Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-12-19
OUT ON THE OCEAN
Sixteen Giant Battleships Have
Started on Their Long Cruise
to the Pacific.
PRESIDENT LED The LINE
Strictly On Schedule Time Fleet Was
Reviewed by Executive and In
Double Column Passed
Out to Sea.

Old Point Comfort, Va, Dec. IT,
Sixteen hard-hitting steelbelted Amer
lean battleships. gun bristling ant
burly of girth, but sparkling white II
their immaculate dressings of peace
sailed away Monday under the DAG
cling sun Of cloudless winter sky OF
their famous twin-sea expedition O.
$4,000 miles, along foreign shores ant
changing climes, to the west coast o.
the United States. President Roose
welt on the bridge of his cruiser-yacht
the Mayfower, personally led the mag
nificent four-mile line Of fighting yes
sells during the first stage Of the voy
age. From the anchorage ground In
Hampton Roads to the Horseshoe Bend
Of Chesapeake bay his eagle-crested
flag of blue pointed the way to the
fleets new home at the Golden Gate
Then, when the wide reaches of the
sea were visible through the wide
swung capes of Virginia, he turned
aside and coming to anchorage, re-
viewed the passing pageant.
As naval pageant, tire review and
departure of the fleet Monday was the
most notable in American history.
There have been several presidential
reviews of the Atlantic feet during
the past Is months, but in those in
stances the great ships were lying do
cile at the end of spreading anchor
chains while the reviewing yacht
passed up and down their lines. Mon
day the feet was under way, had cast
off from the shore and was outward
bound on cruise, which, as the presi-
dent himself expressed it, mo fleet Of
such size has ever before under
taken" The guns which had voiced a
welcome to the president upon his ar
rival in Hampton Roads uttered
goodbye tribute as they passed the
Mayflower outward-bound. The salute
of welcome had been paid in union
ism; the farewell tribute was an in
dividual offering from each one of the
16 ships.
The fleet passed out in single col
umn, the big government-built Con-
necticut, flagship of Admiral Evans,
leading the way.
The early morning scenes about the
feet anchorage was most picturesque.
Long before daylight the tidy little
steam launches were making their
last trips from the shore, some Of
them blowing impatient Whistles for
delayed mail or doilies, who were the
last persons to be taken abroad.
The president received all the ad-
mirals and captains on board the
Mayfower, but made no speech. The
occasion he felt did not require one,
as the setting out of the feet is re-
garded merely as detail of naval
practice and training. But to the
guests on his yacht the president ex-
pressed his unfeigned delight at the
showing made by the magnificent
feet
The feet sailed from its anchorage
shortly after 10 o'clock. There was
not the slightest hitch in any detail
of the carefully planned programme.
AS the Connecticut steamed past the
crowded government pier at Old Point
the band on the quarter deck played
1.-THE Girl Left Behind Me" and
"Aulg Lang Syne" and there were
great cheers from the shore and a
lively screeching Of whistles from the
excursion feet.
Here are a few facts about the feet
which sailed Monday:
Number of battleships, 16; distance
to be covered, $4,000; Number of tor
pedo boats, 6; men abroad ships, 49,
300; probable time of trip 1876 days;
Longest run between ports, 3,105
miles; number of guns, $50; total ton
mage OF feet, 226, 436; average speed
If battleships, is knots; average
speed of destroyers, 20 knots; speed
10 be maintained, ten knots.
Following is a list of Admiral
Eyen's ships and their commanders;
Connecticut - Captain Hugo W.
0sterhaus.
Kansas-Captain Charles E. vree
and.
Vermont-Captain William P. Pot
er.
Loulsiana-Captain Richard Vain
wright.
Georgia-Captain Henry McCrea.
New Jersey-Captain William H. H.
Switzerland.
Rhode Island-Captain Joseph B.
durdock.
virginia-Captain Seaton Schroeder
Minnesota-Captain John Hubbard.
ohio-Captain Charles w. Bartlett.
Missouri-Captain Greenlief A. Mer-
lam.
Malne-Captain Giles B. HARDER.
Alahama-CantainT Ten Evek n -