The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-16
ROOSEVELT LEADS FLEET TO ATLANTIC
tcontinued from tir.. rage.l

for a journey of nearly ten miles the
President, as commander-in-chief of
the American army and navy, led the
long line of battleships out into Chesa-
peake Bay. They followed his flag to
Thimble Shea light. just five miles
inside the capes, where the Mayfiower
turned aside and dropped her anchors
for the formal review.
The guns which lad voiced a well
come to the President upon his arrival
in Hampton Roads uttered a goodbye
tribute as they passed the Mayhower.
outward bound. The salute of well
come had been paid in unison; the
farewell tribute was an individual Of
fering from each one of the sixteen
ships.
The fleet passed out in single column,
tho big government-built Connecticut.
flagship of Admiral Evans. leading the
way. The vessels were 400 yards apart,
and from the Connecticut 10 the Ken
lucky. which brought up the rear. the
line reached a distance of more than
four miles
President Roosevelt's party on the May
flower included Mrs. Roosevelt, Miss Ethel
Roosevelt, Secretary Of the Navy and
Mrs. Metoalf. the Assistant Secretary of
fhe Navy and Mrs, Newberry, Rear Adj
miral w. II. Brownsou, chief of the
Bureau Of Navigation, and Mrs. Brown
ron; Rear Admiral and Mrs. Cow1es and
Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. simms.
The naval dispatch boat Dolphin also
came down from Washington with a party
of Congressman on board to witness the
review.
Each ship was gaily dressed from jack
staff to flag post. the long lines of varl-
colored bits of signal bunting huttering
IN the early morning breeze first In an al
most perpendicular rise from the step to
the signal yards surrounding the fore
hghting top, thon reaching straight back
to the after top and down again to the
stern rail Of the quarterback. Black
smoke pouring from every funnel indicated
that the engineers forces were building
up steam for the first step in the mem
orable voyage.
The Connecticut, flying the flag of Rear
ADMIRAL Evans, commander-in-chief of the
expedition, was the first to speak the
President. Her starboard and port salut-
ing guns began alternately to proclaim
their respect and duty ito the nations
chief Following the motions of the flag
ship, as H. is expressed In the navy. the
other ships took up the firing. and in less
than two minutes time 1856 guns had
beoned. A play at mimic warfare by the
finest fleet the American navy has ever
boosted could not have produced a more
spectacular effect. The smoke of battle
for a time enveloped the fleet and the
smell of gunpowder filed the air.
Again, without formal recognition of the
honors bestowed, the Mayflower entered
the warship lane. and proceeding to a point
about midway of the assembled fleet, let
go her anchors and swung around partly,
TO face flow of the ebbing tide. No
sooner had she done so than the tor
pedo launch of the Connecticut. with Adj
miaral Evans and his staff on board. was
darting swiftly to her side. Making the
after gangway, the officers. in all the re-
gala Of special full dress uniform, repaired
on board the yacht to pay their respects
to the President.
Ee received them on the quarterback
and the exchange of greetings was more
heatry than formal. Following the Con-
necticut's lead. the launches from all of
the other ships were soon swarming about
the Mayfower. From the Minnesota came
the steam barge Of Rear-Admiral G. M,
Thomas, commander of the second SQUAD
~rnns from she Georgia there was the barge
az Rear-Admifaf William IL. Emory, COM
mander Of the second division, and from
fbe Alabama came Rear-Admiral G. r.
sperry. commanding the fourth division.
Each admiral was accompanied by his
staff. The captains commanding the six
teen ships followed the flag officers to the
Mayfower, and with their arrival the re-
ception reached its climax. These cere-
monies were few and within half an hour
after Admiral Evans had first stepped up
on the quarterback of the yacht, all of the
officers were once more in their dancing
launches, returning to their ships. The
last sood-bys had been said, the Presi-
dents last wishes of good luck had been
uttered.
suddenly the signal yards Of the Connec-
ticut flashed the message:
Get under way Immediately, following
the motions of the flagship
Orders volleyed from each vessels bridge.
They were conveyed by warning bells to
engine-rooms, through the musical notes OF
half a score Of bugles and the shrill wills
tie of the "bo'sun's' pipe. Dressing lines
were hauled in and as they tumbled to the
deck the ships were robbed of gala attire.
Everything was in cruising trim now ana
the time for play was past.
with the departure of the fleet officers
The Mayfiower proceeded to get under way
almost at once 80 as to take her place
al the head Of the formidable column and
lead the way to the reviewing waters off
The Thimb,e Shoal Lighthouse, ten miles
out in Chesapeake Bay, or two thirds OF
the way from Hampton Roads to the
stretch of ocean outside the Virginia
capes-Henry and Charles. AS the May
flower reiterated down the warship lane
each vessel she passed manned the RAN
with bluejackets, all of whom stood ar
attention. :.
Next from the ships came the whir and
hiss of steam-driven windlasses and the
grinding clsnk Of lifting anchor chains
whose massive links we're bent of six-inch
steel. Sixty fathoms of chain had been
paid out on each ship. With the
10 ''heave err up the work of raising an
chors had begun almost simultaneously
on each of the sixteen ships. Big streams
OF water were played upon the climbing
chain links, stripping them of all sand
and harbor mud as they rose from the
surface.
The Presidents yacht was we'll down the
bay when the battleship column began to
move. Coming TO anchor near the Tail
of the Horseshoe, - as the water formation
about Thimble ShoaI light is locally known,
the Maytiower again let go her anchors
and stood by to review the Paeihc-bound
parade.
There was little time to wait before the
wide-girthed hull Of the Connecticut, glin-
mering white. showed off the quarter rail.
Coming toward the Maylower almost bow
on, at the head of the far-dung line. great
clouds of curling black smoke leaping from
her three towering funnels-buff painted to
coincide with the color of the superstruc-
ture-her rails manned with half a thou
sand sailors in their nattiest suits Of blue
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