Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14
TIME FOR CONFERENCES
After President Arrives and Inspecti
the Warships.
SHIPS STRUCK BY A GALE
Wind Reached Velocity Of Forty
Eight Miles an H,ur-Tomorrow
Day Of Farewell Partings.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
| NORFOLK, Va. December 14.-It was
announced today. that the hour for tho
departure of the feet had been changed
to 10 o'clock Monday morning, in order
to give more time for the necessary con-
ferences after the arrival of the Presi-
| dent. The Presidents yacht Mayhower
will drop anchor in the center of the feet
about o'clock, and Admiral Evans will
at once go on board for a talk with Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Later they will be joine1
by other commanding officers of the neeth
The time of officers and men for the
next two days will be given over largely
to social affairs. The officers of Fort
Monroe will tender them a reception this
afternoon. and tonight there will be a
ception on board the Connecticut. Other
social functions will be given aboard
most Of the other battleships TINS even-
ing.
The fleet was struck by terrific south-
east gale before daybreak today. the
wind reaching velocity of forty-eight
miles an hour. The sixteen great battle-
ships and the auxiliaries that are to &C.
company them on the great voyage rolled
like corks in the water. but the storm
was passed through in safety by .he ships.
The wind, which luiled during the morn
ing. dying down to twenty miles an hour.
was followed by a terrific downpour of
rain and a dense fog The storm made 1t
difficult for the ships launches to pass
| between the vessels.
Owing to the bad weather a reception
and dinner which was to have been given
by Capt. Osterhauss and other officers OF
the flagship Connecticut tonight has been
abandoned.
Notable Farewell Ball.
The notable farewell ball given at the
Hotel Chamberlin, Old Point Comfort.
last night in honor of Admiral Evans and
the other flag and line officers of the feet,
and the social functions aboard the sew
eral ships yesterday were followed today
by activity aboard ship in getting every-
absolute perfecticsf for Mondays start
and for the inspection at long range OF
the ships OF the armada by President
| Roosevelt from the deck of his yacht, the
Mayfiower. The heavy seas In today's
storm made the massive ships Of steel
roll considerably, but those aboard are
used to this. and the storm was not OF
unusual consequence except in its inter-
ference with the small launches passing
to and fro.
Sunday will be a day of farewell part
| ings at Old Point Comfort. The families
| of many of the officers who go out in
the fleet are there, and the last visit
ashore by the officers will be made Sum-
day night. Monday morning the flag and
line officers will go to the Mayfower to be
| this feature of the program of departure
the officers will return to their ships,
which at 10 o'clock will get under way.
Point Of Presidents Review.
The Mayfower leading will lay to of
the Tail of the Horseshoe. and 1t will be at
this point in lower Chesapeake bay that
the President will review the fleet as the
vessels pass in single file proceeding at
the rate of ten knots an hour, led by Rear
Admiral Robley D. Evans flagship, the
Connecticut.
The signal to get under way will be
flown from the towering yards of the
| flagship Connecticut shortly before 10
o'clock Monday morning. and under the
eye of the President the ships will pass
outside the Virginia capes. turn their
| prows to the south ard lay a. course
| through the eastern end of the West
Indies to Trinidad, the first scheduled
stopping place on their way to show the
people of the Pacific coast the finest dou-
BILE squadron of war vessels ever In the
| western sea.
mo fleet of such size has ever made
such a voyage" wrote the President in
| his message to Congress. statement
which gives official expression to the mag
| ntude of the undertaking, whose chief
| purpose, 1t is stated, is Ito train battle
| fleet in squadron maneuvers under serv-
ice conditions" and 1t is officially added
; that the only way by which to teach
| officers and men how to handle the Meet
| so as to meet every possible strain and
emergency in time of war Is to have them
practice under similar conditions in time
of peace"
Look for Practical Results.
1t Will be the object of Rear Admiral
Robley D Evans and the officers and men
cruising in the wake of his double starred
flag to bring out on their IA .OO0-nlie jour-
ney all the information the Navy Depart
ment and the President desire in sending
them-to show what some of the needs
of the navy are and to enable the authori-
ties to provide for them.
There Is some disappointment in the
fleet that President Roosevelt Will not
visit any of the vessels on Monday. He
would find the navy at its very best.
But the deck of the battleship is familiar
ground to the chief executive. and he has
every confidence in the report OF the
various officers, expressed IN the one
word: Ready"
When the Mayfower steams into the
midst of the anchored fleet on Monday
morning just after 8 o'clock she Will be
saluted from every side and will find
every ship dressed in its gayest array OF
/ bunting AS soon as the presidential yacht
drops anchor Admiral Evans vii! repair
on board her, followed Immediately by
all flag and commanding officers, to pay
their respects to the President. Special
full-dress uniform will be worn.
| After the OncerS leave tne MdyHoWeI
and return to their ships the fleet will
Immediately get under way in single
column, preceded by the Mayfower to
the horseshoe of Chesapeake bay, midway
| between the capes and Fortress Monroe,
wnere the great review is to take place.
Two Squadrons in Fleet.
The fleet is divided into two squadrons
and each squadron into two divisions. The
first and second divisions are In the first
squadron, and the third and fourth d.
visions In the second squadron. Rear Ad-
miraI Evans, who, next to Admiral
Dewey, Is the senior officer Of the navy.
is communicative chief of the fleet, and
also is nominally in command of the first
squadron and first division. The four
ships of this division are the Connecti-
cut diagship). Kansas. Vermont and
louisiana They are all of one design
I displacing 10000 tons apiece. and repre-
senting the heaviest type of fighting craft
known to the western hemisphere.
The second division of the first squadron.
like all the other divisions of the asst