THE NAVAL REVIEW AT SPITHEAD.

Evening Star, Issue 10391, 12 August 1897, Page 4

THE NAVAL REVIEW AT SPITHEAD.

DESCRIBED BY THE AMERICAN ADMIRAL. TWENTY-FIVE MILES OF WARSHIPS. Admiral Miller, the naval representative of the United States at the Jubilee, has given the 'New York World' the following statement concerning tho unparalleled display of naval strength at Spithead, whero twenty-five miles of warships were drawn up in honor of the Queen:—"The review, while nominally gathered in honor of this occasion is really first of all an example of England s power and command of the sea. It will convey that meaning to all nations through the Press and the foreign representatives here. It also serves the purposed arousing the patriotism of Englishmen, both native and colonial, and enlisting their support to the increase of England's Navy. In the near future the English colonies will assist in imperial defence for tho good of the whole Empire, and this assemblage of ships will help to bring about that end. In regard to the qualities of the different ships it is hardly worth while to speak in detail. But 1 may say that the six ships of the Majestic class are the finest warships in the world. The United States will shortlyhavc a few as good and possibly better, but they are not yet ready. The first class cruisers Powerful and Terrific are marked improvements on the Columbia and Minneapolis, both in siz° and gun power, but probably not in speed" btipenor as this assemblage of ships' hj it does not contain a ship which in proration to itsi size carries as heavy a battery as t.ie American warships do. That ha? always b Jen the case. From the time of the Revolutionary war our American warships have aiways carried very heavy batteries and thrown more metal than any ships of the same size."

Describing his experiences of the dav Admiral Miller said: "After she passJd through the lines, the royal vacht, with tie Prince of Wales on board, anchored, and at a signal from the royal yacht all the foreign admirals, with tho members of _ their staffs, paid a visit to the Vnnce. Uc admirals ware presented to tae Prince of Wales in the order of our seniority, and each admiral, on being presented, introduced the members of his staff t> the Prince. Then the Prince presented to each admiral and to the chief of his staff a handsome commemoration medal as a snivemrof this notable occasion. I should mention that when all the foreign admirals had come aboard, the Princess of Wales cime down from the poop-deck and spoke to those oi them she had known before. 1 was presented to the Princess by an aide-de-camp, and she had a few pleasant words in say. After the Prince had delivered the medals to the admirals he specially congratulated me oa having such a fine ship as the Brooklyn, having been struck with her as he passed down the line. He also expressed his thanks to me that the United States had sent the ship as representing our uavy, and said some other equally complimentary tilings. The little ceremony ended, each admiral returned to his ship."' Nothing that has been written in anticipation of the Jubilee review at Spithead is la any way adequate to convey even a faint notion of its splendor as a spectacle or its profound impressiveness as a demonstration of the naval power of the British Empire. Xne array of ships of all classes was overwhelming in its magnitude and variety. Line after line of every modern type of fighting snip, from the grim-looking torpedo boats to England's last note in naval architecture, the first class cruisers Powerful and Terrible, of 14,200 tons displacement, with their four smokestacks, their rakish build and their ability to fire eight tons of metal per minute, stretched out until the last ships, five miles distant, were mere specks on the blue waters of the Solent. " The vastness of the displav was overpowering, and the mind was as u*nable a,3 the eye to take in and comprehend its full significance. Amid all'these shios from all nations none attracted more attention or admiration than the Brooklyn, which that gallant and genial sailor, Commander limery, had put in perfect trim. It was also noted that when the Prince of Wales was reviewing the fleet from the royal yacht he stepped forward on the bridge from the position he had occupied before, and was especially and markedly demonstrative in the way in which he saluted the officers of the Brooklyn, whose band was playing 'God save the Queen.' In fact, our nsw cruiser undoubtedly haa been one of the sensations of this unexampled gathering of the warships of all nations." DAZZLING LIGHTS AND OBJECT LESSORS IX WAK. The apotheosis of Great Britain culminated to-day in the greatest naval display in history. London witnessed the sumptuous outpouring of loyalty, the love of a proud people for their Sovereign, an exhibition of national growth and domination in tha lon» train of princes and potentates which graced tho Queen's triumph. All of it put together, however, furnished no such living picturo of the might of Britain as was to-day afforded by the great naval display in these waters. The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty, reviewed besides the British ships a fleet of foreign warships representing all the maritime nations of the world, the proudest, strongest, and swiftest of these craft being the United States armored cruiser Brooklyn. There were twentv-five mile 3 of British warships in five lines of five miles each, in all IC6 fighting ships of different classes, carrying about 000 heavy guns, manned by more than 45,00* men and of about 600,000 ton?. The following is a list of the countries represented at the review and of their respective ships and commanding officers :

Austria-Hungary, by the Wien, Vice-admiral Herman, Baron von Spami. Denmark, by the Heligoland, Rear-admiral H H. Koch. ...... France, by the Pothnau* Rear-admiral the Marquis De Counthille. Germany, by the Koenifr Wilhelm, Rear-admiral Prince Henry of Prussia, K.G. Italy, by the Lepsmto, Vice-admiral Morin. Netherlands, by the Evertsen, Kear-idmiral F K. Engelbrecht Norway, by the Frithjof, Rear-admiral Von Xrogh. Portugal, by the Vasco di Gama, Captain Uarreto De Vuseencelles. Russia, by the Rossia, Rear-admiral Nicholas Skrydloff. Spain, by the Vfccaya, Rear-admiral Scismunrto Barnejoy Merelo. Sweden, by the Gotha, Rear-admiral Klintberg.

t Y,? it „ e , < L States ' h i' the Brooklyn, jßear-admira! J. \V. Miller.

Of the twenty-one British battleships only four took part in the Jubilee display of ten years ago, while of the forty-three cruisers at anchor in the Solent not one existed in 18S7. Needless to say, the thirty torpedo boat destroyers are of a class only introduced during the past five years. Further, the battleships built before 1887 were armed with muzzle-loading guns, which, though extremely powerful and marvels of their day, have been entirely outclassed by breechloaders andtwire guns. Then, too, the later built vessels are armored by Harveyjsed steel, which can scarcely be penetrated in aotual warfare, whereas the guns of any of the ships of the Majestic class could easily send projectiles through the armor belts of any of the 1887 squadror,. The illumination of the fleet at night was one of the most charming sights of a week of delightful spectacles. At nine o'clock a rocket from the Renown signalled the .lighting up. Light lines ran in graceful curves along'the hulls, and from bow to stern over * the mast heads. A few minutes Liter'they vauished with the suddenness of their aopaarance. Then the darkness was broken again, this time by numberless searchlights. A pause, and the darkness was pierced by hundreds of rockets. A signal rocket leaped from the Renown, and now there was pro- i vided an exhibition of what war would be ! like if ever an immense fleet of battleships aud cruisers should engage at night. A royal salute of sixty guns was fired from every ship. Great guns aud small guns answered each other in one prolonged roar.