The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-13
WELL GROO,MED
FOR LONG VOYAGE
Only Change Of Color OF Paint
Would Be Necessary, Even ii
About to Enter Battle.
Well Stocked iii Every
Way Officers Arc
Anxious to oLcavc.

powerful armorclnds of the American
navy were ready not only 10 start
next Monday morning on their pro-
1ected cruise to the Western seas. but
are Just as ready to go anywhere in
the twin hemispheres OF the world and
do any work.
It meant that hulls are sweet and
clean; that giant compound engines
are restless to be at their task; that
officers and men are trained to the
hoilr: that bunkers are oyerflowing
with the best steam coal the mines OF
the country can produce: that larders
nre choked with ships provisions, and
that magazine doors are closed upon
the greatest stores OF ammunition ever
placed on board American vessels OF
war.
Have Been Well Groomed.
Tho care with which the sixteen
ships have been groomed for their
forthcoming voyage and the complete
ness with which they have been stored
with all the necessities of battle
ship'A usefulness In peace or war leave
no doubt of the mobility and self-re-
lance OF the great armed force. Even
The officers themselves are just n little
bit surprised at the amount of work
that has been accomplished and the
quiet confidence that has marked every
step OF preparation.
II the ships were destined for I'M
mediate conflict little more could be
done TO make them ready for the fray.
Tho distinctive white and buff paint
which has brought sn much admiration
to the American ships when pitted on
parade against the g-lmy- -hulled navies
dt other nations. would. of course.
have to give way In favor Of the safer
tone OF lsaden gray. but that's a.
matter OF only few hours work.
Gray paint ia always carried by the
American ships. and many of the OIL
GERS believe 1t would not be & bal
idea to use this color on such a long
and hard practice cruise as that upon
which they gre about to set out.
Anxious to Get Away.
Now that all is ready. officers AMI
men alike are anxious to get away.
The tour Is to be anything but a
junket, and 1t means long hours and
hard work for everybody In the fleet.
There is an entire absence of enthu-
sIasm. but a nantes! atmosphere OF
serious devotion to duty surrounding
the departure Of the fleet. The orders
and the published itinerary offer little
prospect OF entertainment or anluse-
nlent en- route.
Sea duty. drills and targ>& practice
are the outstanding features of the
trip through the Magellan straits to-
the sand dunes and Indian huts nf
AIagdalena Bay.
one of the points OF complete readi-
ness mark!r the present status of the
fleet is to be found In the chart houses
OF the navigating officers.
When the fleet was tirst ordered to
prepare for the Pacific voyage the
navigators of each ship were supplied
with specially prepared charts leading
down the South Atlantic coast. through
the treacherous waters OF Magellan
and along the Pacific coast to San
Francisco. Several weeks ago these
charts were supplemented by others,
showing the way to Manila. Then
more recently have come lately revised
charts capable of guiding the fleet
all$the way to Gibraltar. The furnish
ing OF these charts has given rise to
gossip that the fleet is destined event
ually to circle the globe, and that there
may be something more beyond Mag
dalena Bay than San Francisco.
Have the Very Best.
The ordna nee officers attached to the
sixteen ships have probably accom-
pllshed the mos difficult duties in pre-,
pairing for the cruise
They have had to see to. he storage
of more than 100000 pounds OF am
munition IN the carefully protected
magazines .and Sto%the Installation of
!. the new and secret fire control system.
The magazines recently We're emptieds
of all old powder and shell to make
roon,sfo q S tlpp ~, fresh from the naval
arsenals.
@Arlnor-piercing projcctiles filled with;
explosive d. said to be tho most
powerful and effective of all the secret
/ formulas in the possession Of the
nayy's experts have been placed.
nboard the ships, and the vast supplies
sspf smokeless powder charges have been
slowed away under the double protec-s
tion OF silken bags and copper-linedg
rylindfical tanks. Extra gears for tho
big guns have also been taken aboard
several Of the SLIPS One Of the great
nance experts had to do vi It'll the
/. storage OF the heavy charges of gun
cotton taken along to- load the score
4 Of harhor Mines which each battleship,
II carries. The solution has been found
In tho distribution of the deadly eS-8
.plosIve: In small portions Throughout
The officers quarters. .s
Little wooden boxes. Gig hteen inches
long and six inches In depth ana
breadth, cont ntaIn!pg several bottle y e
sun-cotton, has been placed a boyt tlve
4 feet apart in the wardronm and steer,
age dining-rooms and even the ofti \
GERS staterooJns have been invaded.
The effort has been to keep the deli-
cate explosive as far as possible from
the ma gazines and from the shock OF
the big guns q the same time, It AS
believed that the system Of distribu-5
ton adopted is such that should one
portion OF the gnn-cotton accidentattS5
explode, It would not set off the gem
eral supply n iSsa 4, S3sl VI
Fire Control system.
The fire contrpl Which has Sbecn i,l-ss
& ,talled on the ships ~ n visual and
audible system Il OF n trectlng the fra,
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