Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-04-23
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NVS kOIA, pA, AYtu SSs--7% " 0Spss- est feet of American war vesaela ever assembled in the waters of Hampton Roads -thrse hundred thousand tons ot Aoating steel war made ready to-day to receive the first of the visiting foreign bsttlsships and cruisers which are to take part
 in the celebrations which will mark the progress of the Jamestown ter centennial exposition. For the opening of the exposition, Friday. the 26th, the war vessels of Great Britain, of Germany and of Austria are expected. One of the visiting Germans, the cruiser Bremen is al- ready in the r0adstead awaiting the arrival of the Roon, big armored cruiser which it is expected may arr rive this evening. when she will be oficialy welcomed by boom of can non from the Connecticut, the flag ship of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, commanding the Atlantic feet
 All the American vessels now at anchor belong to this fleet. There are probably 25 battleships and cruisers in the line which is headed by the Connecticut just of the gov ernment pier at Fortress Monroe and which trails away almost to the van- ishing point up the broad channel way leading to Norfolk.
 The fleet has been arranged so as to give the visitors to the exposition the best possible opportunity for viewing the fighting strength of the American navy. The vessels are anchored several thousand yards on the exposition shore and being ar ranged in huge semi-circle are vis- ible from every part of the grounds. Practically every type of fighting craft in the American navy Is repre- sented fn the present. rendezvodA The battleships range from the 16,000 ton monsters of the Connecticut and Louisiana class down to the all but abandoned old Texas, the oldest American battleship and sister of the Maine which was wrecked in Ha- vana harbor.
 The cruisers of the fleet are all modern craft, though the variance in size between the largest and the smallest is as great as that which marks the heavier vessels of the bat tleship class. The armored cruisers Tennessee and Washington, each of 14,500 tons and mounting 20 guns apiece, are the heaviest of the cruis- CTS Denver and Cleveland-3,100 tons each-the third class of the protected vessels of the navy. In the cruiser class the most interesting vessel Is perhaps the Brooklyn, the flagship of Rear Admiral Schley in the battle with Cervera's squadron of Santiago, Cuba. The Brooklyn, bearing on her after-turret the me- morial plate simply inscribed July 3, 1S9S," will, with the Texas, re- main permanent naval exhibit dur ing the seven months of the life of the exposition.
 The British squadron, under com mand of Rear Admiral Neville is ex- pected in Hampton Roads either to- or Thursday. There will be four armored cruisers, built along the fleet lines of all the modern Eng lish vessels. The flagship will be the Good Hope and tne companion ships will be the Argyll, Hampshire and Roxburgh.
 The Austrian vessels, the armored cruiser Sankt George. and the pro- tected cruiser Aspern. will arrive either late Thursday evening or early Friday. The vessels of the other navies of the world will arrive on dates yet fixed. The Japanese squadron is expected May s.
 President Roosevelt will review the warships from the Mayfiower on Friday morning before he lands on the exposition grounds. The for eign vessels will be given positions of honor inside the circle of Ameri- can ships during their stay in the Roads.
 Fifteen hundred bluejackets will be landed from the American vessels 10 take part in the military and naval parade Friday afternoon which win be reviewed by the president from the yrendstand erected on the exposi- tions' plaza known as Lees Parade.
 The foreign vessels will be inviter fo land parties and if they consent In do eo their forres win h. given