Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-10
FLEET MUST MOVE ON
BattIeships IN New York Har-
Dor in the Way.
FORMAL NOTICE SERVED
By Supervisor Of Anchorages on Com
handing Officers.
SOME ORDERED AWAY AT ONCE
Illinois Anchor Ripped Open a
Standard Oil Pipe Line, Which
Was Not Charted.
SOME ORDERED AWAY AT ONCE

| couldn't have happened in Washington
| where love of country and of government
Is so strong. but here in commercial and
| prosaic old New York most any old thing
| Is possible.
| The American feet, which has been rid
| Ing majestically at anchor In the North
| river. attracting thousands of sightseers to
beautiful Riverside drive and to the tower
| ing Palisades along the Jersey shore, has
| been requested to move on" Politely, but
| firmly. 1t has been intimated that the grace
full arrnored cruisers. with their great length,
| and the battleships, the flower of the
American navy, with their stalwart breadth
| OF girth, are decidedly In the way. And
| this. too. with no less parsonage than
| Rear Admiral Fighting Bob Evans in
command. When republic makes up it's
| mind to be ungrateful 1t is no respecter OF
persons.
| Hurried preparations are going forward
| Tor quitting New York's inhospitable wat
| ers. 1t was yesterday afternoon that the
| supervisor of anchorages of New York
harbor called on the commander of the
splendid Atlantic fleet and served formal
notice that the ships were taking up too
much room in the river and were seriously
| interfering with navigation. On board the
vessels 1t was admitted that the ships are
anchored we'll in the fairway but it was
| pointed out that they could not anchor
farther In shore because of the shallowness
| of the water on the Jersey side.
Crews on Shore Leave.
About one-half the crews of the various
| vessels are on shore leave for periods of
| from three to seven days, SO If the super
| visor of anchorages decides to proceed in
| the matter Immediately there will be some
| embarrassment. The ships that are slated
| to go to the Brooklyn navy yard for re-
pairs, Will, however. be ordered away at
| once The battleship Indiana recently re-
| punt here and made into modern fighting
| machine, has already gone to the yard for
minor repairs, and will be followed by the
| flagship Alabama of the second division of
| the Atlantic fleet. The Illinois has re-
| ceived orders to get her men back by Sum
| day morning next and to proceed that day
| for Boston The Iowa has received similar
| orders regarding her crew and is directed
to sail for the Norfolk navy yard where
| she Will be thoroughly overhauled This
| will leave only six ships in the North river
| instead of the twelve which were there last
| Sunday. Those that remain are the flag
| ship Maine, the Missouri, the Kearsarge
| and the Kentucky of Admiral Evans first
| division, and the flagship West Virginia
| and the Maryland of Admiral Brownson's
| armored cruiser division. They will re-
| main In their North river berths for several
| weeks to come unless mandatory orders
| to move are issued by the port authorities.
| In the latter event the ships will be driven
| to the various navy yards, whether there
| is room for them not.
Ihere Is probably no place in all the
| world where the great white and buff
| ships of the American navy show off to
| better advantage than here in the North
river. strung along at anchor at inter-
walls of about 400 yards. they stretch from
! the foot Of Riverside drive at West rcd
| street to Grants tomb at 125th street
| and beyond. They lie within a stones
| throw of the New York shore. Riverside
| drive is always crowded when the ships
are in port, and the parking which leads
| from the drive to the river bank holds
| thousands of sightseers
| When Prince Louis of Battenberg had
| his squadron of British armored flyers in
pert they were given berths in the North
| French feet of Admiral Canapion was in
the stream. New York's inhospitaIity did
| not manifest itself while they were in
| port, but now that all international Sig
| nificance has departed and the American
| ships are merely waiting their turns to
| go to the shops for repairs they are or
| dered to move away and give the tug
| boats and scows engaged in the Hudson
| trade q chance.
Fished Up Pipe Line.
Much talk has been occasioned by the ac-
cdent for which the battleship Illinois was
| responsible the other day. Dragging an
Choir last Sunday. the Illinois suddenly rip
ped open Standard Oil pipe line laid across
the bed Of the North river from 9th street
| to the Jersey shore. The line was not
| charted. and one In authority seems to
| know just when it got there, but the Stand
| ard has been pumping thousands OF gallons
| of oil into New York city through it every
| day for years. The officers on board the
Illinois could not imagine what the anchor
had fouled until the surface of the river be-
| came iridescent with the petroleum. 1t Is
| estimated that fully 5000 gallons of good
Standard oil was shipped down the smooth
flowing Hudson that day without rebate
| from anybody.
Coming right on the heels Of the Presi-
| dents Standard Oil message, the action of
| the Illinois in breaking into nice, quiet
| private pipe line is regarded as being at
least fmpolftic An officer Of the Standard
| went aboard the Ilionis today to protest,
| but when asked to produce an official chart
with the pipe line noted on it he was I'M
able to do So There seems to be no way
| in which the oil company can collect for the
| petroleum which went to waste before the
pumps on the Jersey shore could be noti-
| fled to shut down.
While the American ships may interfere
| with navigation. they have never been SO
| greatly admired by the general public as
during their present visit. An excellent OPP
| portunity to contrast the famous white
vessels with the dark-hulled Englishmen
and the still darker-hued ships of the
French squadron was afforded 1t is true
the English ships-real greyhounds of the
sea they are-are but a memory, but they
were visited by thousands while here
Everything about them seemed dfngy and
white sides of the American ships and the
spick and span decks of the home feet.
The Frenchmen also attracted attention,
but they seemed much like the English
men, and their ships suffered in compari-
son with the four-piped West Virginia and
her sister ships of the American armored
cruiser division. The white vessels Of the
American navy are bound to attract admir-
ing attention wherever they are seen. The
fame Of the renowned white squadron is
destined to endure forever. The gray for
eigners when seen at any distance, mingle
so closely in the general color scheme of
the harbor's shipping that they are barely
dfstinguishable. The American vessels
stand out In sparkling distinctness
The American sailors fraternized quite
socially wit hthe French jacisfes while here
an dagain comparison of types was In
evitable-and most flattering to American
pride. The little Frenchmen. with their
small feet and tiny, quick steps, Jared
badly alongside the stalwart American tars.
But down to the Bowery they went to-
gether. and many a. good time they had.
The Bowery seems to hold its once glitter
Ing fame only with the royers Of the sea
nowadays. It Is still the haven of the
sailor. They all know of it. no matter from
what port they come-whether they are
man-o'-warsmen of merchantmen. An i'm