Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-12-19
FIGHTING BOB AND HIS FLAI-IRONS
DEPART.
President Bids Farewell to Greatest
Fleet and Leads the Lice for Ten
Miles.


Miles.
Old Point Comfort, Va, Dec. 16.-
Admiral Evans set sail for the Pacific
today cheered by the hearty good bye
and God-speed of the president. The
president received all the adrnirals and
captains on the Mayflower before thev
sailed, but there was no speech. The
occasion, he felt, did not require one as
the setting out of a fleet is regarded
merely as detail of naval practice and
training. But to the guests on his Yacht
the president expressed unfeigned de-
light at the showing made by the magni-
hcent feet. Pacing the deck in his
characteristic fashion the president fire.
quentiy would exclaim, did YOU ever
see such a flee? and such day. 1t
ought to make US all feel proud" The
president said Il tell you our enlisted
men are everything. They are perfect
ly bully, and always up to everything
required of them" The occasion for
this remark was the visit to the presi-
dent of Coxswain Chandler, of the Loui-
siana, the vessel on which the president
returned from Panama. AS the ships of
the fleet passed in review they saluted.
and steamed out of the Virginia capes
on their long cruise. They went at ten
Knots speed, and will bring up at Trini-
dad on Christmas eve, when the first
stage Of its journey will be at an end.
Though on a mission rs pacific as the
name of the waters j. will soon be
ploughing, the fleet was sent away pre-
pared in every detail for sny duty.
President Roosevelt, accompanied by
a party Of guests, came down from
Washington on the naval yacht May
flower. His arrival in the roadstead
was signalized by a roar of salutes.
When the resulting veil of powder had
lifted from the ships, the Mayhower
proceeded to anchor in the very center
of the fleet. Then followed reception
on board, the president having farewell
message for the four rear admirals and
sixteen commanding officers who are
taking the ships through the Straits of
Magellan to San Francisco. At the con-
ciusion of the meeting on the Mayfiow-
er's quarterback, President Roosevelt
shook each officer cordially by the hand.
aud as they went over the side he bade
them an official adieu.
Then, for a journey of nearly ten
miles, the president, as the commander
in-cnief of the American army and navy.
led the long line of battleships out into |
chesapeake bay. They followed his |
flag TO Thimble ,Shoal light, just five |
miles inside the capes, where the May
flower turned aside and dropped her
anchors for formal review.
AS a naval pageant, the review and |
departure of the fleet was the most |
notable In American history. There
have been several presidential reviews
OF the Atlantic feet during the past
eighteen months, but in those instances
the great warships were lying docile at
the end of spreading anchor chains,
while the reviewing yacht passed up and
down their lines. The feet was under
way, had cast from shore, and was out
ward bound on a cruise which, as the
president himself expressed it, mo feet
Of such size has ever before undefe
taken"
The guns, which had voices of well
come to the president upon his arrival
IN Hampton roads uttered a goodbye
tribute as they. pasAed the Mayhower
outward bound. The salute of welcome
had been paid in union; the farewell
tribute was an individual offering from
each one of the sixteen ships.
The feet passed out in single column.
the Connecticut, the flagship of Admiral
Evans, leading the way The vessels
were 400 yards apart, and from the
Connecticut to the Kentucky, which
brought up the rear of the line, reached
distance of more than four miles.
The five stages of American battle
ship construction were represented in
the line, and as an object lesson in the
growth of the American navy the spec
tacle found one of its most strik ing fea-
lures.