The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1907-12-26
Big FLEET is OFF
SIXleGh RattleshIps Start Out for
Pacific Ocean.
ARE. Reviewed BY PRESIDENT
Sighk Is One That Brings Forth Ad-
niration Of Every Spectator,
Many Being Foreigners.

Old Point Comfort, Va, Dee. H.
Sixteen hard hitting, steel belted Amer
lean battleships, guns bristling and
hurly of giath,, but sparkling white in
their immaculate dressings of peace,
started away yesterday under the DAG
zling sun of cloudlsss winter sky, ON
their famous twin sea expedition Of
IA, 900 miles along foreign shores and
in changing climss to the west coast of
the United States. President RoOse-
velt, on the bridge Of his cruiser-yaeht,
the Mayfowss, personally ned the mag
uifcent four-mile line OF fighting ves-
sells during 6rst stage Of the voyage.
From the anchorage grounds in Hamp-
ton Roads to the Horseshoe bend Of
Chesapeake bay his eagle-crested flag of
blue pointed the way to the heet's new
home at the Golden Gate. Then, when
the wide reaches of the sea were visible
through the wide-swung capes Of Vir-
ginia, he turned aside and, coming to
anchor again, reviewed the passing
pageant.
The blue Of the sky, the stretch of
green sea miles, the glistening Of spot
less hulls, the curl Of foam-crested bow
waves, the cheering Of sailors afioat and
friends ashore, the breeze blown strains
of "Auld Lang Syne," floating across
the waters, the blare Of trumpets, the
ruffle OF drums, the fash Of signals and
the boom Of saluting cannon marked
the departure Of the feet, presenting 10
the people who watched it a spectacle
they will never forget and to the world
at large the reality of the trimmest,
most homogeneous, most thoroughly
Equipped, most mobile and selfreliant
assemblage Of first class battleships ever
gathered in one command.
There will not be ship in the line
old enough to have smelled powder or
to have taken the shot OF Manila or
Santiago-stories written scarcely 10
years ago in the history Of nations. All
were modern Of design, examples Of the
aggressive seagoing navy which the
president has declared to be 30 essen
tial to the peace Of the country.
Attaches Of foreign legations and en-
, bassies at Washington and many cor
, respondents who have seen war service
. on foreign journals freely declared that
yesterdays naval display was the most
impressive they had ever seen. The
!, facility with which the big vessels were
handled, the manner in which they
were maneuvered into single column
formation, and the perfect alignment
which was maintained to the southwark
: turn from the cape called out the warm
tiful marine picture was felt until the
last wind blown spiral of smoke was
lost on the horizon.
The first part Of the fleets journey
, will brig it to Trinidad on Christmas
I eve, and there, amid the heat of the
tropics, the Christmas celebrations will
be held. Hundreds OF goodbye tele-
grams were flashed to the ships by
!, wireless telegraph as they left the road
j stead and had turned down the south
/; ern coast.
These vessels made up the feet which
sailed yesterday under command Of
Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans:
Connecticut, 10000 tons; Louisiana,
}. 16, 900 tons; Kansas, 10000 tons; Yer
g mont, 10000 tons; Georgia, 14,94s
y tons; Virginia, 14,948 tons; New Jer.
;. sey. IA ,94S tons; Rhode Island, 14,94s
}, tons; Minnesota, 10000 tons; Ohio,
y l2.500 tons; Maine, 12,500 tons; Mis-.
t souri,, 12,50O tons; Alabama, 1876
v tons; Illinois, II 1925 tons; Kearsarge
q l1,525 tons; Kentucky, II, 1926 tons
n Culgoa, supply ship, 5,725 tons; Gla.
;, cier, supply ship, 1000 tons; Panther
a repair ship, $3.50 tons; Yankton,
tender, 975 tons.