Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-25

West Indies. From the bay, the view
of the port is bright and beautiful.
white walled houses capped with red
roofs. nestle among luxurlant and
l. illiant tropical foliage; In the fore
ground. sparkle the blue waters of
the gulf while behind the town the
cncircling hills make frame of
changing hues. 1t is an English
town. English is the tongue of the
blacks. Christmas is observed in the
English way, and the men OF our
iieet will get an English welcome. 1t
is modern town, with well paved
streets, good street car service good
stores and hotels, attractive tropical
parks and extensive gardens. There
are several clubs, some In the CITY
and Others in the nearby country. The
famous Trinidad asphalt lake is sixty
miles from Port of SPAIN 1t sun.
plies, under lease to an American
company. raw material for American
pavements. The waters of the bay
are shallow and vessels of deem draft
have to anchor some distance out.
The climate at this season Is warm
and pleasant.
Admiral Evans has reported to the
Navy Department the safe arrival of
me battlcship fleet at Trinidad YES.
terday.
Secretary Metcalf today sent the
following Christmas greeting 70 tho
officers and men of the Atlantic hat
tieship iieet and the torpedo DESTROYER
fiotilla: - "
Evans, Port CT Spain, Trinidad.
ne DpnD ri
officers and men under your can
mand, the best wishes for Merry
Christmas.
(Signed) "METCALF."
This message will be read 10 tho
men tomorrow aboard tho varion,
ships of the fleet and notilla mr. vii,
be posted where 1T NAV be rcadiI,
seen by them. Over f4.Oo0 onIcnrs
and men arc now ut Port or Snoin
SO that the Secratary's message will
ia greeting TO them all. The mos
sage was sent by wireless telegraph
from San Juan
Making Ready at Frisco.
WASHINGTON. ID. c., Dec. o.
emergency appropriations which viii
amount to $4,000 will be asked for
ny the Navy Department as soon ms
oonSress reconvenes in January.
Most or this money will be expend-
Ell, II secnred. in the construction nj
another large storehouse at San Fran.
cisco, TO be used by thGa Bureau of
supplies and ACCOUNTS. " While tho
Navy department already has facilie
ties for storing large uuantitv of
supplies at San Francisco. these will
DC overlaNed by the needs of tho hat
tieship feet when it reaches that
port. 1t is expected that If any an
preparation Is made the building Gan
nc completed In three months
no work has vet been given ia tbs
bureau of Supplies and Accounts IN
prepare supplies for the feet In con
.lhue It's cruise after reaching Cali.
ioinia. The bureau anticipates that
me supplies placed upon the flect
VIII IN many cases outlast tho trin IN
california, but many things would he
REQUIRED should the feet go IN tho
Philippines. 81 20 '"e
Arrangements were made Yesterday
oy cable to supply the shjps with
Soo,oOO pounds of fresh potatoa. nj
Caiiao 1t is estimated that the mo-
tatoes now on hand will last unti,
ths Meet reaches the Strait of Ma
Gelian. From this point TO CaIlao the
meet VIII experiment with the dried
polatoes which have been nut on
BOARD. Dried vegetables form an I'M
portant part of the supplies. They
lnci',dc almost all of the common veg
e.aoles and have been successfuilv
prepared. Cranberries and cabbage
are Two OF the things In which tha
experiment has proved worthy.