Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-11
At PENSACOLA
DEWEY WILL
COMMAND
FLORIDA PORT WILL BECOME
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORT
! ANT NAVAL STATIONS IN THE
COUNTRY.

PENSACOLA, Fla. Aug. Rear Ad-
aniraI william G. wise visited Pensacola
Tuesday, and from authorized statements
given out from the navy yard by ofncers
IN high position, this place within few
months viii be one OF the most important
naval rendezvousing places OF the coun-
Try.
1T has developed that the real purpose
Of Rear Admiral wise's visit here was for
the purpose OF making preliminary plans
towards making Pensacola navy yard the
HEADQUARTERS OF the largest naval Meet
and the most formidable ever gathered To-
fEether In times OF peace. consisting OF
about half dozen battleships. about the
same number Of cruisers and gunboats
and a dozen or more torpedo boats and
tenders.
The navy department has planned that,
commencing at New York, this large fleet
VIII make land attacks on an cities OF
importance on the Atlantic coast and as
FAR south as Key West: from Key West,
each Gulf p0rt from there to Galveston
win be made objects Of these attacks The
itinerary has been so arranged that the
1ieet viii be in the gulf in the winter, rem
dezvousing at Pensacola during the lulls
IN the time OF practice
Admiral Wise is authority for the state
ment that vessels viii be laid up at tas
Pensacola yard in case repairs were neces-
STATED This port viii be made an OBJ
1ect Of great naval Importance from the
fact that all feet orders win be dissemin-
ated from here and all orders wiz be sent
from Washington here. In addition 70
This the feet viii be coaled in this harbor,
n preparation OF which there are being
built new six lighters at the navy yard.
representing a government expenditure OF
s6o.0e0 -Four old ones are now in service
here
Another feature OF this great naval
show win be the fact that no less per-
sonage than Admiral George Dewey HIM
elf viii be IN command. and under him.
OF second in command. viii be Rear Ad-
uafraI Hsggfnson- II IS said the new bat
fleship Kearsarge viii be the squadron >
flagship. but as the historic Olympia. used
BY Dewey at Manila. will be a part Of the
feet, II IS highly probable that this will
be used as a flag bearer for the great
sailor.
Admiral Wise came here 10 investigate
what. facilities were obtainable and when
the natural advantages obtaining here
were shown 20 him he readily selected this
place He left the next day for Mobile.
from thence he win proceed westward,
passing as far as central Texas, then re-
turn here and remain until the mimic
warfare as planned by the navy depart
ment win be ended
Another very important preparatory
step by the department Is the ordering
mere OF the training snip Lancaster 20 be
used IN whatever way most needed. This
vessel win probably see to IT. that safe
anchoraEes for larger ships OF the feet
will be marked out In order TO thorough
~ do away with an possible accidents.
The information that the ships viii rem
rExvous. here and make OF this place their
headquarters Is giaddeniug TO- thousands
Of people. both in Pensacola and the In
land surrounding country. When the
South Atlantic squadron was here for 81
DAYS two years ago. hundreds from the
interior came 70 see them. and viii do 50
again The fact that the feet viii be
commanded by Admiral Dewey Is great
enough IN itself 70 attract many.
The battieships that viii likely make W
the feet win be the Kearsarge, Alabama,
Massachusetts,. Texas and Indiana, and
cruisers. gunboats and torpedo boats will
be numerous.