The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-16
Officers oftl1e Paciht Fleet
Think There Will
Be Trouble.
ADMIRAL EVANS'S
WORDS TO VIRGINIA
Tears and Smiles Mark the Last
LAY OF Shore Leave Before the
Warships sail-Hotels
Arc Crowded. and
Admiral Holds
Reception.
BY II. W. SIMPSON, .E..
StnT Writer.

BY II. W, SIMPSON. Jft..
4 stnT Writer.
IA The ndmlrnl sa,s that I~ is
i glad the State OF yirginin should
4 bnye tile honor Gf You consider
IL M suclD 10 furnish the innn who
has been honOred by being given
the command Of this fleet for this
crnise.-Statemenr of Admiral
Evans to staff writer of Tho
Times-Dispatch.
FORT MONROE. VA. December ID
swinging idly mt anchor In the his
3oric waters OF Hampton Roads, six
teen monarchs of the sea Dull fret |
fully at the chains tonight and i'm.
patiently await the signal OF to-tnor.
row to satl thfGusil the treacherous
channel Of Magell:t1 and thence around
70 the peaceful calm OF the otherl
ocean and the Golden Gate With
Inc godspeed of the commandment.
chief, they will glide out BY the
Gapes, fndian-fle, their giant engines
throbbins majesttcally and Keeping
step to the broncho lIoof- beats OF
White House destiny. Whether they
20 for tests OF strength and practice
OF whether this great battle fleet viii
INT anchor again In the spring to fol-
low the unbeaten path of the sea to
me, the ither he:s,i*phAss naval men say
Rttls and care not. fos .thsy are loyal
and live blIndy to obey.
To-day and Tonight the rarewelIs
were said, Like the crush OF an after I.
noon tea the Chamberlain Hotel was
nolaze and aglow with It's niorry thropp
of men and women--w!yes mother.
and sweethearts. In the centre of the
sroup sat Fighting Bob, Evans. the
native Virginian. surrounded BY Off
ctrs In blue and gold and rising a.
times with the aid OF his cane To
Ereet some timid. blusiing girl who
iyanted to shake his hand. The lines
ON the a.imirals face are deep. aud his
stfp al times IS UNSTEADY. for he IS
!. not al i9rishtiT 50 ahen he roamed
tI.fs shorcs..Sa
Under Full steam.
Amos I Within a stonc'st throw Of the
hotel StnDds the fleet the flagship
Connecticut NEAREST In. and the 9TH
eis quite nearby. Throughout the dav
duli rain fell driving the Thousands
or 3tSht-secrs 10 shelter. Out of the
tunnels there came "a stream OF I'ittss
nnrg smoke, for the ships are under
steam and ready to depart. Running
In and out cutters and launches carried
orders back and forth. and occasionally
an excursion craft ran by, trying.
like an ugly woman. to look sweet at
Il beauty show. The Stars and Stripes
were damp and soaked. but still they
proudly waved.
Smiles aud Tears.
Safe from the winter biast the ad-
miral was killing time. inpatient like
his ships Commanders and captains
and lieutenants, and Il small army on
shore leave. We're full OF laughter. but
al times there was a touch of ira agedy.
for on some cheek there came a salty
tear in spite of the assurance that this
cruise does not mean waf.
But cheer went up at 3 O'clock in
the afternoon when the sun Suddenly
burst into isplendor and drove dark
shadows away. Out in the Roads lis-
ships did not present Il picture "
war. The hulls were white and spark I
ing. but they can be quickly turned
into the drab color of the water
through which they plough.
$1,000 Men.
All told. 5,OoL men will go out with
eae battle fleet Tomorrow on cruise
of almost that many miles: On the eve
of Christmas they will halt at Trini-
dad, at the Port of Spain, and With
good luck they ought to reach San
Francisco by the carly days of May.
Led by the Connecticut. the fleet will
not he out of speaking distance for all
that time. They will keep within d
3 radius of SIX miles, ard travel with
that steady gait as If the flagship
were towing all. And as they plunge
through the south seas they Will give
: !: hint that the Monroe Doctrine is
\ reaching out.
Greatest AM,Oun of Tonnage.
Strangers who came here to-day en-
pectins to see The entire waters COW
credrNith an array of battle craft We're
disappointed. 40 fleet or$such size has
ever made such a voyage, but larger
numbers have conSresateds here hefoi'G
and at OYSTER Bay. Few, however
have travelled so far. Tie departure
of sixteen battleships leaves the At
.lantic coast practically unprotected, a
fact which has terrified the fearful
fearful ones. though the whole plan
was mapped out bS the government
even ii 1T had cbeyed ia Roosevelt
Wl,in,. To naval students. however
there are facts more remarkable than
u the voyage itself. for these siNtee,
ships We're not IN commission at the
md modern. Their lnuzale energy. tot'
Is greater. there is more speed ane
more danger for tho nation that Wouit
s9rross their path. The countless mil
III lions that looked upon5 the matchlesS
race OF the Oregon are reminded Una
4 Admiral Evans MIL cruise over Vtltt
same route, but With finer dogs o
war. Put alongside OF amy crack. me m
s6er OF this fleet the IOregons SWoui,
he outclnsscd. Admiral evans has Will
llim the greatest amount of tonnage
that ever Flowed Ea flag.
Tho Hrown Men Aiutter,
So farSsn the la,Ooo men aboart
Enow, the fleet is merely off Cor
practice cruise. Among themselves
however. they adult the danger, No
ll5may retllrn. llilcJ5 prayers are 5snit
for5their safe sretnrn.s they are watched
with lscener eyes l.nTi the other sid'
cf the world, and by the battalion q
Japanese that We're tguratiyely kicke,
offyesterday.- This little orderiito hav'
none Of that bloed aboard has caYtlsat
lContinued on THIRD asss) u