The sun., 1908-01-10

inc LoutohAna ana tno Two Cr0Wo IN LneAr
rowing clothes sat in the wardrOom and
passed the boel around. When the YER
mont . men went home the entire crew
Of the Louisiana gathered at the rail and
cheered. The Vermont men tossed their
oars and then the crew sang their merry
Christmas song. the first OF the 200 or more
times that 1t was heard by the neet.
THE MrNNEsoTA's RECEPTION.
The reception on the Minnesota was also
memorable. Henry Reuterdahl. the artist.
who Is with the heet to max pictures Of it,
had carte blanche In the matter Of decOra-
tions. The Peace on Earth emblem was
his Idea. He canopied the wardroom
with nags. He put up shells and revolvers
and cutlasses and other implements Of war
in effective places and he mingled the bunt-
ing In color and arrangement 80 deRtly
that the naval men were astonished over
it. Old friends in the feet gave greetings
Il was brought out in one Of tho conversa-
tions that Rear Admiral Evans. the Com
mander in Chief Of the feet. was the only
man in the feet who fought in the civil
war. And It was also revealed that he was
In the greatest pageant Of warships that
sver left Hampton Roads before this one.
two years to the day that the present deet
left. That feet went cut to capture Fort
Fisher. whore Admiral Evans was wounded
and where. with a revolver. he prevented a
surgeon from cutting on his right leg.
There were l4.OOO men in that feet. about the
same number al In this. There were sixty
naval vessels and the rest were ninety trans
ports under command Of Gen. B. F. Butler
Admiral Porter was the naval officer in
charge. 1t took the feet from 10 o'clock
In the morning until after I in the afternoon
to pass Cape Henry. This feet did it in
two hours. When Admiral Evans was asked
about It he said that the little tender Yank-
ton, which goes with this feet for Use on
ccremOnious or other useful occasions.
could have whipped that entire feet OF it.
self. Its modern small gums inch ones
could shoot 80 far that Il could lie com
pletely out Of the range OF any OF the guns
on that feet and simply lombard the ves-
Sels to pieces.
THE ARRIVAL OF rBE FLEET.
IuS 10 return to Trinidad. The vsno-
Euelan cOast had been in sight for an hour
on Monday. December %. before Trinidad
was made out a little after noon. A haze
ObsCured things on shore. Gradually a
dark lump on the horizon took shape. then
it assumed color. a deep green, and then
on the highest point. something like 400
feet above the sea. white needle pierced
the haze in the sky. 1t was the lighthouse
that points the way to the four entrances
into the Gulf Of PARA from the Caribbean.
called the Dragons Mouths. The light
house was visible sign Of the care of British
for shipping. II Is said to be one Of the best
in any OF England's colonial possessions.
Admiral Evans headed his ships toward
tho narrow entrance to the east OF the main
one Il is called Boca de Navios. one Of tho
many reminders Of the old Spanish days
before England swept down through these
waters. The Admiral had ordered his
ships In single file Of the open order OF
wing and wing formation. Approaching
more closely he ordered close formation.
one directly behind another. at a distance
Of 100 yards. When within three miles
Of the entrance he veered OF TO take the
large passage to the west. Boca Grande.
Then he made a sharp turn after he had
cleared the entrance to the gulf For some
time he stood in toward the shore.
THE CHARGE INTO THE HARBOR.
Then came another turn to the south.
and then followed what Admiral Evans
said afterward was one OF the finest naval
sights he had ever witnessed. Orders had
I een signslled for the four ships Of the first
division Of the feet to turn TO the east and
come up the tay Of Port OF Srain in parallel
formation. The other divisions were or
cIered TO follow the same plan when they
errived in Vcsition. Eere w0s q long line
Of warships that had been turning and
twisting around headlands and in muddy
waters, going in single file. ne If headed for
TIE Serpents 8 NORTH. the other entrance 10
the Gulf OF Paria. A flag futtered from
the Connecticut's signal yards. At once
the first four shiTs turned NJ right angles
You could have run a tape lire across the
bows of the Connecticut to the Louisiana
and found the Kansas and Vermont ex-
sctly on the mark. The change in the
course came so suddenly that it made even
naval men jump. Like four chariot horses
the ships stood in as il on a battle charge
Fort OF Srain could just be made out on
the beach eight miles away. The ships
we're pointed directly for it. and if they had
intended to lombard it they could scarcely
have been more aggressive looking in the
way uley SWunk iDlO Nldb Ddy. Inc ScCOuu
division kept on in the lead OF the single
file OF ships until they reached places di-
rectly behind the ships Of the first division
Then they made a dramatic swing also.
The third and fourth division in turn did
the same thing.
The fleet was then in four columns headed
directly for the beautiful little port with its
shallow harbor. As long as standard
speed Of II knots was maintained the -four
leading vessels kept on a line that was as
well dressed" as a squad Of fours in q
military company. For two miles this
formation kept up. Then half speed was
signalled. The Vermont and Kansas are
new in feet evolutions and have not yet
been standardized completely a. to speed
revolutions. They did not keep the line 50
well. but Admiral Evans was not displeased
and said they did very we'll. The Vermont
fell back nearly half length by the time
slow speed was ordered and the gines
were stopped finally The signal to come
to anchor was hoisted and when it went up
sixteen mud hooks splashed into the bay
simultaneously. Before it had been slowed
down the Louisiana had received its second
special commendation for smart manoeu-
wiring from the Admiral
4 i IL A. A.