Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-12-19
BIG FLEET SAILS
FOR THE PACIFIC
WARSHIPS LED BY THE PRESl
DENT DURING FIRST STAGE
OF VOYAGE.
IMPRESSIVE NAVAL DISPLAY
PRESIDENT TENDERS OFFICERS
A RECEPTION ON BOARD THE
MAYFLOWER.

Old Point Comfort, Va, Dec. 49, =
Sixteen hard-hitting, steel-belted
American battleships,> gun-bristling
and burly of girth, but sparkling white
in their immaculate dressings OF
peace sailed away yesterday under
the dazzling sun of a cloudlesS winter
sky on their famous expedition Of a.
900 miles along foreign shores and
changing climes to the west OF the
United States. President Roosevelt,
on the bridge of the Mayfower, per-
sonally led the magnificent four-mile
line of fighting vessels during the first
stages of the voyage. From the an
chorage 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.
Reviews Passing Pageant.
Then, when the wide reaches of the
sea were visible through the capes of
Virginia, he turned aside and coming
to. anchorage reviewed the passing
pageant.
The blue of the sky, the stretch of
green seamless, the glistening of spot
less bulls, the curl of foam-crested
bow-waves, the cheering of sailors
afiOat and friends ashore, the breeze
blown strains of Aud Lang Syne"
floating across the waters, the blare of
trumpets, the ruffie of drums, the
flash of signals and the boom of salut-
ing cannon marked the departure OF
the fleet, presenting to the people
who watched a spectacle they will
never forget and to the world at large
the reality of the trimmest, suggest,
most homogeneous, most thoroughly
equipped, most mobile and self-reliant
assemblage of first-class battleships
ever gathered in one command.
Most impressive Display.
Attaches of foreign legations and
embassies at Washington and many
correspondents who have seen war
service on foreign journals freely de-
clared that Yesterdays naval display
was the most impressive they had
ever seen.
The sailing of the fleet was pre-
ceded by the reception on the quar-
terdeck of the Mayflower, which
shortly after o'clock yesterday
morning steamed into the center of
the anchored fleet. President Roose-
welt warmly greeted the four rear adj
mirals and the sixteen commanding of
ficers Of the fleet as they climbed from
dancing launches up the starboard
gangway of the yacht. He had a word
of confidence and we'll wishing for all,
but made no formal address.
First Stop at Trinidad.
Last night the sixteen ships OF the
massive feet, continuing in single or
der and steaming at the uniform speed
Of ten knots an hour according to or
ders, were well down the coast
toward the treacherous waters of Hat
teras. The first lap of their journey
will bring them to Trinidad on Christ
mas eve, and there amid the heat Of
the tropics the Christmas celebrations
will be held.
The president, after the review at
the horseshoe was completed, return
ed to Washington The fleet got I'M
der way just after 10 o'clock in the
morning and less than two hours later
had cleared the capeS and had begun
in earnest the most notable practice
cruise in all naval history.