The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-20
GROOMING THE BATTLESHIpS.
PRESIDENT MAY VISIT THE
SQUADRON ON THURSDAY.
Admiral Barker Enjoyed Greatly What May
kc Be Els Last Cruise-Met Few Mon
sroi,s and Found Our Own S0vereiEns
Abroad Wild Over the Men-o'.War.

Aumfu bhrbef EnJOyeu OEeetiy Wnht WAY
L. Be HIS Last Cruise-Met Few Mon.
arols and Found Our Own Soyereigns
.. Abroad Wild Over the Men-o'-war.
Rear Admiral Barker's bulldogs, the
Kearsarge, Missouri, Maine and Alabama,
Hing of Tompkinsville with the cruisers
Minneapolis and Topeka and the yacht
eylph. got thorough grooming yesterday.
The report came to the feet that President
Roosevelt might pay a visit to the Admiral
on Thursday or, his way from Oyster Bay
10 Washington.
The seamen Who could not get shore
leave yesterday were put to ork holyston-
ing, swabbing and polishing There was
plenty Of work for them to do. The long
cruise In the Mediterranean and the Adri-
alto had left its marks. The speed trial
on Saturday blistered the tunnels. But for
all their dinginess and the absence of fresh
paint, the battleships, Hooked so business
like and grim that they brought thrill OF
pride to every one OF thousands who visited
them.
"Our summer cruise was one OF the most
interesting ever took part in" said the
Admiral last night Il enjoyed it especially
because it was my last, i'll all probability.
The knowledge that l will be retired in
March gave me something Of the enthu-
siasm OF a midshipman on his first cruise
Everywhere we touched, the feet was
received with respect and icourtesy that
was gratifying. Those things are regu-
lated by naval etiquette, Of course. but
Americans abroad have told me they notice
a difference nowadays in the way American
warships are welcomed at foreign ports.
One thing that affected me, although 1t was
not a new experience by good deal, was
the wild delight with which Americans
greeted their country's ships In every
port We stopped Some Of them were
almost hysterical In their Joy at getting
foot on q piece Of America. They would
lean up against tho big turret guns and
pat them with sense OF proprietorship
that was as touching as 1t was amusing.
1We had some very enjoyable times en-
PERTAINING royalty When we put In at
Lisbon, June Q, Charles Page Bryan the
American Minister, gave grand ball for
TIRE of7ccrs OF the fleet and for the King and
Queen CT Portugal. King Carlos was en-
thusiastio ln Ids expressions OF friendship
for tie United States With several OF
my officers ! breakiasted with him next
dsy At his country place.
Ca tie night of the Fourth OF July we
gave ball on the hesTsarge, lying on
Athena King George Of Greece, Prince
Andrew ana The Princess Alice attended.
They had such good Tune that 1t was after
IL o'clock when they left the ship. The
King WA especially interested IN the nag
ship. He went over her, praisiDg every
detail of construction highly. Another
highly was the excellence OF the near
earge's band. 1t was explained to him
that after the men who are fairly good
musicians play together four years they
gave the King and the royal party special
concert and the band played Yankee
Doodle and Marching. Through Georgia
and Dixie in a way that III wager was
never heard in Greece before,
During the cruise In tie Adriadc we put
in at Fiume. Baron Erwin RossneI, Cover
nor Of Fume, entertained us royalty. His
palace ana gardens were decorated with
American flags. l wouldn't have believed
there were so many samples OF the stars
and Stripes in the Kingdom Of Hungary.
After dinner the best opera singers that
the Baron could get in Budapest gave
us a concert. We had pretty much the
same experience in Trieste. Admiral !adln,
we dined him. In fact, wherever We went
the ships were received with something
more than conventional courtesy:
The Admiral has private opinion that
no finer fleet of warships was ever got
together than took part in the summer
cruise. He was especially pleased with the
conduct of the men in foreign ports.
with something like 1000 men on DO; d,
said he, lit was impossible that all could
have leave wherever we went. lnforma-
OF a port as to how many men they thought
they could take care Of. From 800 to 4oO
seamen were allowed to 60 on shore and
stretch their legs at each port. and the
men gave the officers cause TO be proud OF
them. They kept out of .brawls, We're
reasonably sober and returned punctually.'
One Of the Admirsls Captains said that
the character Of the bluejacket has changed
for the better in recent years. Take,
for instance the fact that 600 were allowed
TO 60 to New York Sunday night" said
he. SIN the old days We would have been
fortunate IL 500 of the number returned on
time and presumably. As it was, there
were perhaps twenty that found the booze
too strong to allow of navigation.
Admiral Barker was pleased at the fast
time made by the battleships on the way
home from tho Mediterranean. We did
not crowd speed any said he, but we
crossed the Atlantic in ten days very easily,
making an average Of IL knots in all sorts
yard was splendid test OF seaw6rthiness.
Il was a bad storm, but the big ships went
through it perfectly. I was really sur
prised at the results OF the speed tests
SATURDAY. We QcolItN W JooJ IuC Clsluoo
to see how they would operate over foul
bottoms. The Kearsarge made 1874 knots
an hour, half knot less than her trial trip
speed. The Maine and Missouri did as
well, II not little better, but they did not
have much on the flagship, although faster
ships. Naturally, that pleased me-
The Admiral does not know yet which
shtp Of his feet Ia entitled to the champion
ship In target shooting. of Mememsha
Blight, Marthas Vineyard. The umpres
have not reported their scores.
Tho most interesting feature OF the
target practice was the night work" said
the Admiral. Might shooting has been
somewhat neglected in the navy, perhaps,
and It was thought desirable to see just
what results could be obtained. The 40
curacy Of the shooting was really astonish-
ing. The ships ran in turn past an ilumi-
mated target q mile distant Tho Kear-
sarge ran by the target at ten knots, or o bit
more, perhaps, and out Of nine shots from
the S-inch guns eight were planted In the
target, Few misses were made by any OF
the ships. The officers and men are await
ing the report Of the inspector OF target
practice, Lieutenant Commander W. s.
Sims, with q great deal Of interest. You
know there are few things in the navy that
cause keener sense OF rivalry than COM
petition In big gun shooting
Tompkinsyille boatmen charge q dollar