The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-08
BIG FLEET FOR FAR EAST.
Navy Reinforcing Warships There
ADMIRAL Swinburne to Command.

Admiral Swinburne to Command.
The armored cruiser New York.
VOW nearing The completion Of Der
reconatruction in the Boston nay
yard. and arn2ored cruiser St. Louis
have been ordered to the Pacific TO re-
place the protected cruiser Chicago
and the sunboat yorktown OF the Pa
cific feet While the cruisers Denver
and Cleveland. at present in the Sixth
Division of the Atlantic fee5, VIII, on
the termination OF their forthcoming
visit TO the Fulton celebration at
Bordeaux, France. proceed TO the
Asiatic station to reinforce the al
ready extensive feet in those waters.
The order directing the consolida-
ton under one command of all the
war vessels in the Pacific has been
forwarded to the Pacific and Rea.,
Admiral William T. Swinburne is
now the commander in chief Of all the
American ships in those seas, with
Rear Admiral James H. Dayton in
command Of the vessels in Philippine
and Asiatic squadrons. Rear Adpai-
raj Brownson. who, until few days
ago was the commander in chief Of
the Asiatic fleet, is about to start
for home to become the chief of the
bureau Of navigation at Washington.
The sending Of the New York, st.
Louis, Cleveland and Denver to the
Pacific has caused much talk Of q
speculative character in the navy and
officers are wondering what ships will
next be ordered to those waters. With
the commissioning Of the battleships
Minnesota, Kansas and Vermont,
there are now 19 first class and ,one
second class battleship in the Allan
tic and no one would be surprised If
two Of the first class -essels were sent
to the Pacific in order to make pos
sible the organization Of squadron
Of first class battleships for Admiral
Swinburne's fleet.
Several months ago it was rumor-
ed that the battleship Missouri and
one other battleship would be sent to
the Pacific, but that has now been
disproved, and the opinion seems to
be that when the navy department
decides to place a great fleet in the
Pacific it will be the Indiana and the
Iowa that will be sent from the At
lantic to form, with the new battle
ship Nebraska and the Wisconsin, the
nucleus Of a great Pacific squadron
Of first class battleships.
Under the reorganization Of the
Pacific vessels, the fleet there is di-
vided into three squadrons Of two di-
visions each, the most powerful of
which is the squadron Of four sister
armored cruisers that, under COM
mand Of Rear Admiral Dayton, is
looking after American interests in
the far east. Next in importance is
the fleet on duty along the California
coast. which is soon to be strengthen
ed by the addition Of the New York
and the st. Louis.
The New York, which is nearly
completed at Boston, may go to the
Pacic under a new name, in order to
permit the president to honor the
State OF New York by naming one Of
the two, great battleships of the
Dreadnaught class, recently author
lied by congress, after this State. In
that event, the impression is that the
New York will be renamed the Tren-
ton. The other great battleship may
be named the Texas, thus giving to
these ships the names of the State OF
greatest population and the State OF
the greatest area. The present bat
tleship Texas is now almost obsolete,
and the naval officers always smile
when they refer to the fact that the
smallest battleship in the navy bears
the name Of the biggest State, while
one of the biggest Of the new vessels
is named after Rhode Island, the
smallest Of the States.
In order to provide an adequate
number of nag officers for the Pa
cifc feet. the navy department will
also send an additional rear admiral
10 Manila. to take over the command
Of the Philippine squadron. This Of
fcer, it is said at the navy yard, is to
be Rear Admiral Henphill, who for
many years was the captain Of the
Brooklyn navy yard.-New YORK
Times.
,&Let me mail you free, to prove
,,,erir counleS of my Dr. ShOOp'S