The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-13
BIG REVIEW OF wARsHIps
THREE sQUADRoNs INSPECTED
IN HAMPTON ROADS.
The Review Was Made by Secretary
OF tisc Navy Morton and Admiral
Dcwey-E1cef Was One OF the Most
Powerful Ever Gathered IN tho
Roads-TbouSands Of People Wit
messed the Interesting Spectacle.

Norfolk, Va. January s.-Headed by
h hrst class oattleship Kearsarse
flying the blue pennant OF Rear Admir-
a A. 8 Barker eighteen warxhips OF
the United States navy are tonight on
their way down the coast to the winter
maneuvering grounds after having
been inspected and reviewed IN Hamp-
ton Roads today by the Secretary OF
the Navy Hon. Paul Morton. and Adj
miral George Dewey,
The fleet. made up OF tia ha~ttieshlps.
coast and Caribbean squadrons and the
second fotilla Of torpedo boat destroy
ers. is one OF the most powerful ever
gathered in Hampton Roads under the
American nag. and the spectacle of the
review and inspection as witnessed by
thousands OF people on 9th sides Of the
Roads was one OF grandeur. The bis
white hulks OF the battleships and the
squatty monitors, the high cruisers and
the rakish green torpedo craft stood out
in bold relief against the blue waters
n the blue sky in three columns. the
right being made up OF the coast anu
the Caribbean suuadrons. the centre OF
the battieships and the left or the tor
pedo craft.
The battleship Kersarge, as flagship
OF Rear Admiral Barker, headed the
central column. while the Texas, flying
Rear Admiral Sands pennant. led n
coast warships. behind which was the
cruiser Newark. flagship OF the cario-
bean squadron. with Rear Admiral SIgs-
bees pennant at her main peak. The
torpedo fiotilla was under command OF
Lieutenant Commander johnson, on the
Whipple.
There was not a cloud to east a shad-
ow over the Roads when the dispatch
boat Dolphin, carrying the Secretary
n the Admira OF the navy arrived
this morning and was greeted by "a
seventeen-gun salute from the land bat
teries of Fortress Monroe. and the flag
ships of the three squadron. The inspec-i
ton consisted of the Dolphin steaming
down the line OF ships between the bat
tleship and coast squadron, returning TO
take her station at the head OF the
columns between the Kearsarge and the
Texas. When she dropped anchor Rear
Admirals Barker. Sands and Sigsbee
made official calls upon the Secretary
Of the Navy and Admiral Dewey. They
We're ollowed by the commandant OF
Fortress Monroe AS each OF the squad
ron commanders left the deck OF the
dispatch boat the rear admiral's salute
of thirteen guns was given and a nine
gun salute was fired when Colonel
Potts. the fort commandant left.
The cisits of the officers were
followed by calls by the commanding
officers of the various ships after which
the Dolphin weighed ancho and pro-
ceeded toward the being saluted
by the fort, which courtesy she replied
to. When she a gone about a mile
the Kearsarge got under way and fol-
lowed by all the other vessels in the
following order at eighth Of a mile inter-
walls: Battleships Kentucky. Illinois.
Alabama, Missouri and Iowa: Coast
squadron, battleship Texas, monitors
Florida, Nevada and Arkansas: Carib-
bean squadron, cruisers Newark, Taco
ma, Denver and converted yacht Scor-
pion; torpedo fiotilla, destroyers Whip
pie, Marlborough, Stewart and worden.
A Lake submarine torpedo boat from
Newport News stood by as the process
sion passed and saluted each vessel in
turn.
When the capes were reached the
Dolphin dropped out from the head OF
the column and as each flagship passed
in review a seventeen gun salute was
fired.
The ships Inspected and reviewed to-
day represented a total tonnage OF
9S. 679 and carried 40 officers and 5,fss
men. Their armament consists Of six
teen 12-inch, twelve 13-inch. sixteen s.
inch and sixty-two 6-inch guns, in ad-
dition TO a secondary armament Of one
hundred and sixty-ffve ~s-pounder and
many guns OF smaller calIbre.