Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-23
GREAT FLEET IS ALL
READY FOR THE SHOW
First of Visiting BattIeships Ex-
pected Today.
VAST MARINE PANORAMA
Ships Arranged So as to Show to Best
Advantage.
SP0TLESS IN NEW WHITE PAINT
Ali the Types of Modern Fighting
Craft Will Be on Exhibition In
Hampton Roads.
SP0TLESS IN NEW WHITE PAINT

NORFOLK, Va, April 23.-The greatest
feet of American war vessels ever assem-
bled in the historic waters of Hampton
roads-3OO,OOO tons OF floating steel-was
made ready today to receive the first OF
the visiting foreign battleships and cruisers
which are from time to time to take part in
the celebration which will mark the progress
of the jamestown tercentennial exposition
For the opening of the exposition-Friday,
the 2Gth-the war vessels of Great Britain.
of Germany and OF Austria are expected.
One of the visiting Germans-the dark
hulled cruiser Bremen. commanded by
Lieut.. Commander Alberts-is already in
the roadstead awaiting the arrival OF the
Room a big armored cruiser typical of the
modern fighting craft in Emperor williams
navy.
Expected This Evening.
The Room, it is expected. may arrive late
this evening. when she will he officially
welcomed by a boom of cannon from the
Connecticut, the flagship OF Rear Admiral
Robley ID. Evans, commanding the Allan
tic fleet. All the American vessels now at
anchor belong to this fleet. There are prob
ably twenty-five battleships and cruisers
in the far-fung line, which is headed by the
Connecticut just off the government pier at
Fort Monroe and trails away almost to
/ the vanishing point up to the broad cham
nelway leading to Norfolk.
The feet has been arranged so as to give
| the visitors to the exposition the best pos
| sible opportunity for viewing the fighting
strength of the American navy.
The glis.ening white huls, spottess In
|
perstructures Of the two and three-piped line
| of battleships and armored and protected
| cruisers, form marine panorama, a9
viewed from the waterfront esplanade or
the exposition grounds, such as has seldom.
| If ever, before been presented to the Amer
! lean public The vessels are anchored sew
eral thousand yards off the exposition
shore and being arranged in a huge semi
circle are visible from every part OF the
grounds. Practically every type CT fighting
craft in the American navy is represented
in the present rendezvous.
Ships of All Types.
The battleships range from the 16,O0O-ton
monsters of the Connecticut and Louisiana
class-the forerunners of the Dreadnaughts
about to be added to the navy-down to the
all but abandoned old Texas, the oldest
American battleship and sister of the
Maine which was wrecked in Havana har-
Dor.
yard many years ago, and beng local
product, is to remain at the exposition as
a permanent feature of the naval exhibit.
With her eight guns and paltry 6.315 tons
of weight the Texas when ranged alongside
the mammoth Connecticut, which mounts
twenty four guns and displaces 1860 tons.
of water, offers a striking example of the
progress of the American navy since the
DAYS of 1856 when the Texas and the first
Maine were authorized by Congress
The cruisers of the fleet are all modern
craft. though the variance in size between
the largest and the smallest is as great
as that which marks the heavier vessels OF
the battle class. The armored cruisers
Tennessee and Washington, each of l4.oOo
tons and mounting twenty guns apiece, are
the heaviest of the cruisers.