New-York tribune., 1907-12-02
FLEETS VANGUARD OFF
TRIP TO P4CIFIC STARTS.
SIR Torpedo Boat Destroyers Begin
I5,OOO-MIe Voydge.

Norfolk Va Dec 1.-The second fotilla Of
United States torpedo boat destroyers, which is
10 rrecede the powerful battleship feet soon TO
sail for the Pacific under the command Of Rear
Admiral RobIey D. Evans. began its voyage OF
1900 miles at 30 O'Clock this afternoon. The
six little vessels composing the hotilla sailed
from the Norfolk Navy Yard for Hampton
Roads where the remainder Of the day vas
spent in compass adjustment work
Weather pernitting-and the indications to-
night are all favorable-Lieutenant Hutchinson
I Cone. the fotilla commander. will give the
signal for the start at O'Clock tomorrow
morning from the flagship whipple. and after
other conpass work that may become necessary
has been completed in lower Chesapeake Bay
the fotiIla will pass out Of the Virginia Capes.
headed for San Juan. Porto Rico. where the
first stop VIII be made.
Owing to unavoidable delay in getting her
ready. the big supply and refrigerator ship
Arethusa. which is to convoy the fotilla to the
Pacific will not sail until December 3 The
Arethusa will join the fiotilla at Trinidad be
tween December II and %. While the ArethGsa
carries supplies Of all kinds for the fotilla ana
the machinery needed In the event OF a break
down. each of the destrcyers In addition to the
1S0 tons Of coal in its bunkers carries some
twenty or more tons Of coal on deck and viii
ditional coal or other supplies. From Trinidad
the Arethusa viii accompany the fotilla on the
voyage until San Francisco is reached. May -
1908 The Arethusa viii be the pay1naster
ship and carry all the money.
The hotilla will be met by the battleship meet
a. Rio de Janeiro Brazil between January 10
and 20. This will probably be the only time
that the battleships and torpedo boat destrcyers
will meet curing the voyage. as the iatCer'
though ca pable Of twenty-seven or twenty-nlhe
knots, viii proceed only at the rate OF Ten
and one-half knots This low rate OF speed VIII
be maintained for the sake Of comfort aboard
ship, and besides. the Arethusa's speed Is ho'
much IN excess of this.
This VOYAGE by the little torpedo boat de-
stroyers all -runneled steel vessels. go feet
long, 20 feet beam and GOO tons displacement,
is declared by those going out with the hotilla
TO be quite as hazaTdous as the voyage nlaue
by the first fictilla to the philippines seVefal
years ago, but nobody doubts that the trip VIII
be made In safety. A notable fact Is that Lieu
tenant Cone was aboard the destroyer Dale on
the voyage to Manila Ee is the only man on
this expedition who made that voyage Of six
teen thousand miles. one thousand mics
more than the second fotilla will have to
g., -
cover on the trip to San Francisco. The six de-
strcyers in this fotiila carry crew OF eighty
mel each Nearly ail the boats carry a Jap
snese steward and cook
The formation of the destroyers en- route VIII
&c as follows: The whipole. the Truxton, the
Lawrence the Hull. the Hopkins and the Stew
art Tho fol- .ng officers go IN the respective
boats:
The whipple-Lieutenant Cone. commanding;
Lieutenant ]. q. Church. Ensign c. o. f. Dodge
Mdshiprnan Il. @. Kncy-
The 1ruxton-Lieutenent c. S. Kerrfck COM
fnanding; Ensign w. p Gaddis. Midshspman A
c Meyers
The Lawrence-Ensign r. Friedrich. com
manding: Midsh.pnap p p. Scudder, MidshP-
man p s. Cuip.
The Hopkns-Iieutenant A. G. Howe. COM
handing; Ensign c. A. Richards. Midshipfnan
r q Roberts, Assistant Surgeon L. H.
nch~erfn Midshipman Il. Mercado-
fhs Eull-Lieutenant F. McCommon, COM
Sssding; Ensign c. z. Smith. Midshipman