Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-02
DESTROYERS ARE OFF
MOSQUITO FLEET STARTS FOR
PACIFIC COAST.

NORFOLK, Va, December 2.--The sec
ond f1otilla of United States torpedo boat
destroyers. which Is to precede the pewer-
full battleship squadron soon to sail 70,
the Pacific under the comamnd of Rea'
Admiral r. d. Evans. began its long voy
age of 5000 miles at 2:4O o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The six little vessels COM
posing. the f1otil!a sailed from the Nor
folk navy yard for Hampton roads. where
the remainder Of the day was spent In
compass adjustment work.
Lieut.. Hutchinson I. Cone, the fiotilla
commander, at 8 o'clock this morning
from the flagship Whipple gave the signal
for the start. The flotilla will pass out
the Virginia capes, headed for San Juan.
Porto Rico, where the first stop will be
made.
Owing to unavoidable delay in getting
her ready the big supply and refrigerato.
ship Arethusa. which is to convoy the
fotilla to the Pacifis, will not sail unit
December o. The Arethusa VII join thu
fotilla at Trinidad between December IL
and q
Well Supplied With Coal.
While the Arethusa carries supplies of
all kinds for the flotilla and the ma
chinery needed in the event Of a break
down, the destroyers. in addition to the
$50 tons Of coal in their bunkers, each
carries twenty or more tons Of coal on
supplies. From Trinidad the Arethusa will
out the need of additional coal or othe
supplies. From Trinilal the Arethusa will
accompany the fiotiIla on the voyage until
San Francisco is reached. May 2, 1908
The Arethusa will be the payma ster's-
ship and carry all the money
The fotilla will be met by the battle
CHI IN n
between January Is and 20. This will
probably be the only time that the battle
ships and torpedo destroyers will meet
during the voyage, as the latter. though
capable OF twenty-seven or twenty-nine
Knots an hour. will proceed at the rate O.
ten and ne-half knots an hour. This low
rate Of speed will be maintained for com
fort aboard ship. and then. too, the Are
thusa's speed is not much in excess O.
this.
This voyage by the destroyers. all four
funneled steel vessels. $50 feet long. 20
feet beam and 600 tons displacement, is
declared by those going out with the flo
tilla to be quite as hazardous as the
voyage made by the first flotilla to the
Philippines severei years ago. but nobody
fears but that. the trip will. be made in
safety. notable fact Is that Flotilla
Commander Cone was aboard the de-
stroyer Dale on the voyage to Manila. He
Is the only man on this expedition who
made that voyage Of 10000 miles, or 900
miles more than the second flotilla will
have to cover on the trip to San Fran
cisco.
The six destroyers in this f1otilla carry
crew Of eighty men each. Nearly ali
of the boats carry Japanese steward and
cook each.
Formation of Destroyers.
The formation Of the destroyers en- route
will be as follows:
The Whipple. Truxton, Lawrence, Hull,
HOPKINS and Stewart
The following officers go In the re-
spective boats:
Whipple - Lieut.. Gone. commanding:
Lieut.. J.: q: Church. Ensign o. C. F.
Dodge. Midshipman H. G. Knox.
Truxton Lieut.. C.. S. Kerriek, COM
manding: Ensign W. P. Gaddis, Midship-
man A c. Myers.
: Lawrence Ensign E. Frederick, COM
manding: Midshipman R. P. Scudder.
Midshipman r. s. Culp.
Hopkins-Lieut. A. G. Howe. command
ing: Ensign Richards. Midshpman +. H.
Roberts, Assistant Surgeon l.. II. Scliwer-
in. Midshipman H. Mercado.
Hull-Lieut, E. McCommon. command
ing; Ensign c. E. Smith Midshipman
Harold Jones. Assistant Nava! Constructor
E c. Hammer.
Stewart-Lieut. ]. F. Hellweg. command
ing: Ensign w. T. Lightle. Midshipmen R
G.. Edwards and L. T. Gonzales.
The following will be the itinerary of
the destroyers:
Arrive San Juan December Z depart
December -. arrive Trinidad December
10. depart December 81; arrive Para De-
cember 26. depart December 81; arriv.
Pernanlbuco January ). depart January
10: arrive Rio de Janeiro January Is. de-
part January 20: arrive Montevideo Janu-
airy p, depart February 1; arrive Punta
Aranas February s. depart February -:
arrive Talcahuana February %. depart
february %: arrive Gallao March T. de-
part March O.: arrive Panama March Is,
depart March II: arrive Acapulco March
2S, depart April =: arrive Ms gdalena Bay
April u. depart April %; arrive San Fran
cisco May =.