The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-10
BIG FLEET HAS
TWO LAGGAROS
KENTUCKY AND MINNESOTA
ONLY WAR VESSELS NOT
YET AT NORFOLK.
ARE EXPECTED TODAY
Admiral Evans Goes Aboard Flagship
connecticut--Subord Off
GERS Pay Respects
SaIutcs Fired.

Old Point Comfort Va, Dec o.
The double starred flag Of blue, the
emblem OF the ommanderin-chief OF
the Pacific bound battleship fleet, was
flung to the breeze from the main
truck or the battleship Connecticut
today, and Rear Admiral Evans for
ntally assumed leadership ef the
greatest naval movement in the his
tory Of the American people This
was assembly day for the fleet which
Is to set sail next Monday and of tha
sixteen great fighting machines or
dered To skirt the soiithernmost end
ref America and inawgnrate new
era in the Pacific ocean. there were
but two laggards. These were the
Etc 00o tonned Minnesota, flagship OF
Rear Admiral Thomas. commander OF
the second squadron of the fleet. aud
the Kentucky, whose paltry II $50
tens recommend her to the end OF
the armored column, The Kentucky
ii the oldest vessel among the six.
teen, having been laid down with her
sister. Kearsarge, in 1898 at the be-
ginning ef the war with Spain Both
vessels are expected to drop anchor
fl Hampton roads tomorrow and then
the historic leet viii be complete.
The new Maine. which two short
years ago was the fagship OF the
commander inchief, bit Is now
thrown back to the eleventh place in
the list came in today making four
teen battleships at anchor off here.
The ships are displ sed in two long
lines leading ia crescent which be
gins Just OF Old Point Pier and to-
wards Norfolk The Connecticut
which lies scarcely more than a
stapss throw from the pier heads the
column nsa1ust t'iie sifcres Next Ia,
her is the Louisiana, champion hard
hitting fast-firing vessel Of her class,
and then iii turn comes the Kansas
aud Vermont all registered 10000
tons aud belted with steel rated well
night impregnable These four com
pose the first division OF the first
squadron and are the persona
charges of Rear Admiral Evans. The
second division of the first squadron
II made up OF the Georgia. Virginia
New Jersey and Rhode Island. The
flag of Rear Admiral Emory, com
this division, floats from the
Gcorgia's truck.
Ind Naxr
and Rhode Island are alike with a
displacement of nearly $1,000 tons
each: they combine tremendous
driving force of 1900 horses aud
their trial trips have all exceeded 10
krots. a speed attained by few
heavily armed vessels of the world,
A vacant berth at the head Of the
line In the second squadron was left
for the Minnesota, which Is bound
down the coast from the New York
navy yard. Awaiting the Minnesota
in the second squadron are the Maine.
Ohio and Missouri, Of the third divi.
sion of the feet and in the fourth
division are the Alabama, flagship cfI
Rear Admiral Speery, the Illinois ami
the Kearsarge The Kentucky VII
complete this division and the squad
ron.
Admiral Evans arrived this morn
ing by Captain Ingersoll. his chief OF
STAFF. and Lieutenant Commander
Chandler. his flag secretary. As his
flag was broken out from the mai
truck when he repaired aboard the
there were customary
salutes from nagships Of various
divisions and Admirals Emory and
Speery visited the flagship 20 pay
their respects. The commanding Off
cer of Fort Monroe also paid his re-
spects to the admiral Crowds Of
sight seers from all parts of the
country are assembled here to wit
ness the final preparations and dc.
parture OF the feet.
There were scenes OF much activity
about the feet today Crews we're
engaged in filling the bunkers OF the
vessels with picked" coal. while 9th
Prs were loading suppiment magazine
stores. those including hundreds OF
'ons of proiectiles anc other expio-
sfNa,