Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-12-19
THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS THURSDAY DECEMBER

Ing his right hand to sauting position,
paid his formal respects and gave his
personal assurance that the ships of his
command were ready for their trip to
the other side of the hemisphere, Presl-
dent Roosevelt acknowledged tho salute
with lifted hat and accepted the formal
words % greeting as stffly as they were
uttered. Then with the brief ceremony
ended. he grasped Admiral Evanss hand
and gave 1t the heartiest OF shakes. The
two conversed together informally for
n moment or two until othor arriving
flag and commanding officers set the re-
ception in full swing.
When Admiral Evans was about TO
take his leave and get the fleet under
way the President followed him to the
Eangway and then called him aside for
nearly fve minutes OF earnest consula-
tion. The President spoke with his usual
emphasis, and the admiral listened in
tcnty with a constant affirmative nod
of his head.
MARTIAL TOUCH ON MAYFLOwER.
During the reception the President
was photographed with the officers
grouped about him. A marine guard
and band were stationed or the May
flowers decks and the ceremonies Of
receiving and sending away the visit
ing officers gave martial touch of
color to the occasion.
Rear Admiral Berry, commanding
the Norfolk navy yard, journeyed to
Hampton roads, on the torpedo boat
Stringham to pay his respects to the
President, and his dark hulled, rakish
looking craft passing IN among the
whitcclad hattleships added somethln &
of the sinister side to the purpose Of
navy's being. Black of hull and
tunnels. with no touch of color any
where in the relief. the Stringham
glided about like some creepy reptile.
There was another torpedo craft In the
picture, the Tingey, which acted as
convoy to the Mayfower. But the
Tingey was far more pleasing in her
sea green coloring and bright yellow
band about the forward stack. She
remained by the side of the Mayhower
throughout the ceremonies.
In parting with the officers OF the
fleet. President Roosevelt was wholly
informal and to each had a cordial
handcasp, n grasp of the uniformed
shoulder and a hearty good bye, old
fellow. and good luck"
AT WORK BEFORE sun RISE.
TIL waiting fleet prepared early to
welcome the President and later bid him
adiou. Long before the first gay shadows
of the breaking sun slanted through the
open gateway of the capcs. the red and
white ardois lanterns on mastheads were
flashing signals from divisional aaEships.
Sailormen by the hundreds were busy
| I'm polishing decks and bright works for
| y he coming sun to bring out in sparkling
/ relief against the buff color Of the super
| structure. The ever busy little stream
boats We're making their last trip from
! shore with impatient whistles screeChins
a warning to tardy mail ordorlies laden
with last messages of good bye to the
departing ncct when the sun broke above
the eastern horizon.
It was not long after the anchor lights
! had disappeared that the slim white
| hull Of the Maynower could be made out
of tho distance. Then the final prepara-
tons worc rushed with will Orders
| had been given to dress ship at eight
o'clock and the last bell OF the morning
watch had not been struck when the
dressing lines a hutter with vari-colored
/
| above the lighting tops. The gay dress
ings appeared as if by magic on every
| ship of the feet and remained aloft until
the President had taken his place at the
head of the line and the start for the
Pacific cruise was an actually. Then
they came tumblng to the deck and the
ships had once more assumed the SIM
pie garb of cruising trim.
THOUSANDS VIEWED DEPARTURE
The Old Point shores and the ram
pulse of mingled admiration for the
were lined with thousands of persons
az the feet lifted anchor and set sail.
other thousands were gathered aboard
| excursion craft of all descriptions
| The government pier projecting far
| out into the roads at Old Point was
| a living mass Of umanty. In the
crowd were gathered wives, sisters
and swecthearts of officers and enlist
cd mon, all feeling the common i'm
| parts Of historic old Fortress Monroe
vast marine picture unfolded before
them and the heart hurnings of n long
/ parting with relatives and friends. II
was peculiarly fitting. therefore. that
| when the flagship Connecticut swept
! by tho pier the band assembled on the
| quarterback should play The Girl
Loft behind Me" and then more plain
lively came the strains of Aud Lang
| Svuc," followed in turn by the star
| SrAngled Banner"
1t was a pretty indication that annie
tn" regrets of parting the call of pat
| riotic duty was at last the one thing
to lie considered.
FOUR JACKIES LEFT BEHIND.
There was not a hitch in any of the de
tails Of the well planned program, bu
| there were number of amusing Incl
| dents, not the least of which were tho
anctics of four sailors who had over
stayed their leave OH shore and were
| frantiraly calling from the old Poin
| pier for q boat to pick them up. At last
one of the quartette conceived the idef
of wigwaEEing their plight to the com
manding officer Selling his own car
| and another from his companions h,
mounted to a pile head and for nearly !,
minutes waved arms and caps according
| to the signal code. But II was too late
| to stop for stragglers and the dtsappoint-
| ed sailors, their ditty boxes and clothes
bags safe aboard the parting ships. wer,
| left behind. When the President and the
officers We're posing for their pictures
Admiral Evans called forth laughter by
| exclaiming to the group of photogra pm
ers: "Shoot fast you fellows, you need
| some training at a navy gun"
Tonight the sixteen ships of the mas
si it,r in, .y,,