Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-12-16
BATTLESH|P FLEET
SAILS FOR Pnoo|F|,,
Nightly Squadron
Starts on $4,000
Mile Cruise
GIVEN GREAT sEND.OFF
President Roosevelt Reviews
Giant Warships as They
Pass Out to Sea.

Old Point Comfort, Va, Dec. 16.--.
The backbone of the American navy
consisting OF sixteen first.class battle.
ships under command of Rear Admi.
raj Robley ID Evans, set sail TODAY
for the Pacific ocean, a fourteen thou.
sand mile cruise which mas set all the
world to talking.
Parading in review before the
President of the United States and
salutlng as they went the stately white
vessels drew their anchors from the
rendezvous ground at Hampton Roads
and steamed out past the famous old
virginia Capes and were lost to view
on the southern horizon. At ten knots
speed they went headed for the West
Indies. The fleet will bring up at
Trinidad on Christmas eve, the first
stage of the long journey ending
| there.
Parade Over Four Miles Long.
The fleet passed out in single col.
llmn, the Connecticut the flagship of
Admiral Evans, leading the way. The
vessels were four hundred yards apart
and from the Connecticut to the Ken.
lucky which brought up the rear the
line reached distance of over four
miles. Many yachts and excursion
boats accompanied the fleet down the
bay President Rooseve1ts party on
the Mayflower, included Secretary OF
the Navy Metcalf, The naval dis
patch boat Dolphin also came from
Washington with a party of Congress.
men on board.
Upon arriving in Hampton Roads,
the Mayflower anchored In the very
center of the throbbing fleet. Then
followed a reception on board Presi.
dent Roosevelt having a farewell mes
sage for the four rear admirals and
sixteen commanding officers of the
squadron. At the conclusion OF the
meeting on the Mayfower the Presi.
dent shook each officer by the hand
and as they went over the side he
bade them an official adieu.
Presidents Yacht Led the Way.
| With the departure of the fleet Off
GERS the Mayhower proceeded to
get under way almost at once, so as
to take her place at the head of the
formidable column and lead the way
to the reviewing waters off the Thin
bic Shoal lighthouse, ten miles out in
Chesapeake Bay. Orders were issued
at the same time upon all the war
ships to hoist anchor. BY the time
the battleships began to move the
Presidents yacht was we'll down the
bay.
Coming to anchor at the Tail of the
Horseshoe as the water about the
Thimble Shoal lighthouse is known.
the Mayhower let go her anchor and
stood by to review the Pacific bound
parade. There was little time to
wait before the Connecticut showed
off the quarter rail. Her rails were
manned by half thousand sailors in
the nattiest suits of blue, with marine
guard full uniformed and staff at "at.
tention.' On the quarter deck, with
| the band playing national anthem,
with Admiral Evans on the after
bridge, high above the main deck,
with the Union Jack at the stem, the
two starred rear-admiral's ensign OF
blue at the main truck and spotless
new American flag on the staff at the
stern, the Connecticut presented
picture which fairly thrilled those who
saw 1t and set the patriotic pulse
beating in quickened rhythm.
Passed Out to Sea at Noon.
President Roosevelt lifted his hat
and the spontaneous cheer which he
voiced was quickly taken up by 9th
ers of his party. From his position
on the Mayflower bridge the Presi-
dent viewed the entire pageant. The
fleet passed out past Virginia Capes
shortly after noon.