Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-24
WARSHIPS ARE GATHERING
Largest Fleet Ever Seen in Hampton Roads
ia Ready for Exposition.
FOREIGN VESSELS ON WAY TO HARBoR
Great Britain, Germany and Austria
VIII Have ships at jamestown
Exposition in Time
for Opening.
FOREIGN VESSELS ON WAY TO HARBoR

semDied IN the historic waters OF Hampton
Roads-SOoOOO tons Of floating steel-was
made ready today to receive the first Of
the visiting foreign battleships and cruisers
which are from time to time to take part
in the celebrations which will mark the
progress Of the jamestown Tercenteunial
exposition.
For the opening Of the exposition, Friday,
the 26th, the war vessels OF Great Britain,
of Germany and of Austria are expected
One Of the visiting Germans. the dark
hulled criser Bremen, commanded by Lieu-
tenant Commander Alberta, Is already in
the roads, awaiting the arrival OF the
! Room, big armored cruiser, typical OF the
modern fighting craft in Emperor VIII
| ltam's navy. The Room, II is expected.
may arrive late this evening, when it will
be officially welcomed by a boom Of cannon
from the Connecticut, the flagship OF Rear
Admiral Robley D. Evans, commanding
the Atlantic fleet.
All the American vessels now at anchor
belong to the Atlantic fleet There are
! probably twenty-five batteships and
cruisers in the far-fiung line, which is
headed by the Connecticut, tust of the
government pier at Fortress Monroe, and
which trails away almost TO the vanishing
point up the broad channelway leading to
Norfolk.
Fleet an Exhibition.
The fleet has been arranged so as to give
! the visitors to the exposition the best pos
sible opportunity for viewing the fighting
strength OF the American navy, The
glistening white hulls spotless in their new
coats Of paint, and the buff superstructures
| OF the two and three-piped line of battle
ships and armored and protected cruisers
form marine panorama as viewed from
the water front esplanade OF the exposi-
ton grounds, such as has seldom, II ever
before been presented to the American
public The vessels are anchored several
thousand yards Off the exposition shore
and being arranged in huge semi-circles,
are visible from every part of the grounds.
Practically every type OF fighting craft in
the American navy is represented in the
positions Battleships range from the
190OO-toa monsters Of the Connecticut and
Louisiana class-the forerunners of the
Dreadnoughts about to be added to the
navyN-down to the all but abandoned old
Texas, the oldest American battleship and
sister Of the Maine, which was wrecked in
Havana harbor. The Texas was built at
the Norfolk navy yard many years ago
and. being local product, is. to remain at
the exposition as a permanent feature OF
the naval exhibit With its eight guns
and paltry 6Sl5 tons OF weight. the Texas,
when ranged alongside the mammoth Con-
necticut. which mounts twenty-four guns
and dispiaces 1900 tons of water, offers a
striking example of the progress OF the
American navy since the days of 1885,
when the Texas and the first Maine were
authorized by congress.
The cruisers of the feet are all modern
craft. though the variance In size between
the largest and the smallest is as great as
that which marks the heavier vessels of the
battleship class. The armored cruisers
Tennessee and Washington, each OF 14,5Ot
tons and mounting twenty guns each, are
the heaviest Of the cruisers. They can hur
a weight of metal almost equal to the first
class battleships, while they possess the
heetness OF the ocean greyhound-the mas
sive, throbbing engines in their holds being
capable Of the development Of 1000 horse.
power. The smallest cruisers are the Den
yer and Cleveland. OF 31OO tons each-the
third class Of the protected vessels of the
navy. In the cruiser class, the most in
7 teresting vessel is perhaps the Brooklyn
the flagship Of Rear Admiral schley in the
! battle with Cerveras squadron or Santi
ago, Cuba. The Brooklyn, bearing on it'
after turret the memorial plate simply and
t eloquently inscribed July 3, 1885," will aisc
2 remain a permanent naval exhibit during
2 the seven month of the life of the expo
{ sition.
) Other Foreign Vessels.
g The British squadron, under command OF
1 Rear Admiral Neville, is expected in Hamp
ton Roads either tomorrow or Thursday
i There will be four armored cruisers in the
squadron, a homogeneous set OF gray
coated freighters built along the fleet line,
OF all the modern British vessels. The flag
ship will be the Good Hope and the com
| x.rfll he ha A
shire and Roxburgh.
The Austrian vessels, the armored cruiser
sankt George and the protected cruiser
Aspern, viii arrive either late THURSDAY
evening or early Friday morning. It g.
hoped they will be here in time for tn,
opening ceremonies. The vessels OF tht
other navies OF the world will arrive OF
, dates yet to be fixed. The japanese squad
ron is expected May s.
President Roosevelt will review the gath
cred American feet and the visiting for
eigners from the bridge OF the Mayfiower
on Friday morning before he lands on tn
exposition grounds. The foreign vessel
! will be given positions OF honor inside tn
b. / long sweeping circle OF American ship
: during their stay In the roads.
. Fifteen hundred blue jackets VIII b.
o landed from the American vessels to TAX
= part IN the military and naval parade Fri
! day afternoon. which will be reviewed b.
n the president from the grandstand erecte
n on the expositon's plaza known as Lee
u parade. The foreign vessels in port a tina
time will be invited TO land parties and
, they consent to do so their forces will b
% given the right Of line.
President starts Thursday.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 28.-Presl
= dent Roosevelt will leave the navy var
= here at $50 o'clock Thursday afternoo
! on the yacht Mayfower for the Jamestow
l. exposition. Accompanying him will b
Secretary Loeb, several OF the president
n children and perhaps some other guests
II The review OF the American and foreig
ships now in Chesapeake bay will occup
l. an hour on Friday morning and the re
& ception on board the Mayhower by IN
; president and Mrs. Roosevelt to the on
GERS Of the foreign men-of-war will begi
AT $50 a. m. on that day.
Minnesota 40 bar Passes.
N ST. PAUL. April 2.-The Joint legisla
| tive COMMITTEES on free passes this aftel
a.. al