The Lake County times., 1907-12-19
BATTLE FLEET TO 60
AROUND THE GLOBE
Admiral Evans Tells Officers
Warships Will Return
via Suez.
EVERYBODY IS WELL ON BOARD
Messages from Louisiana Report
Boats $50 Miles Southeast of
Jacksonville, Wednesday.

United States steamship Louisiana at
sea, Dee Il. noon-The fleet is pro-
ceeding at regular speed ten and one
half knots an hour At noon today the
log had registered 25o miles. 1t is ex
peeted the fleet viii make Anegada
passage by noon of Saturday.
The fleet is proceeding in four col
umn formation. making rectangle
$500 yards wide and 1900 yards deep.
The four admirals lead the columns,
Read Admiral Evans flagship Connecti-
cut being the right guide. The as
signed interval between the ships has
been kept almost perfectly. The sea
so far has been of river smoothness.
At the wardroom dinner on Monday
night the announcement was made by
Admiral Evans, on the authority of
President Roosevelt. that the fleet
would return home by way of the Suez
canal
First News Of Fleets Destination.
The dispatch from the Louisiana con-
tains the first definite news of the plans
for the fleet after 1t has visited the
Pacific coast. The only program that
has been announced was that the ships
were to proceed TO Magdalena bay,
Lower California, arriving there, ac-
cording to the schedule. on March IA.
After a months target practice and
evolutions there the fleet was to pro-
ceed to San Francisco.
What the fleet was to do after that,
whether it would be sent on around the
world or return by the straits of Ma
gellan. was problematical There have
been any number of conjectures as to
what the fleet would do in event of
its returning by way of Suez. Not the
least interesting has been that a
friendly visit might be made to Japan,
Admiral Evans himself. In a signed
statement, which he gave out to the
press Saturday before sailing, said:
I hope when we arrive home or at
our destination the people will have for
us upon our arrival a welcome as
warm as is the Goodspeed which they
give us on our departure and that
should our commander in chief then
decide to send US on a mission of peace
and good will to nations of the other
hemisphere the same warm interest will
follow in the future as it always has
in the past"
Admiral Evans statement was taken
by many as indicating that the real
pines.
Voyage Would BE World Record.
A voyage around the world by 'the
battle fleet" or even half of it. would
| be a naval feat unsurpassed in the
history of the world. It would mean
a voyage of more than 10000 miles.
The trip TO San Francisco will cover
| 1000 The distance in miles from
San Francisco over the ordinary Suez
route would be:
San Francisco to Hongkong. ......7, ,0Ot
Hongkong to Singapore. 44(
Singapore to Colombo. $50
Colombo to Alden. ................2,10 100
| Alden to Port Said. d...............1,14 145
Port Said to Gibraltar. r............1,20 zoe
Gibraltar to New York 202
Anegada passage. which the fleet
is expected to make by Saturday noon
lies between Anegada island anc
Perra or Dog island Anegada island
IS a small rock. the extreme north
east of the Leeward group of islands
After going through this passage the
/ fleet will have straight course, g
| Spain, Trinidad Anegada island will
be the first land sighted since the
fleet left the coast.
| The messages from the fleet said that
the wireless telephones are being useC
on the trip and are proving successful
| The ships in the squadrons carry or
| conversations and receive orders fol-
| formations bv wireless teipDhODa