The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1907-12-13
NAv1GAT0Rs OF EACH VESSEL
HAVE BEEN FURNISHED
WITH CHARTS
The Long Awaited Signal "Ree1 \
Flashed From Ship to Ship Yes,
Report That the Great shi. !:
Will Circle Globe Is Rife Tw,
Million Pounds Of Ammunition Is
Placed on Board.

Old Point Comfort, Dec. 13.-The
final word of Ready was flashed
from every vessel in the battleship
fleet yesterday. In its last analysis
this signal meant that the sixteen
most powerful armor-clads of the
American navy were ready, not only
to start next Monday morning on
their projected cruise to the western
seas, but are just as ready to go any
where in the twin hemispheres of the
world and do any work.
Now that all is ready, officers and
men alike are anxious to get away.
The tour is to be anything but a
junket and it means long hours of
hard work for everybody in the
fleet.
The orders and published itinerary
offer little prospect for entertain
ment or amusement en- route. Sea
duty, drills and target practice are
the outstanding features of the trip
N 11o~ 49, = ~
sand dunes and Indian .huts of Mag
! dalena Bay.
May Circle Globe
Il One Of the points of complete read
iness marking the present status of
the fleet is to be found in the chart
houses Of the navigating officers.
When the fleet was first ordered to
prepare for the Pacific voyage the
navigators of each ship were supplied
with specially prepared charts lead
ing down the south Atlantic coast
through the treacherous water of the
Magellan straits and along the Pa
cific coast to San Francisco. Several
weeks ago these charts were supple
mented by others, showing the way
to Manila. Then more recently have
come lately revised charts capable OF
guiding the feet all Of the way to
Gibraltar. The furnishing Of these
charts has given rise to gossip that
the fleet is destined eventually te
encircle the globe and that there may
be something more beyond Magdal-
ena Bay than San Francisco. The
ordnance officers attached to the six.
teen ships have probably accomplish.
ed the most difficult duties in pre-.
pairing for the cruise.
Tons Of Ammunition
They have had to see to the stor.
age of more than 1000, 900 pounds ol
ammunition in carefully protected
/ magazines and to the installation ol
new and secret fire control sys
TEN. lArmor piercing projectiles fill
ed with an explosive said to be thu
most powerful and effective Of all th,
secret formulas in the possession O
3 the navy's experts, have been placed
aboard the ships and vast supplies o
smokeless powder charges has beer
slowed away under double protection
Of silken bags and copper lined cyl
indrical tanks.
The fire control, which has beel
& Installed on the ships, is visua
and audible system Of directing tn
fire Of all the guns in the frs
and secondary batteries. From tn
forward fighting top the ordnance Of
ficer Of the ship by aCMF'WsY,PsI
fcer Of the ship BY squeezing q bull
& gives a buzzing signal to each cres
whose piece he wishes to be brough
into action. The range Of the en-
emy Is also flashed upon an indicat
or. The system was recently trie
by the Maine at target practice an
broadside was fired with the roa
Of signal gun. The rapidity 3
the American gunfire IS such that th
entire supply Of ammunition carrie
4 by the larger ships would be es
{ hausted IN from twenty to twenty
ave minutes.