Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-16
READY FOR ANYTHING.
Continued from Page One.)

ed up on the flagship Connecticut and
Admiral Evans has directed that they
be taken along until the squadron
reaches the ships to which they belong.
Some belated stores were placed on
several of the ships today. a vast guam
tity of plum pudding going to the mess
es of the Georgia and the Vermont.
Several scouting parties were ashore to-
day. looking for scrubby pines to be
used as Christmas trees. Nearly all
were successful and the little pines
will be carefully slowed away until
Trinidad is reached on Christmas day.
Although bound for an extended tour
of duty in the Pacific ocean the fleet
still maintains its title of 1.-THE United
States Atlantic Fleet" Capt Joseph
B. Murdoch of the battleship Rhode
Island. who has been at the bedside
of his wife in New York the past week.
returned to his ship tonight and will
sail tomorrow. His wife Is said to be
altogether out Of danger.
Fort Monroe, Va. Dec. 14.-With
coaling and the loading of stores of
every description completed and with
everything in readiness for the start
Monday morning on their voyage to the
Pacific coast, the severe southeast
storm had little effect upon the great
battleships as they rode at anchor in
Hampton roads.
The farewell ball given at Old Point
Comfort last night in honor of Admiral
Evans and the other flag and line Off
GERS of the feet and the social functions
aboard the several ships yesterday We're
followed by activity aboard ship today
In getting everything in the best pos
Sihle trim looking to absolute perfection
for Mondays start and for the inSpec-
ton at long range of the ships of the
armada by President Roosevelt from
the deck of the yacht Mayflower.
The signal to get under way will be
flown from the towering yards of the
flagship Connecticut shortly before 10
o'clock Monday morning, and under
the eye of The President the ships will
pass out by the Virginia capes, turning
their prows to the south and lay a
course through the eastern end of the
West Indies to Trinidad. the first stop
ping place.
TO the landsman's eye each ship APP
pears exactly like the other in general
outline, equipment and physical char
acteristics. Yet there are differences
mainly of a technical kind that only an
expert can distinguish. The Connecti-
cut. by reason of her being the flagship
of the ranking admiral in command,
swings at the head and to the right of
the line. She is also the first ship of the
first division. Two hundred yards away
on her starboard is the Kansas. Four
hundred feet behind these two vessels
are the Vermont and Louisiana, which
complete the first division.
The sec ond division is in the command
of Rear Admiral William H. Emery,
whose flagship is the Georgia, at the
truck Of which floats the two-starred
red flag of a senior rear admiral. The
other ships in the second division are
the New Jersey, Rhode Island and
Virginia
The flagship of the third division is
| the Minnesota, at whose truck floats a
| two-starred white flag. Rear Admiral
Charles NJ. Thomas is in command Of
| the division, which is made up of the
Minnesota, Ohio Missouri and Maine.
The fourth division is in the COM
mand of Rear Admiral Charles 8.
Sperry. His white gold-starred
| admirars flag swings from the truck
Of the Maryland The other ships un-
| der his command are the Illinois, Kear-
| sarge and Kentucky.
The four flagships are sister ships
and their aggregate tonnage Is not far
from $4,000 tons. Each battleship is
! laden to the safety line. Not all of
| their cargo is made up of provisions
and stores Eeach carries 2.250,000
pounds of ammunition. This ammunl-
! ton is not confined to blank cartridges
| for saluting purposes. neither 1t is for
| target uses. In the words of an or
dinance officer of the fleet, We are
ready for anything that comes along,
| from firing a salute to a second
| rate South American admiral, to shoot
| ing a warship out of the water
In the fleet which President Roose-
welt is to dispatch on Monday there
| are 1880 men of all fighting grades,
| and these have been picked with an
| eye to contingencies. There are very
| few old men among them, aside from
the commanding officers, and four
| fifths Of these are comparatively young
and active. The age Of the bluejackets
ranges from IS to 80 years. A sailor
| man or marine of 40 years is a rarity
For the most part the sea-fighters who
| will sail away with the peace mission
| feet are as young. strong. sinewy. agile
| and clean-limbed a lot of men as can be
| found anywhere in the world Not mar
| in 100 wears hair on his face, which char.
| acteristic is also true of the officers, par
| ticularly those of the junior grades. Al
| the big naval ball last night out of 80
| officers present only 10 wore mustache:
| or boards.
The greatest precautions will be taker
to prevent any information from reach
ing the outside world except through thu
| navy department. Half a dozen news
paper reporters, who will be permitted t.
accompany the expedition, have beer
pledged to send to their newspapers o.
the distributing agencies only such infor
nation as shall be approved by the fee
censors. The conditions imposed On then
will prevent them from conveying to
foreign power through the newspapers in
telligence regarding the actual equipment
operation and accomplishment in the way
. of experimental work on any of the war
lcIt ,,p-