The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-17

meath and cown the line to meet the other ships which were paired on op- posite sides and reached full two miles away
 t;aily Decorated.
 Each ship was gaily dressed from | tack staf to flag post, the long lipas of varie-colored bits of signal bunting l nuttering in tho early morning breeze l first in an almost perpendicular line from the stem to the signal yards sur- sounding the fore-fightfng loop, reach | ing straight back to the after-loop and down again to the stern rail of the quarter deck. Black smoke pouring from avery funnel indicated that the | engineers forces were building up steam for the first step in the memo. riable voyage.
 I The Connecticut, flying the flag of Rear Admiral Evans commander In. chief of the expedition, was the first to speak the President. Her starboard and port saluting guns began alter nately to proclaim this respect and the motions of the flagship As 1t Is ex- pressed in the navy. tho other ships took up the firing. and in less than two minutes time. SSs guns had boomed. l. Again., without formal recognition of the horiors bestowed, the Maynower entered the warship lanes. and, pro- | ceeding slowly to . point about mid way of the assembled fleet. let go her anchors and swung around partly. to I face tho flow of the ebbing tide.
 No sooner had she done SO than the torpedo launch of the Connecticut, with Admiral Evans and his stan on board, was darting swiftly to her side, Roosevelt Receives Oicers.
 Making the after gangway the offi- cers, in all the regalia of special dress | uniforms. then repaired son board the yacht to pay their respects to the Pres ident. He received them on the quar- ter deck and the exchange oflgreetings was more hearty than formalA Follow. ing the Connecticutt's lead, the launches from all of the other ships were soon swarminE about the Mayhower. From the Minnesota came the steam barge of Rear Admiral c..M Thomas. command CT Of the second squadron: from the Georgia there was the barge of Rear Admiral William H. Emery, commander of the second division; and from the Alabama came Rear Admiral C. s. Sper- lry, commanding the fourth division. Each ofIicer was accompanied by bis | staff. The captains commanding of the sixteen ships followed the flag oficers.
 The last goodbyes were soon said and the Presidents last wishes of good luck had been offered. Suddenly the signal yards of the connecticutt flashed the message ':'Get under way. tmme- diately following the movements of the flagship"
 Orders voIleyed from each vessels :. bridge. They were conveyed by warn ing bells to engine rooms, through the musical notes of half a score of buEles and the shrili whistle of the "bo's'ns' | oines Dressing lines were hauled In and tumbled into deck and ships were robbed of the gala attire. Everything was in cruising trim now and the time for play was nast.
 | St00d At Attention.
 With the departure of the feet of Acers, the Mayflower proceeded to get under way almost at once so as to take her place at the head of the formidaois column. As the Mayhower retroated down the warship lane each vessel she na ssed manned the rail with blue jack | ets all of whom stood at attention.
 Meantime the giant cranes on boaro tbe war vessels were reaching out ana picking up the steam launches ana run : ming boats and storing them snugly ID their berths high up In the super. boom of storm waves to be encountered 1 on the trip.
 Next from the ships came the whir and hiss of steam driven windlasses and the granding ciank of lftng an chor chains whose massive hnks were
 
 of chain had been iaid out on each shin. This is ten times the deptnl M ol thA roadstead channel, but necessary 70 l keep the vessels free from fouling III the swing currents Ss.ys:er Ss 1se '''e ap" the work of raising anchors had begun al- most simultaneously on each Of the sixteen ships. Big streams Of water were placed upon the siimDing m, sand ena1S anS haYbor mud as they rose from the sur face. The Connecticut. head or the coiurln, and the other ships of the nrst division. were the first to ger their am | chors folded on their bows
 DiAacuIt danoeuvering. Then came for each navigator and cantain a bit of difhcut manoeuvering II at close quarters. The sweep of the eo- hing tide had turned every ships stem to the west and It was necessary .o swing each vessel around to take po- sition for the eastward start to the canes. One bv one the other armor- cIsds hofstered their position pennants to the fore truck signifying that they were ready to get under way. When al last all sixteen ships were In posisIon ir single column. natural order ana aistance." 400 yards apart. the engine room indicators, far down n the depths of the steel protected decks, showed full steam ahead" 3,,,, For the purposes of this cruise. full speedsmeans an easy pace of ten knots an hour and it was on this basis tn al the ships bade farewell to the great crowds gathered on the Old Point snore and moved away from their familiar anchorage ground. As the big vessels gained headway, they one after an other picked up their "bones' from the furrowed wake of the flagship. The Presidents yacht was well down the bay when the battleship column began. to move. Coming to anchor near the Tail of the Horse Shoe" as the water formation about Thimble Shoa Light is locally known the Mayflowel