New-York tribune., 1908-07-08
ATLANTIC FLEET SAILS
AROUND WORLD CRUISE.
LeaUes Golden Gate for Honolulu
Scarlet Feuer Delays Nebraska.

San Francisco July Fifteen battleships OF
the Atlantic fleet sailed to-day on the voyage
that is take them around the world and END
at Hampton Roads, whence they started last
December The sixteenth member of the fleet
the Nebraska was left behind because of an
outbreak of scarlet fever among the crew. Three
cases were reported. She will be placed in
quarantine three days and thoroughly fumi-
gated, after which she will join her sister ships
at Honolulu.
without ceremony or celebration of any sort
the fifteen big fighting ships got under way
| promptly at o'clock on signal from the Con-
necticut Rear Admiral Sperry's flagship, and
stean ming in single column, slowly made their
wav OUT of the bay where they had found
anchorag sc from time to time since their arrival
here two months ago. few small craft fol-
lowed in the wake of the feet as far as Golden
Gate and gave the white ships parting salute
with their sirens while on the hills were scat
tered groups of people silently watching the
! departure which in striking contrast to the
enthusiastic reception its arrival
It was $40 o'clock when the Kentucky the
last ship in line, passed the lighthouse at the
entrance to the Golden Gate, and half an hour
later the fleet lost to view in dense cloud
of black smoke from the copse of tunnels and
in the thick weather which was rolling in from
the sea.
The forenoon was one of busy preparations
the ships. Launches and cutters dotted the
harbor fitting from ship to ship and from ship
to shore. On the flagship Connecticut signal
flags were constantly breaking out and the in
cessant zip zip of the wireless telegraph, COM
municating with ships and sending farewell
messages to shore stations, never ceased. Boats
were made fast, orderlies ran to and fro and
few visitors. newspaper men and relatives and
Of to st
goodby.
At II O'Clock Secretary Garfield of the IN
terror Department, who arrived last night from
Honolulu the cruiser st. Louis boarded the
Connecticut to pay his respects to Admiral
Sperry. He was saluted with seventeen guns.
the salute that members of the Presidents Cab
met are entitled to, when he departed.
on the waterfront patrols of bluejackets
with stout "billies" rounded up a few beated
stragglers from the various ships.
At 1850 o'clock the last boat left shore with
mail oTderlies.
Early in the day Lieutenant Commander Ben
iamin F Hutchinson executive officer of the
/ cruiser st. Louis, was hurriedly detached from
that ship and assigned executive officer
of the battleship Wisconsin in place OF Lieu
tenant Commander Phelps. The latter was or
dered to Mare Island on account of illness Dr.
Koltze, jr., surgeon or the Connecticut, and TWO
surgeons from other ships were Temporarily
transferred this morning to the Nebraska to
assist in treating the scarlet fever cases on that
: ship
Just before the fleet sailed Rear Admlral
Sperry received the following telegram from
President Roosevelt:
I send to you and the officers and ENLISTED
men under you my heartiest good wishes on the
eve of your departure. That the American peo-
ple can trust the skilled efficiency and devotion
1f ifG
heen aburdantly shown by the trip around
South America, and | know will be made equal
lv manifest on the return trip across the Pa
cifc Indian and Atlantic oceans. You have In
a reculiar sense the honor of the United States
Continued m seventh page.