Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-15
Continued from First Page.)

each division four.
Rear Admiral Thomas will command
the second squadron and the third divi-
sion. Rear Admiral Emory will command
the second division and Rear Admral
Sperry will have charge of the fourth a.
vision. Commander Hogg Will nave
charge of the auxiliary division OF small
craft.
Preceding the battle fleet there has been
sent ahead a fiotilla of six torpedo de-
stroyers They will be passed by the bat
tie fleet in the Pacific ocean between
Punta Arenas and Callao.
No full explanation has been given as
to the reason for the dispatch OF these
cggshells of the navy. Their departure
has NOT aroused extended comment be-
cause the interest of the public has been
conferred in the battle fleet.
Naval men believe that they are sent
around to the Pacific for business rather
than practice. The future alone can dis
close that. Their journey is regarded by
naval men as fvefold more dangerous
than that of the battle feet.
Itinerary of the Fleet.
The feet leaves Hampton roads Decem-
her 10 II will arrive at Trinidad Decem-
Der "A and remain until December ~.
1t is expected that nothing will be done
there except TO coal the ships. Some of
the officers may take a trip to the cele
brated Pitch lake. where the asphalt that
paves a large part of our streets comes
from but it is not likely that any shore
leave will be granted to the sailors.
The distance from Hampton roads to
Trinidad is 1.S.0 miles, and with the ex-
ception of the run from Magdalena bay
to San Francisco, about Loco miles, Will
be the shortest reach on the voyage.
Christmas will be celebrated at Trinidad,
and II will be of the usual merrymaking
type aboard ship.
Then II will be a hustle to get coal in
the bunkers and start for Rio. This will
10 lou WIN, of tn G.
lance of 3 100 miles. The fleet will arrive
there on January II. and the stay will
be ten days. Shore leave will be granted
to the men, probably about 5000 at
time.
This will bring a problem to be solved.
The people of South American ports are
not partial to American bluejackets. The
presence of SO many of them on the
streets may lead to disorders
Admiral Evans has had long experience
in handling such matters. and he will see
to 1t that nothing untoward happens if
it Is possible. 1t Is likely that the officers
will be sent ashore in uniform SO that
they may be on hand to quell any dis
turbances and be prepared to issue orders
that will be obeyed instantly.
There will probably be many receptions.
and It is thought that the President of
Brazil will invite the officers out to the
summer capital. Petropolis, about twenty
five miles away.
Crossing the Equator.
On the trip down from Trinidad the
equator will be crossed, High jinks will
be the order of that day More than one
half of the sailors have never crossed the
line. The sailors were preparing for the
fun of initiating the greenhorns long be-
fore the ships left the ports where they
were overhauled.
Neptune, twenty of him, will come
aboard each ship and take command. OF
course. he will attempt no fool tricks with
the commanding officers, but he will make
them step around and take no orders from
any one.
Every one who has not crossed the line.
be he officer. sailor or marine. will get
his good" 1t is expected that the hazing
will occupy good part of the day. 1t
will be day OF fun such as the Ameri-
can navy has never seen.
From Rio the ships will sail on Janu-
airy p for Punta Arenas, distance of
2,22S miles, arriving there on January 81.
Punta Arenas is a desolate port of about
LOO people, well inside the Strait of Ma
gelan. Patagonia is on one side and Terra
del Fuego on the other of the strait.
Nothing but coaling will be done there,
but the officers may organize some shoot
ing parties. The climate down there in
February is something like that of Labra-
dor in our summer. 1t is time of fog.
leaving there on February-5. the really
dangerous part of the journey will begin.
For nearly 400 miles the ships must steer
through crooked straits. without chance
of harbor or of anchorage. 1t is neces-
sary to start at midnight so as to reach
= the most dangerous Hart of the trip by
daXISSt; All that day and that night will
be oGtSpied in getting into the Pacific
when ttre will be comparative safety.
Such 6SS>es as Useless bay and Desola-
ton islar% are fouhds along that reach
1t is said Mat out Of the fifty-two wrecks
in thefstrHts In about ten years exactly
twenC-six lof the vessels lost had names
beginDias-~ith the letter c. Some of the
MN sri IONS artrn hat ro-
flagship of the squadron because it is the
Connecticut
fhe great S4ngerfi in the straits lies from
foG Ships>~oming the other way may be
ens9untered. Every precaution will be
taken. and Admiral Evans on whom the
great responsibility of getting the fleet
throo&h safely rests, will take no chances
MeteoHologicaf conditions will be studied
thoroughly. and all the weather sharps
and their instruments will be consulted
and those who know the admiral well say
that he will snake that fleet through
theAstraits az slick as grease
Fn3m Punta Arenas to Callao the run
is 2e66 miles. Caiao will be reached
on F'ebruary Is for a stay of ten days. to
coal ship and grant shore leaves.
Lima; the capital of Peru, is less than
ten miles away. and il is probable that
official receptions similar to those in Rio
will be given. The same watch over the
men ashore will have to be kept.
Then comes a reach of about 1850 miles
IA for a months target practice. The
fleet will be hidden most of the time
There is no town near by, and such news
as reaches the public of the doings of the
fleet there will have to come by wireless
telegraph from the ships to San Diego a
distance of about 500 miles.
The target practice results and expert
ments are one of the things about which
nothing definite is to be printed the Navy
Department reserving such information
for study and to be kept in confidence
After 1t is finished there will come the
run to San Francisco. which will be
reached probably in the last week of
April, when there will be more festivities
The Roster of the Fleet.
Here is a roster of the ships and the
commanding officers:
The battle fleet, Rear Admiral Robley
ID. Evans commanding: first division
first squadron-Connecticut Flagship of
Rear Admiral Evans. Capt Hugo w
Osterhaus: Kansas, Capt. Charles E.
Vreeland; Vermont, Capt. William P Pot
ter; Louisiana. Capt. Richard VAIN
wright
Second division first squadron-GeorCia
Flagship of Rear Admiral William IL
Emory. Capt. Henry McCrea; New Jer-
sey. Capt. William II. Fl. Switzerland:
Rhode Island. Capt Joseph B. Murdoch;
Virginia. Capt. Seaton Schroeder
Third division. second squadron-Minne-
sofa Flagship of Rear Admiral Charles
NJ. Thomas). Capt. John Hubbard: Ohio
Capt. Charles w. Bartlett: Missouri Can't
Greenlief A. Merriam; Maine, Capt. Giles