The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-12-21
UNCLE SANS BIG fleet
STARTS ON long CRUISE

Old Point Comfort, Dec. 17.-Six-
teen hard-hitting, steel belted Ameri-
can battleships, gun bristling and
burly of girth, but sparkling while in
their Immaculate dressings of peace,
started away yesterday under the daz-
cling sun of cloudless winter sky
on their famous twin sea expedition
of $4,000 miles, along foreign shores
and changing climes, to the west coast
of the United States.
/ President Roosevelt on the bridge of
his cruiser yacht, the Mayflower, per-
sonally led the magnificent four-mile
line of fighting vessels during the first
stage 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 Then, when
|
ible through the wide-swung capes 6f
Virginia, he turned aside and coming
to anchorage, reviewed the passing
pageant.
Demonstration Made.
The blue of the sky, the stretch of
green sea miles, the glistening of spot
less hulls, the curl of foam-crested
bowwaves, the cheering of sailors and
the friends ashore, the breeze blown
strains of "Auld Lang Syne" floating
across the waters, the blare of trum-
pets, the ruffe of drums, the flash of
signals and the boom of saluting can
mons, marked the: departure of the
feet, presenting to the people who
watched spectacle they will never
forget, and to the world at large the
reality of the trimmest, most homo
geneous, most thoroughly equipped,
most mobile and self-reliant assem-
blage of first-class battleships ever
gathered in one command.
i There was not ship in the line old
enough to have smelled the powder or
taken the shot of Manila or Santiago
stories written scarcely ten years
ago in the history of nations. All
were modern of design, examples of
the aggressive sea-going navy which
the president has declared to be essen
tial to the peace of the country.
Display Impressive.
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 facility with which the
big vessels were handled, the manner
in which they were Unanswered into
single column formation and the per.
feet alignment which was maintained
in the southwark turn from the cape
called out the warmest admiration
The thrill Of the beautiful marine pic.
ture was felt until the last wind blown
spiral of smoke was lost on the hori.
zon.
The sailing of the fleet was preceded
by reception on the deck of the May.
flower, which shortly after o'clock
yesterday morning steamed into the
center of the anchored fleet Presi-
dent Roosevelt warmly greeted the
four rear admirals and the sixteen
commanding officers of the fleet as
they they climbed from dancing
launches up the starboard gangway
4 of the yacht.
He had word of confidence and
well wishing for all, but made no for
NAL address. The president felt that
the occasion did not call for any such
remarks, as the cruise just undertaken
is officially regarded as but detail of
naval training.
President Pleased.
| The inspiring sight of the vessels
gaily dressed at anchor and waiting
for the word to go, put the president
in rare good spirits. While the May
flower was coming into position and
waiting for the reception to begin the
president paced rapidly up and down
the deck anxious to obtain view OF
the great double squadron from every
possible vantage point. To Secretary
of the Navy Metcalf and to others OF
his guests on board he was constantly
exclaiming upon the beauty and grand
eur of the surrounding scenes.
did you ever see such fleet? And
such day? Isn't it magnificent?
Oughtn't we all to feel proud?" and
then the president had something to
say of the enlisted men. In the midst
of the reception to the higher officers
he sent for the coxswain Of the Louis
iana's launch and through HIM dis
patched special message OF greet
ing to that ships crew. It was on
i the Louisiana that the president made
his recent trip to the Isthmus OF Pan
anna. When the embarrassed cox
swain, Seaman William Chandler, had
again clambered into his launch, the
~oS.3 - %hren oI> him