The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-16

~ u r
within the ships. Lieutenant Train,
the admiras aide, is bustling around
like bee, for the brunt of the detail
falls upon him. and he Is more thar
equal to the task. The only thing that
remains. however, is for the officers
to go aboard, and when the Mayflower
isteams in tomorrow there will not be
hitch In the machinery, and not one
OF the 5000 Will be away from his
post. That. at least Is what commando
ers said tonight.
Great Battle Fleet.
This battle fleet. SO designated by
the President himself. is wonderful to
look upon. Around and about the Con-
necticut. the flagship. are grouped the
Kansas. Louisiana. Vermont Georgia,
Minnesota. Ohio, Maine. Missouri, Ala
bama. Illinois. and those newer ones,
the Kentucky and the Kearsarge.
Almost all of the old salts VIII,
Ilinger on the wharves can point them
out and call them by the lines But to
the strangertthey are all alike, for the
names cannot be read through the
mist from the shore. Following in the
wake tomorrow four supply ships
will go along to carry any and every
thing needed on the cruise. The tor
pedo fiotilla has already gone. and
was picked up on the way by wireless
stations that sent back good reports.
AT times, however. the wasps of the
sea and the battleship Will be lost to
the Marconi tribe.
CIlrlstmns Mt Trinidad.
There will be five-day stop at
Trinidad for Christmas, though few
OF the men will have shore leave. In
January. however. they will move into
the port of Rio de Janeiro for almost
fortnight, and not In Its former his
tory will that free and easy town meet
nit unlike that old Barbary Coast of
San Francisco. characterized by some
ono as a loud bit of hell. But Adj
miral Evans has thought of this and
will take no chances in city of free
dom and gay life.
A Night OF Farewells.
There was fearful moment on
shore tonight, the moment for the
last farewells. IT reminded one of the
day when drums beat and called the
sonJ to war.
Crowded into every available foot OF
space in the Chamberlain men and wo-
men talked low. and older ones wept
without restraint; they did not know
the meaning of. the cruise. and tiera
was touch of pathos strangely new
in place that was filed for days with
laughter and song. Mothers. whose
young sons We're freshly cut loose from
/ the apron strings, showed marks OF
{ distress. Their features were pinched
land drawn, but the sons looked brave
and smiled to sweep away the tears.
Pathetic Scene.
4 rr3,oro
officers wharf at sunset this afternoon.
a little old ragged woman came near
| and beckoned a marine. Her boy, o
sailor on the Illinois, had written her
that he might see her here and she
] had Travelled many miles to kiss him
good-by. But the rules We're iron, and
those who We're touched by her ragge
appearance were unrelenting. She wan
dered off at length. not Knowing why
her sailor boy must remain aboard
| While the hotels were crowded with
the upper men in blue and gold. But
| few worried over her tribulations
| Nearby there We're too many good
| looking women, finely gowned. and
wearing them just as Ii they had
| plenty more at home. There was a
| marked difference in the farewells;
/ old women were tenderly caressed, and
| younger ones We're given long
L
took the place of something else. There
| might have been heart-thrillinE mo-
ments IL the farewells could have been
said on the sands of the beach without
the shining of a moon.
"Fightins Bob" 500. .i...i.
Admiral Evans was an object III
greater interest than his battle fleet
itself For hours he lounged in the
same chair. always gracious in meet
| ing friends and strangers, and grave
at other times. Whenfhe Greeted kind
lily representative of The Times Dis
| patch this afternoon. and was remind
ed that the most powerful fleet was
leaving Virginia waters under COM
mand OF a Virginia son. he, smiled and
LIVED AT THE