Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-02
DESTROYER FLOTXLLA
READY FOR CRUISE
six VESSELS OF FLEET START
FOR PACIFIC
Signal for Weighing Anchor to Be
Given This Mornins--Many
Stops to Be Made En-
Route
BY Associated Press.

6y AS6ociated Press.
NORFOLK, Va. Dec, 1.-The second
fotila of torpedo boat destroyers which
is to precede the powerful battleships
soon to sail for the Pacific under the
command of Rear Admiral Evans. began
its long voyage of 1900 miles at 2:40
p. M today. The six vessels composing
the flotilla sailed from the Norfolk navy
yard for Hampton Roads. where the re-
mainder of t..e day was spent in compass
adjustment work.
Weather permitting, and the indications
tonight are all favorable, Lieutenant
Hutchinson /. Cone. the flotilla COM
mander, will at 8 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing, from the flagship Whipple, give the
signal for the start. and after other com
pass work that may become necessary
has been completed in lower Chesapeake
bay, the fotilla will pass out of the Vir-
ginia capes, headed for San Juan. Porto
Rico, where the first stop will be made
Y Owing to unavoidable delay In getting
her ready, the big supply and refrigera-
tor ship, Arethusa, which is to convoy
the hotilla to the Pacific, will not sail
until December 8. She will join the fio-
tilla at Trinidad between December Is
and 2S While the Arethusa carries sup
plies of all kinds for the f1otilla and the
machinery needed in the event of
breakdown, the destroyers. in addition 10
the 1S0 tons of coal in their bunkers,
each carries some twenty or more tons
of coal on deck, and will easily make
San Juan without the need of additional
coal or other supplies.
From trinidad the Arethusa will ac-
company the fiotila on the voyage until
San Francisco is reached. May Is. 1908
The Artethusa will be the paymasters s
ship and carry all the money.
The fiotil.a will be met by the Evars
battleship squadron at Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil, between January 10 and 20. This
will probably be the only time that the
battleships and torpedo boat destroyers
will meet during the voyage, as the
latter, though capable of 25 to 20 knots
an hour, win only proceed at rate of
1o1s knots an hour. This low rate OF
speed will be maintained for comfort
aboard. and then. too, the Arethusa's
speed Is not much in excess of this.
This voyage by the little torpedo boat
destroyers, all four-funneled steel ves-
sells, $50 feet long. 20 feet beam and 600
tons displacement, is declared by those
going out with the fleet to be quite as
hazardous as the voyage made by the
first flotilla to the Philippines severa.
years ago, but nobody fears that the
trip will not be be made in safety, A
notable fact is that the fiotila COM
mandsr, Cone was aboard the destroyer
Dale on tho voyage to Manila. He is the
only man on this expedition who made
that voyage of 5000 miles, or 1000 miles
more than the second fiotilla viii have to
cover on the trip to San Francisco.
The six destroyers ir this f1otilla carry
a crew OF so men each. Nearly all OF
the boats carry a Japanese steward and
cook each.
The formation of Tie destroyers en- route
will be as follows:
Whipple. Truxton. Lawrence, Hull.
Hopkins and Stewart.
The destroyers will: arrive at Magdel-
ena bay April 6; depart April 2S
Arrive San Francisco May %.