The Washington herald., 1907-04-27


Norfolk, Va, April 26-Aoout noon to-
day President Roosevelt touched a gold
button on a little desk ia front Of him,
and a spark jumped up from the electric
coil. Immediately a band struck up, a
gun doomed, and there were answering
roars from the feet Of fighting ships
anchored IN the falrway The Jamest0wn
Ter-Centenniai Exposition was formally
open TO all comers.
when the President presses the but
ton he wiz start in motion the thousand
wheels in the exposition" said a local
paper in its head lines last night A tail
Southerner from South Carolina stood up
in the grand stand to-day and watched
the President press the button. "Iye
been a-lo0kin' around some. said he 70
his neighbor, "but declare. I can't see
just what wheels are going 70 be set in
motion"
Say you oughtn't TO say that"
neighbor repr0ved. see that automobilly
over yonder? See its wheels goiH' round?
Wen, sir. that machine started just the
minute Mr.. Roosevelt pressed that but
ton. Yes, sir; IT sure did
Though the wheels did not go round in
the fair buildings the crowd that stood
out on the grass on Lee parade. in front
of the Presidents stand did nat ind fault
with that
They win go round some time; and
right son, said visitor, so just you
kind OF lnger around here q spell"
The jamestown Exposition is located IN
Hampton Roads at present. out with the
war vessels. and it was there that the
big noise Of to-day's opening was.
Thithe-. TOO went all Of the visitors that
could ind anything that could float and
navigate From the minute the FIRST gun
on Bob Evans fag ship. the Connecticut.
opened up on the Presidents salute be-
fore o'clock this morning until the
eye Of the last search1ight was put TO
ship late tonight. the steel seafghteTs
of ours and four other nations. ali in
lire out there kept up peoples faith
In a future glory 70 blossom on land
later.
Norfolk Blues Miss Fire.
Norfolk went to sleep last night with
/ one ear cooked for the first gun that ths
Norfolk Blues were TO fire out at the ez-
position grounds TO greet the morn That
was to be the alarm clock which was 10
give warning OF the approaching May
flower, expected shortly after sun-up. and
OF the salutes TO follow. The loyal Nor
folk Blues had promised 10 let or just
about 800 guns.
But there was no sunrise salute from
the Norfolk Blues. After all arrange
ments had been made and each Blue had
polished the buttons Of his uniform 10 re-
markahle sheen, it was discovered that
800 shots. which were TO greet the sun,
cost something like 500 The Blues told
the exposition managers that they could
sign the requisition for that 500 worth OF
powder The managers could not see il,
and up to a late hour last night they had
not been visited by any more clarified
visions. So the sun got up unassisied
this morning. and Norfolk oversight.
Long before O'Clock the MayflOWer,
. bearing the President and his party, was
sighted coming down the bay Before it
had passed Fort Monroe the Connecticut
started the first signal gun. and then. in
tremendous Gnison, every war boat In line,
from Old Point Comfort TO Pine Gro..,
touched of twenty-oue guns. Before the
hfsh round had been reached yellow
smoke hung low over the line and shroud-
ed each ship. Then Fort Monroe got into
line. By prearranged code the guns
on all the ffty-odd boats in the line
cracked out each shot In unison. Admiral
Togo heard no such racket in Tsushima
Straits.
The MayhoWer steamed across the y
directly in front of the flag ship Of Eear
Admiral Sir George Neville and the Brit
Usher let of another salute. while the
bluejackets and relocated marines lined
the bulwarks. Then, as the Mayfower
passed down the lines of battle ships ana
cruisers each Of The foreigners saluted
with their siX-poundurs.
MayhOver Takes Time
The Mayfiower did not hurry down the
lines, but took its time turning the flank,
where the big battle slsiD Georgia lay up
near Old Point. and gliding down 20
line past the trim white Gels....-. cruisers
and the muddy-looking Austrian astern.
Down at the Norfolk end of the line the
old monitor Canonicus. battered and dingy
IN its oId-time black paint, stood as a
guard ship.
Ship after snip was passed. each with
tine swapping lines of signal flags webbed
from masthead TO masthead. Along the
rails Of each stood the jaelies and marines
as rigid as pasteboard figures. There was
not hand moved on each deck while .h
few minutes tension Of review was a
upon one war vessel after another When
the Mayflower had made the run Of the
feet it came up 10 the middle of the freat
line and anchored between the British
cruiser Coed Hope and the German Room
The Dolphin. which had brought Secretary
Metealf and his party down from WASH
ington. anchored alongside of the May
flower.
Hardly had the Mayfower anchored
than launches began to sputter aror
through the waves. and rear adm
adnirals. and commanders. in fur res
of lace and epaulettes. came 10 pay q
respects to the President
Rear Admiral Bob Evans launch Wa
the first to reach the Mayflowers gaus-
way. The commander of the Atlantic
fleet iimped up the steps and found Ii
CONTINUED OK THIRD PAGE.
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