We are entering the harbor. Ding! and the engines are stopped, lines are thrown to the small launch coming alongside, and a German officer is helped aboard, who volunteers to show us to our assigned buoyage. The first of the unbroken series of hospitalities shown us by the Germans during our entire stay has been performed. Changing course to port, ahead we could see the spires and buildings of Kiel several miles distant; abeam, the little town of Friedrichsort close aboard; on our bow, distant about four miles, lay the little town of Holtenau, really little else than a suburb of Kiel, and here was pointed out by the pilot the canal, the opening of which we had come to celebrate. On our port hand the shore extended evenly from Kiel to our port beam, clothed in verdure, sprinkled by occasional villas, and marked particularly by a small hill just opposite the entrance to the canal, which had been surmounted by an immense stand for the reception of spectators to the yacht races following the opening week. In this harbor lay the German fleet, consisting of twenty-eight vessels, aside from torpedo-boats, and the Austrian fleet of four, many yachts, tugs, and steamers chartered for the functions. While gazing at the array before us we are aroused by the 21-gun salute of the flag-ship, fired in honor of the port. We now approach the German training-ships. The men are in the rigging. Three cheers ring out from the mass in the rigging. "Stand by to cheer ship!" yells the First Lieutenant. "Lay aloft!" and our rigging is a mass of human beings. "Stand by to cheer—hip, hip!" and the three long, hearty cheers of the Germans are returned. Again and again is this repeated as we slowly steam up by the line of ships riding to their moorings, the cheers ringing out even above the guns of the New York, which, it must be remembered, are all of this time engaged in a constant fusillade in extending and returning salutes to the Admirals of the various fleets.
Arriving at our buoy, we find that the boat which we had manned, ready for lowering, is unnecessary, as a German boat was waiting to carry out our hawser to the buoy. We are moored. Our position is not the best, but, being near the town, it counterbalances the disadvantage of being some distance from the canal entrance.
THE WAR-SHIPS PASSING THROUGH THE CANAL.
The two days now elapsing before the opening of the festivities, the grand ball at Hamburg, are days of preparation. The last touches are put on our white lustrous sides; the smallest particles of dirt or stain are carefully removed; morning and evening the various ships' boats are seen practising for the coming races. Entertainments have already begun. The officers of each German ship diligently apply themselves to the entertainment of the officers of the ship or ships assigned them, while the crews of our vessels accept similar hospitalities from the crews of theirs. These days also witness the arrival of the other numerous fleets—Denmark with two cruisers and four torpedo-boats; England with six battle-ships, two large cruisers, and two torpedo-boats, and two yachts; France with the Hoche, Dupuy de Lôme, and Surcouf; the Italians with nine vessels of all classes; Holland with two cruisers; Norway with two; Portugal with one; Roumania with two; Russia with three; Sweden three; Spain three; and others, making a total in harbor on the morning of June 19th of eighty-six war-vessels, aside from torpedo-boats. Besides this, the numerous yachts, liners, and tugs made the harbor fairly covered with floating habitations.
On this date the Admiral of our fleet, accompanied by his staff, went to Hamburg, where he had previously ordered the Marblehead, our smallest vessel, to await him. Here, after the ball, which opened the festivities, he went aboard that vessel and steamed down to Brunsbüttel, the mouth of the canal, where a column of sixteen vessels, headed by H. M. steam-yacht Hohenzollern, began at 4 a.m. the passage through the canal. This canal connects the Elbe (at Brunsbüttel) to the Baltic at Kiel by a rather tortuous passage of 65 miles in length. It is from 27 to 30 feet deep, 70 feet broad at the bottom, and 120 feet at the top. The total cost was 156,000,000 marks—$39,000,000.
THE EMPEROR'S YACHT OPENING THE CANAL.
At 8 a.m., June 20th, the holiday aspect suddenly came over the fleets.
The few flags and banners that the smaller boats had flown proudly the past few days were put to shame when at one instant, on the stroke of eight bells (a.m.), every ship hoisted her rainbow of every flag, extending from water-line forward over masts to water-line aft. Then the celebration began at Kiel. At noon the exit of the Emperor's yacht with the imperial party aboard was celebrated by the firing of thirty-three guns by each ship in the harbor, with rails manned, and officers in full dress.