The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-26
BY FIVE NATIONS.
President Roosevelt Is We'll
coined in Hampton Roads.
Salute of 81 Guns From 3S
American Narships.
THE OTHERS JOIN IN.
Representatives of 81 Nations
Take Part i'm Review.
A Special Envoy From the Kaiser
Among Them.
THE OTHERS JOIN IN.

throose guns of five great nations
today voiced salute in unison TO the
American dag and to the president of
tn United States The reverberatilg
boom of the cannon sped laundering
/ and echoing over the waters of far
famed Hampton Roads where nearly
half d century ago the Monitor and
the Merrimac met in the memorable
/ conflict which brought into being the
| armored craft of war. From the
Little Yankee cheese box set upon a
raft" and the rectangular mass of
( ron which carried The confederate flag
in 1862 to the modern fighting ma
Z chimes typifed by the flower of the
American navy gathered in holiday
emblage today, is a far cry. Yet
many Of those who stood on the shore
ana witnessed the naval pageant in
the -oadstead vividly recalled the his
tOrIc time when the wind rippled
waters which formed the setting of
this greatest international rendezvous
of war vessels of recent years. were
splashing with the shot and shell of
the first great battle of steel clad
ships
President Roosevelt from the
bridge OF the trim little yacht cruiser
MayhOwer whose decks were the
meeting FIace of the peace pIeniI
tentiaries Of Russia and Japan iess
th2n two years ago, reviewed the
great assemblage of flag draped fight
world to make q notable opening day
of the jamestown tercentenniaI ex-
position commemorating the 300th
anniversary of the first English set
tlement in America.
Greeting to the President.
Steaming down the long column of
dark hulled foreigners, the president
was greeted by each vessel in turn
with a salute Of 21 guns The May
flower then turned down the lane of
American battIeShips and cruise rs
and again the roar of saluting cannon
swept across the waters. The new
American navy was in its infancy l 4
years ago when the brilliant interna-
tionaI rendezvous of 1898 was held in
Hampton Roads Today the mag
nificent Atlantic fleet. under COM
Evans presented a picture Of i'm
pressive fighting strength notable in
the naval annals Of the world.
The foreign vessels were given the
positions Of honor in a line stretching
nearest and parallel to the shores of
the exposition grounds Frowning and
formidable in their dark drab color
ing. with tunnels as black as the
smoke which poured from their tops
the squadrOns sent by Great Britain
by Austria. by Germany and Argen-
tina, doomed in relief against the daz-
zlins background of American vessels
whose glistening white sides sparkIed
in the light rays reflected from the
water and whose light buff superstruc-
Il
ting TO the many hued flags floating
from mastheads and peaks from
fighting tops and flying trucks. The
foreign vessels were suggestive of the
American ships during the days of the
war with Spain when the traditional
and exclusive dressing of white gave
way to the somber gray hue of war
apparel
American vessels at naval gath erfngs
abroad have always been an attractive
center of interest because of their
graceful lines and clean cut appear
ance- Today, assembled in the full
strength Of a home protecting fleet
they made an impression which will
live long in the memory of those who
commander-in-chief doffed his hat in
acknowledgment of each thunderous
salute which marked the progress of
the review
Thirtyseven Nations Represented.
Not the least impressed of those
who witnessed this inaugural cere-
mony of the opening of the exposition
were the military and naval officers of
thirty-sevsn OF the nations OF the
world The ambassadors and minis /
ters of all these nations were also
among those who gazed upon the
beautiful naval show The foreign
dfpIomatists and officers were on
board the steamer Newport News,
which brought them down from
Washington last night and which was
given a position of vantage over the /
pleasure craft OF every inagfnabI de-
scription which formed a frame about
the anchorage ground OF the assem- /
bIed fleets. None of the excursion or
pleasure craft was allowed to cruise
between the war vessels and the shore {
thus eusuring those on the exposition 4
grounds an unobstructed view of the
impressive ceremonies pictured almost 4
as in miniature. several thousands OF
yards away in the blue waters of the {
roadstead-
Back of the first line of foreign yes
sells was arranged the mighuest col (
urcn Of American ba ttleships the his !
tory of the nation has ever known /
Stretching away in curving line up /
the broad channel way from the gov
erurnenr pier off Old Point Comfort Z
sixteen mighty fortresses Of the sea, +
wide huIIed, squat and heavy and the
backbone of the American navy. fit Z
arranged for the days review In a !
third Hne-and all but hidden from
the shore by the bulk of the heavy +
battIeshipS-Were the cruisers and
spectreIike torpedo craft attached to
the American squadrons Clustered 4
far in shore. toward the exposition /
water front were the several naval 1
station ships and which viii remain .
here until the close of the fair. the last /
of November
Thirty eight American Ships
There were IS American ships in to- I
6ay-s review The foreign ships num- !
bered u. typical modern fighting craft
and furnished picturesque and strik- 1
built cruiser and the products Of Amer
lean ship and navy yards
All of the vessels Of the combined /