The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-08-27
CRUISER RALE|GH
BRINGS STORIES
CFrom Mondays Advertiser.)


Honolulu yesterday received the tirst
warship of the new era of Pacific naval
history. The protected cruiser Raleigh,
Commander Peters, arrived off port
from Yokohama about the middle of
the forenoon and at 1850 O'Clock she
was alongside the Naval wharf with her
guards out TO keep off curious folks who
were anxious TO get look at her grace
full lines and warlike aspect. 1t seemed
hard for Honolulu people, who have
been hearing of the coming of vessels
of war for so long a time, to be kept
from the wharf, but such was the case.
The most strict quarantine was OBJ
served in regard to the Raleigh and
last night none OF her three hundred
men were allowed even half way up
the long wharf, nor was anybody from
ashore allowed aboard At sunset the
order was given TO close the gates
opening from the wharf on to the es-
planade. Today the officers and some
of the men may be allowed ashore.
The Raleigh is homeward bound as
any one could have seen by look at
the long pennant she flew when she was
off the harbor, a pennant whose end
ever and anon touched the water
astern.
Homeward bound!" That is the
cry aboard the Raleigh and many of her
crew are men whose time has almost
expired. All will be transferred at
Mare Island to other vessels of the
Navy, for the Raleigh is going out of
commission. She is to undergo extern
sive repairs and some alterations.
The men are going home after a
period of excitement in the Orient
which they will never forget, HURDLE
are many men among her complement
who can relate startling bits of unpub-
lished history.
With blazing eyes they tell of the
as are the stations of the majority of
those aboard the U. S. S. Raleigh there
night of July just before the ami
versary of American Independence, at
Chefoo, China, when eight or nine
American menof-war, including the
cruisers Maryland, West Virginia,
Colorado, Pennsylvania, Chattanooga
and Raleigh, were ready for action at
moment IS notice and the officers of
the fleet were aboard the flagship de-
ciphering messages from Washington.
That was trying time, for every
man of the Raleigh expected that there
would be something doing on the NOR
row.
There was talk of war in the States
and in Japan and each country was
denying, automatically, that there was
anything doing, but the boys of the
Raleigh knew different for the very
good reason that their officers knew
that the time was critical and these Off
GERS knew this for the reason that they
were deciphering messages from the
American capital which made ready
every one of the vessels anywhere near
Japan.
Japan in the war with Russia deliv-
cred telling blow before war was de-
clared. Such a move could not have
been accomplished if there had been
any coming to blows between Japan
and the United States. Uncle Sam was
ready, not only to deliver a defensive
blow, but to make a most aggressive
move in the event of the japanese gov
eminent not being able to contain it
| self.
| These are the things one hears from
the men of the Raleigh, not from the
officers. The officers are not talking.
The Raleigh will leave this port prob
ably on Thursday next for Mare Island.
She VII not remain in port to wait
for the Asiatic squadron which sailed
for Honolulu from Yokohama the other
day. She is moving independently and
in Yokohama received orders to make
as good time as possible to Honolulu
and thence to San Francisco. She
starts this morning taking aboard 40
tons of coal.
After the Raleigh has been repaired
and certain changes have been made
she will again be put in commission
and probably sent to these waters. She
is likely to return to Honolulu about
the time the sixteen battleships arrive
here early next year from the Atlantic
and there is also some talk of her being
put on station here indefinitely after
being Reconnaissance At present,
however, there is no telling how long
she will be in the hospital and her
present crew will all be transferred up
on arrival at the coast to other vessels,
a few to the q. S. S. Albany and some
to the cruisers Maryland, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia and Colorado, those
whose time does not expire taking the
place of men whose time expires aboard
/, the cruisers named.