The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-26
The CRUISER
RALEIGH
Continued rom Page one1.

any coming TO blows between Japan
and the United States. Uncle Sam was
ready, not only to deliver q defensive
blow, but to make a most aggressive
move in the event of the Japanese gov.
eminent not being able to contain it
self.
These are the things one hears from
the men of the Raleigh, not from the
officers. The officers are not talking.
The Raleigh will leave this port prob
ably on Thursday next for Mare Island
She vii not remain in port to wait
for the Asiatic squadron which sailed
for Honolulu from Yokohama the other
day. She is moving independently and
in Yokohama received orders to make
as good time as possible to Honolulu
and thence to San Francisco. She
starts this morning taking aboard 470
tons of coal.
After the Raleigh has been repaired
and certain changes have been made
she viii again be put in commission
and probably sent to these waters. She
is likely to return to Honolulu about
the time the sixteen battleships arrive
here early next year from the Atlantic
and there is also some talk of her being
put on station here indefinitely after
being recommissioned. At present,
however, there is no telling how long
she viii be in the hospital and her
present crew will all be transferred up
on arrival at the coast to other vessels,
few to the U. s. s. Albany and some
to the cruisers Maryland, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia and Colorado, those
whose time does not expire taking the
place of men whose time expires aboard
the cruisers named.
There were hundreds at the beach re-
sorts yesterday morning who observed
the approach of the Raleigh and the
first general impression was that there
were several vessels of war arriving,
so much has Honolulu heard Of this
port going to be made the center of
gathering of the fleets. But the great
gathering is a long way off. The COM
ing of the Raleigh is but the foretaste.
The Raleigh sailed from Yokohama
for Honolulu on August u. Seven days
after leaving the japanese port she ran
into a heavy northerly storm and had
to heave to for several hours, otherwise
she would have arrived here yesterday
morning.
During the storm those aboard the
cruiser were prepared at any time 70
see the decks swept of all that could
be carried away. A boat which was
carried forward was washed overheard
by one of the tremendous seas which
struck the warship. A storm usually
effects ship of war more than a pas
senger liner, her guns not being con-
dueive to equilibrium in heavy wealth
er. The Raleigh was well handled,
however, her men being tried and sea
soped and her commander knowing as
much of the business as any master ever
learned.
On the Naval wharf last night it was
told how the Raleigh and other Ameri-
IAN ships on the night of July 8 last
were ready for action at moment g
notice. Early in the day of July GER
ain cipher messages had been received
rom Washington and the officers OF the
leet were on the alert. They were or
Tered to the flagship where a consulta-
ion was held. Three japanese men-of-
var had come to Chefoo shortly after
he American boats had arrived and the
eport was out that six or seven more
we're approaching. The reports of the
of the japanese vessels of
var, in conjunction with the cipher
messages from Washington, put the
American cruisers on guard and the
men of the feet were ready to clear
iecks for action at any moment. But
he order did not come and in few
lays the japanese warships withdrew.
The men of the Raleigh verify believe
hat that night was the most critical in
he history of the strained relations be-
ween Japan and the United States.
The records of the war department will
bear out the convictions of
he crew of the Raleigh.
owe were not looking for trouble,
aid one of the gun crew, "but
ON t think we would have been disap-
ointed if it had come. We were
eady."
The Raleigh came here December IL,
sos, with three battleships and three
ruisers. Kentucky, Wisconsin and Ore
on and New Orleans, Albany and
ineinnati from Yokohama. That was
he greatest naval demonstration Ho-
olulu ever saw.
The protected cruiser Raleigh is 800
eet in length, AZ feet beam, IS feet
raft. 1913 tons displacement and Is
nots speed. Her main battery con-
sts of eleven fve-inch guns and her .
econdary battery includes eight six 9