Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-27
a Momentous Event.

1t was under our example and pro-
lection that the South and Central
American republics and Mexico came
into being and into freedom. Canada
in her political and industrial evolu-
ton owes more to us than to Great
Britain. Alaska is owned and is be-
ing opened by us. AS already stated,
the new cities in eastern Siberia are
more like America than Russia. ia
pan was awakened by the United
States. The integrity Of China was
maintained by the diplomacy Of John
Hay. Hawaii and the Philippines
are being developed by us. Australia
and New Zealand are modelled more
on the American government than
on the English. To crown all, the
United States Is building the Panama
canal and will control it when built.
When the sixteen American battle
ships arrived at San Francisco there
occurred the most imposing event in
naval history. The scene of it was
the broad harbor inside the Golden
Gate. There gathered forty-three
fighting vessels, the most magnificent
fleet ever collected by any country In
history. Forming in a great square,
these ships, all American, thundered
their salutes to Secretary of the Navy
Metcalf, himself a son Of California.
| Admiral Sperry assumed COM
mand shortly after the review at the
Golden Gate. The cruise from that
day to the present has been marred by
no untoward event The first port
touched was Honolulu. There the
fleet was still greeted by the Ameri-
can flag. All who visit Hawaii have
sung it's praises in various extrava-
CANT keys. On Mark Twain the land
has never lost its spell. What Won
| der, then, that our American jackies
were captivated by it and that our
| fleet described this garden in the Pa
cfic as the modern islands Of the
| blest!"
Kept In Touch With Washington.
From Honolulu the sixteen battle
| ships steamed over the 1850 mile
course to Auckland, New Zealand, as
already described. Besides making
the longest battle ship run without
coaling on record, there were two
other notable features belonging to
this part Of the journey. The first
was daily keeping in touch with
Washington through wireless. This
was accomplished in a novel man.
ner. At Suva, Fiji Islands, is a sta
ton Of the ocean cable to Vancouver.
| BY leaving the supply ship Glacier as
g. wireless station at Suva and station
| ing other small vessels at intervals
possible to send wireless messages
daily from ship to ship till they
reached Suva, whence they were dis
patched by cable to Vancouver and
Washington.
Another noteworthy accomplish
ment of the run was the decreased
| consumption of coal, already noted
This was brought about through a
VI Ny
Admiral Sperry between the various
vessels of the feet Each day asre-
port was made of the amount of coal
burned, and if any ship showed an
unusual amount an explanation was
| demanded. A rivalry in economy
thus sprang up, which not only
brought out the largest development
of power to the least consumption Of
| fuel, but improved the skill in navi-
cation. 1t proved as effective drill
for the engineers as had the previous
competitive tests in craftsmanship
proved for the gunners. This cruise
will be of invaluable service to the
officers and men in giving them ex
perience as navigators besides i'm
pressing all other nations with a
wholesome respect for Uncle Sam as
a sea power
Warmly Greeted In New Zealand.
On the way to Auckland the fleet
passed Samoa, where Robert Louis
Stevenson lived and wrote. Here it
| was greeted by Old Glory, for the
United States controls one of the is
| lands of the group and has a fine
| harbor at Pagopago. The reception
of our battleships in New Zealand
| was enthusiastic in the extreme. Af-
| ter Auckland the fleet is moving on
to the Philippines, Japan, China,
| thence through the Indian ocean,
Suez canal and the Mediterranean
back to it's starting point at Hampton
| Roads Certain yellow newspapers
ed from a modern novel, to the effect
| that when our battleships reached
Japanese waters they would be Sc
| cretly and treacherously attacked
without a declaration Of war, as the
Russian fleet was attacked at Port
Arthur. The story went on to recount
| how all our vessels in the Pacific
would thus be sunk before we had
any intelligence that trouble was i'm
pending. Then hundreds Of thous-
ands of Japanese troops would be
| transported to our shores overnight
and we would awake to find ourselves
not famous, but prisoners. 1t was
great blood and thunder story and
about as far from possible truth as
most of the yellow sensations, yet it
no doubt resulted in a few increased
paper sales.
There is no need of the American
people growing excited over such
wild prospects, at least as long as
Charles Stillman Sperry is in COM
mand. He is not the sort of comman-
der that allows an enemy to steal on
him unawares. With all his quiet
courtesy he has the snap of COM
mand and the spirit Of the fighter.
When he heard of his appointment
he remarked, Il am the responsible
head of a military organization. and
propose to be one" Thus far he
has made good. and all who know