The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-12-19

apart. the engine room indicators showed
full speed ahead" For the purposes
! of this cruise full speed means an easy
! pace of ten knots and il was on this
basis that the ships babe farewell to the
great crowds.
The Presidents yacht was well down
the bay by this time. There was little
/ time TO wait before the wide girthed hull
| of the Connecticut, glimmering white,
showed off the quarter rail. Coming to-
ward the Mayhower almost bow on, at
| the head of the far flung line, great
| clouds of curling black smoke leaping
| from her three towering tunnels. her
| rails manned with half thousand sail
| ors in their nattiest suits of blue, with
marine guard full uniformed and stiff
at attention" on the quarterback, with
| band playing the national anthem. with
| Admiral Evans on the after-Drldge high
above the main deck, with the union
| jack at the stem, the two starred rear
admirals ensign of blue at the main
! truck and n spotless new American flag
huttering from the flagstaff at the stern.
| the Connecticut presented picture
| which fairly thrilled those who saw, and
[ set patriotic pulses beating in quicken
| ing rhythm.
The President lifted his hat and the
spontaneous cheer he voiced was quick
| ly taken up by others in his party.
Final Boom of Farewell.
The Connecticuts men at the word
| of command. raised right hands to caps
| and held them there until the Mayfower
was cleared. On the forward bridge
Capt Ostcrhaus and his staff came to
attention with flourish of swords.
Admiral Evans and the members of his
staff salutcd similarly. Drums aboard
, the flagship were rufiiing their tokens of
| respect when at last came the strains
of The Star Spangled Banner" floating
across the waves.
just beyond the Mayfiower the salut
| ing cannon were brought into play and
with twenty-one guns the flagship voiced
| her farewell message.
Following in the wake of the Connec-
| ticut and saluting in their turn. with
| bands playing. drums rutliing and guns
booming. the Kansas, the Vermont and
| the Louisiana steamed by the May
flower. These four ships are as nearly
alike as the naval architects and builders
| could make them. They constituted the
first division, first squadron OF the meet
Big Vessels Swing By.
Four hundred yards astern of the
Louisiana came the Georgia, lying TIE
flag of Rear Admiral William II. Emory
and leading the four ships Of the second
/
Georgia came the New Jersey, the Rhode
Island and the Virginia. The passing OF
the Virginia completed the first squadron
under Evans.
Next came the eight ships of the sec
| ond squadron. The big Minnesota, with
Rear Admiral Thomas led. The Mime
sofa belongs to the Connecticut class,
making the fifth and last ship of that
| pattern. Following her came the ONO,
! the Missouri and the Maine. The latter
three being of one type and representing
| the third retrospective stage of American
naval architecture. Their tonnage Is
$500 and their speed Is knots. The
fourth class Of battleships, looking back
ward in American naval history was
found in the Alabama and the Illinois,
| the two leading ships in the fourth d-
vision, second squadron. Read Admiral
! Sperry's flag flew at the main truck of
| the Alabama. The Alabama and the
| Illinois displace only 11.552. but they
have n speed of more than II knots.
Off Down the Coast.
| The fifth and last class warships rep
| resented in the parade were the kcar-
! sarge and the Kentucky, the latter bring
| ing up the rear of the line. The two
| ships were launched in 1898, about the
| time of the Spanish American war. like
! the Alabama and Illinois, they mount
| l3-inCh guns and have armor belts
reaching maximum of 16 inches III
thickness or 81 inches thicker than the
main protection of the modern Connect
| cut.
When the echoes Of the saluting can
non of the Kentucky had died away
across the waters, the Connecticut at the
| head of the column four miles away,
| had almost reached the capes and the
| history making journey had begun in
| earnest. Clelring the capes late the
| Connecticut showed the way down the
| coast.
Stops to Be Made on Trip.
/ Fleet colicrics and provision ships
! have preceded the battleShlps to Trinl-
| dad, where the first stop will he made.
| The stay at Trinidad where the ships
| will arrive on Christmas eve. is limited
| to five days The second stage of the
| journey will take the squadron To Rio
| Janeiro, where they will make a ten
| days stop from January II. The third
| leg leads to the end Of South America,
| punta Arenas. in the straits of MHgel-
| Ian, this port beng reached January 81
The 9th of February will see the fleet
again under way picking its course eau
| tiouSly through the western end of the
straits and then heading north once
more for tallaO. The Callao stop il
fleet sailing on the latter date for the
rented naval station at Magdalena bay,
southern California. They should reach
there not later than March II. Their
stay there is indefinite. for the spring
target practice, planned on lavish
scale. must be accomplished before the
fleet sets ont on the final stage of its