The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-17
BATTLESH|PS READY
Bunkers Overlooking With Coal.
I.arders Cramned With Provisions
Greatest Stores of Ammunition
Ever Placed on Board of American
Vessels of War.

Old Point Comfort Va. December
12-Final word or Ready" was
flashed from every vessel in the bat
tleship fleet today. In its last analysis
this signal meant that the sixteen
most powerful armor-clads OF tho
American navy were ready not only
10 start next Monday morning on
their projected cruise 10 the western
seas hut are just as ready TO go any
where IN the twin -hemispheres OF the
world and do 10 any work II meant
that hulls arc sweet and clean. that
giant compound engines are restless
10 be at their task. that officers and
men are trained To the hour. that
bunkers are OVERLOOKING with the best
steam Goa! the mines OF the country
can produce, that larders are choked
with ships provisions, and that mag
azine doors are closed upon the great
est stores of ammunition ever placed
on boari American vessels OF war.
The care with which the sixteen
ships have been groomed for their
forthcoming voyage and the complete
ness with which they have been stored
with all the necessities OF n battle
ships usefulness in peace or war.
leave no doubt of the mobility and
self-reliance of the great armed force.
Even the officers themselves are just
a little bit surprised az the amount or
work that has been accomplished
and the quiet confidence that has
marked every step OF preparation.
| Ii the ships were destined for imme-
diate conflict little more could be done
| to make them ready for the fray.
| The distinctive white and hun paint
which has brought so much adm1ra-
| ton TO the American ships. when pit
| ted on parade against the grimy multi
| ed navies Of other nations would OF
! I1nNy 20 civ favor
| the safer tone Of leaden gray. but that
| is a matter OF only a few hours work.
| Gray paint is always carried by the
American ships and many of the Of
| ficers believe it would not he bad
| idea to use this color on such a long
| and hard practice cruise as that upon
| which they are about to set out.
| Now that all is ready. officers and
men alike are anxious TO get away.
| The tour is to hH anything hut n
| iunket and IT means long hours and
! hard work for everybody IN the fleet
| There is entire absence ofenthus-
| iaSn. bat n manifest atmosphere Of
| serious devotion Ia duty SurrOun ling
| the departure Of the fleet The or
ders and the published itinerary Of
| fer little prospect OF entertainment or
| amusement en- route. Sea DUTY, drills
| and target practice are the Outs:and-
| ing features of the trip through Mag
! elan straits to the sand dunes and
elan straits to the Magdalena bay.
ore Of the points "f complete
readiness marking the present status
| Of the fleet is I" hs found in the
chart houses of the navigating officers.
| When the feet was first ordered to
prepare tor the Pacific voyage, the
| navIsatOrs OF each ship were sup
piled with specially prepared charts
| leading down the South Atlantic
| OF Magellan and along the Pacific
| coast to San Francisco. Several
| weeks ago these charts were supple
| mented 10y oters showing the way to
| Manila Then more recently have
| come lately revised charts capable
of guiding the fleet all the way to Gil
| hraltar. The furnishing of these
charts has given rise to gossip that
| the fleet is destined eventually to
| circle the globe and that there may
he something more beyond Magda-
lena Bay than San Francisco.
The ordnance officers attached TO
| the sixteen ships have probably ac-
| complished the most difficult duties
| in preparing for the cruise. They have
| had to see to- the storage of more
| than 100000 pounds Of ammunition
| in the carefully protected magazines
| and TO the installation o; the new
| and secret fire cOntro; system. The
| magazines recently were emutied OF
| all old powder and shell to make
| room for a supply of fresh from the
| naval arsenals. ArmCr piercing pro-
| jectiles filed with explosive d. said
| to be the most powerful and effective
| of all the secret formulas in the pos
/ session of the naVy'S experts have
| been placed aboard the ships and the
| vast supplies of smOkeIesS powder
| charges have been slowed away un-
| der the double protection of silken
| "gs and copper lined cylindrical
| tanks. Extra gears for the big suns
| have also been taken aboard seN eral
of the shipS.