Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-08
WARSHIPS START FOR ORIENT
Start Made on Second Part of the
Journey Around the World.
FIFTEEN VESSELS IN THE LINE
ebrnsI<R is Detained 90 ne FumigRted
on Account of Case of Scarlet
Fever, but VIII OvertRke
Others at Honolulu.

! SAN FRANCISCO. July THE Atlantic
battleship fleet sailed at ? o'clock this
afternoon There were fifteen ships in the
! lire led by Rear Admiral Sperry's flag
ship Connecticut the Nebraska being de-
tached today and sent to the Angel Island
quarantine station because OF an outbreak
/ of scarlet fever aboard. II will rejon the
fleet a tHonolulu
/ There was little ceremony about the sail
/ ing Of the fleet.
Promptly at ? o'clock the signal went up
on the Connecticut and anchors were
hoisted. The Connecticut slowly got under
way ard led the column out through Golden
Gate and set a course southwestward for
Honolulu, where the ships will arrive on
July 16. for a weeks stay
There were none of the exciting and
picturesque scenes that marked the coming
Of the fleet to this port after its voyage
around the southern continent OF America
no gathering of the people from distant
cities, nor of countless craft carrying thou
| sands eager to shout their enthusiasm. It
was not because there was less pride in
these defenders of the nations honor, but
two months of close contact and the almost
daily sight of the glistening ships swing
ing quietly at anchor had filled the eye
and somewhat dimmed enthusiasm
The fleet auxiliaries preceded the battle
ships by a week, and are now nearing
Honolulu, where they will unload supplies
and sail away for New Zealand before the
arrival OF the fleet at Honolulu. These
auxiliares are the Panther, repair ship;
Glacier, refrigerator supply ship; Culgoa.
supply ship; Ajax, collier, Relief, hospital
ship, and Yankton, tender and dispatch
boat.
Capabilities of the Fleet.
The battleships which sail today on
the longest voyage ever undertaken by such
a powerful fleet, during which they will
comp ely encircle the world, from Hamp-
ton Roads to Hampton Roads, have
total tonnage of $4,000 tons. The fleet is
capable Of steamng an average of ten
knots an hour under any sea conditions,
and is following an itinerary which will
bring the, ships to Manila on october l.
1903. The complete route from Manila
to Hampton Roads has not yet been def-
nitely announced, but II is expected that
the fleet will arrive at its ultimate destina-
tion during the latter part of February,
1850. when 1t will be Joined at Hampton
Roads by most of the other ships of the
American navy then on the Atlantic coast,
and this great fleet of war vessels-gre ater
even than that which gathered in San
-. Francisco bay on the morning of May 6,
and greater than the one that assembled
! at Hampton Roads December 16 when the
present record-breaking voyage began and
where IT will again be reviewed by Pres
ident Roosevelt just prior to his going out
OF office.
The fleet is scheduled TO arrive at Hon
olulu July 16. Res dents OF that remote
possession of the United States have pre-
pared a magnificent and fitting reception
to the officers and men, which will be OF
the nature of q reception and belated
Fourth of July celebration combined. 1t
will be the first special entertainment of
the fighting men since Puget sound cities
} delighted to do them honor and prepara-
tions have been making for months at
! Honolulu that no pleasing feature shall be
lacking.
Visit TO New Zealand.
After a stay of one week in Honolulu, the
fleet will proceed to Auckland. New Zea-
land. 1t is by special invitation Of the New
Zealand government that the American
ships go there, and at this port the
Yankee" sailors will receive their first
greetings from foreign people since laav-
ing South America. This greeting will be
particularly cordial and the entertainment
arranged for officers and men promises to
be magnificent. The fact that this greet
ing will come at the end of the longest leg
of the voyage around the world when the
, men are worn by a stretch of seventeen
: successive days out of sight of land, will
tend to make it all the more welcome.
Perhaps the greatest of all the enter
tainments to be given the meB of the
: fleet in any foreign city. however Will
be waiting their arrival at Sydney, the
I great port of Australia, where the war
-
will arrive on August 20. Half a million
dollars is the sum the government of
k Australia and the people of Sydney have
I appropriated for the entertainment of the
t. American sailors. Varied and many are
l. the pleasures the Australians have planned
d and placed in store for them, during the
T. nine days of their stay at that port The
r government will take an active part In
J. these entertainments, those in the Official
e life Of the Colony vieing with private citi-
y zens in efforts to display their hospitality,
n A series of elaborate social functions for
r the officers, and parades and excursions
< and sports for the enlisted meD comprise
j. the program.
\ Melbourne and Albany are the two other
r ports OF Australia where the fleet will
r stop. and where open-handed hospitality,
and lavish entertainment will be given the
men. FROM the port or Albany the fleet
> will steam September II for Manila
l. and 1t will arrive IN these American waters
o the last home port until Hampton Roads
e on October !.
? At Manila and Japan.
: The reception to be accorded the fleet In
Manila will be a striking one, and the
: entertainment Of the officers and meu
ashore will be cordial and heartfelt, il
, not as elaborate, as the receptions al
other places. The American colony in
- Manila is looking forward TO the event with
a fervent anticipation A large fund hai
! been subscribed, and committees are al
v work on the preparations
I Great interest is felt In the fleets vis
q to Japan. Proceeding 10 Yokohama from
c Manila, the fleet will arrive there OF
e October II. Here on Ocotber a. 1t will
n be divided. the first squadron returning
IL October 81 10 Manila, while second squa
dron will steam 10 Annoy, China, wher,
it will arrive October q. The promise II
d that the welcome TO be given the Ameri
cans in Yokohama will not be second il
l. graciousness at least, TO anything me