paid their noisy respects to each other. It was truly a grand spectacle as her majesty’s five cruisers came sweeping in to join the mighty warships already clustered in Hampton roads. The mighty Blake led the way. She is the greatest ship that will be seen at the review. She is the heaviest, has the largest crew, and above all, she carries the British vice admiral, the ranking officer of the entire assemblage, a commander who takes precedence over the three American rear admirals and the only naval officer who is entitled to the glory of fifteen guns. Following the giant Blake came the Magicienne, the Tartar, the Australia and the Partridge, all with the British jack flowing boldly from the stems. All were trim and no description would tell how proud the Britishers looked as they came into the roads.

Before the Blake was opposite the extreme east end of the American line the fort began to boom the national salute of twenty-one guns do the British flag. The Blake responded gun for gun. The other foreign vessels dropped anchor before answering, but the Blake bore down the line, firing as she went As the fort finished the Philadelphia began its salute of fifteen to the vice admiral. The Blake gave fifteen guns to the Amer ican rear admiral; the Jean Bart, Giovanni Bausan and general admiral joined in with fifteen each for Vice Admiral John Hopkins, K. C. 8., and the noise was as though a hundred thunderbolts were splintering themselves overhead. The British vessels came to a military halt in the places assigned to them. Along toward 3:30 o’clock the people gathered along the water front saw a tall-masted ship bearing in toward the fleet. She did not have the build of a war vessel, but those who had field glasses saw that she carried Holland’s

flag. It was the Van Speyk. She left Bermuda only a few hours after the British squadron and came in on good time. When she was a mile away the guns at the fort began to belch the twenty-one salutes. The Van Speyk steamed slowly on her way and did not respond until she halted just south of the flagship, Philadelphia, where she began the return, after which she fired the rapid salutes to Admiral Gherardi and Admiral Hopkins until the air was murky with Dutch smoke. Just as the nerves of the populace were beginning to quiet the French vessel Hussard came into the roads to join the Jean Bart, and all the riot was repeated. These two ships that came in are old-fashioned craft and might have gone by unnoticed if it had not been for their flags.

Chicago, April 18. —May wheat declined three ana one-half cents per bushel during the first hour’s trading on change. July was also weak and declined one cent during the same period.. As all the news was of a bullish character the decline is thought to be in a great measure due to further selling by the clique. Pardridge both bought and sold July, but did nothing in May, and it was generally supposed that whatever had been his shortage in the latter delivery had been settled by him privately at seventy-nine cents on Saturday.

ADMIRAL GHERARDI.

THE U. S. FLAGSHIP PHILADELPHIA.

THE FRENCH FLAGSHIP ARETHUSE,

Decline in May Wheat.