Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-09
WARSHIPS IN WAITING
GATHERING OF SEA FIGHTERS
IN HAMPTON ROADS.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NORFOLK. Va. December 9.-Rear Ad-
miral Evans arrived at Fort Monroe from
| the National capital this morning and
| boarded his flagship, the Connections,
which had preceded him to the Hampton
roads rendezvous
Mrs. Evans came with the admiral. All
but two of the fleet are now lying at an
chor of Fort Monroe. forming one of the
most beautiful sights ever witnessed in
this section. The ships at anchor are the
flagship Connecticut. the Kansas, Yer
mont. Missouri. Rhode Island Maine,
Louisiana, Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey.
Ohio. Illinois. Alabama and KearsaIge, to-
gether with the tender auxiliary Yankton.
The last of these vessels to arrive was
the Maine, which passed Cape Henry at
$3.50 am. today. and proceeding to Hamp-
| ton roads. dropped anchor with the other
battleships off Old Point two hours later.
The remaining two vessels of the fleet
yet to arrive are the Minnesota and Ken
lucky.
| Minnesota Sails.
NEW YORK. December 9.-The battle
ship Minnesota. the last of the fighting
craft fitting out at the Brooklyn navy
yard for the Pacific cruise. got away this
| liOl ullS dl o.OO y ClOuh. HcIC was lHc
regulation salute in her honor as she
swung out into the East river and slowly
gathered headway on the first part of her
| long voyage.
She was in command of Capt Hubbard
today. but on the cruise will be the flag
ship of the third division of the Atlantic
feet. which means that she will have
Rear Admiral Thomas aboard. and will fly
the regulation blue flag with the two
white stars at her masthead.
The smallest craft which will take part
| in the Pacific cruise are still left at the
yard. the Culgoa. store ship. and the
Panther. which is the repair ship Of the
fleet, carrying a complete machine shop
aboard. These two auxiliary vessels are
scheduled to sail Wednesday.
Arethusa Sails.
There were scenes of great activity ir
Hampton roads today in connection with
final work for the departure of the flee,
next Monday. The crews of many of the
battleships were engaged filling the bunk
ers of their vessels with picked Goa
sent on barges from the Norfolk navy
yard, while others were engaged in load
| ing supplemental magazine stores Sen,
from the st. Juliens magazine here. These
| included hundreds of tons of projectiles
and other explosives not taken on at the
| naval stations at which the respective yes
sells were fitted out.
| The United States supply ship ArethuSa
| which has been fitted out here as a supply
ship for the second flotilla of torpedo boa
destroyers, composing the Whipple, Trux
tus, Hopkins, Hull. Stewart and Law.
renee, sailed from the navy yard today
proceeding to LambertS Point, where she
| will take on bunker coal preparatory tr
| the final start for Trinidad. where she
will, between December 10 and q, join the
torpedo f1otilla.
New Barges for Bay Service.
The new barge, Duke built for bay
service, will go into commission at Bal
timore in a day or two. and will load
coal The barge was launched about two
weeks ago at an Elkton. Md, shipyard
and was named after Mr.. w. B. Duke of
| Baltimore The new vessel is 175 feet
long on the keel and thirty feet beam, and
Wilt carry a cargo of about 1900 tons
The vessel is owned by Capt William
Henderson of Philadelphia and W. B.
Duke. W. B. Diggs and w. d. Wathen
| of Baltimore.
The new barge Severn was launched at
a Sharptown, Md, shipyard a week ago
and work on her is being pushed to get
her in service as soon as possible. The
vessel, which is owned by the p. Dough
erty Company of Baltimore, is modern
craft, and Is to be fitted with modern
equipment. She Is 200 feet long on the
keel, thirteen feet deep in the hold, thir.
ty-five feet beam. and will have car
rying capacity Of about LOO tons. The
Severn is one of the largest barges afioat
and will bring cargoes of hard coal here