The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-12
BIG FLEET WILL
ARRIVE TODAY
Rear Admiral Evans Sends
Wireless Announcing His
Approach.
TARGET PRACTICE Is NEXT
MAGDALENA BAY.
TARGET PRACTICE is NEXT

San Diego, Cal, March 1.-THE
American battleship fleet under COM
Tnand of Rear Admiral Robley D. Ev-
ans is tonight less than 200 miles south
of Magdalena bay. Lower California,
and should put into that island pro-
tected harbor late tomorrow afternoon.
No report of the fleets arrival will be
available however, even for the de-
partment at Washington, until some
time during tomorrow night or Friday
morning. The navy wireless station at
Point Iona, which is equipped with
the strongest of instruments and is in
charge of the most capable of the
navy's operators, has never been able
TO communicate with vessel at Mag
dalena bay until well after the setting
of the sun. The best work is done
after midnight. 1t is explained that
the light waves during the day over
come the other impulses of the wire
less IA long distance efforts, and that
communication by day seldom IS main
tanned over a space of more than 400
miles. Magdalena bay is $40 miles in
an air line from San Diego.
Wireless Messages.
The Point Iona wireless station.
Which is just across an arm of the bay
from this city, was in communication
with the fleet early this morning, and
had again exchanged signals with the
flagship Connecticut late tonight. The
exact position of the vessels was not
Indicated in the earlier dispatches,
which were of a strictly confidential
nature and in cipher, but the ships are
said to be maintaining a ten and a
half knot speed and this, it is esti-
mated here, would bring them late to-
icrh Will ~.
Magdalena goal.
Slight Rest for Men.
The men of the battleships' crews
viii be given a day or two OF rest after
the Iona run from Caliao, Peru, which
Was left Feb. 20. before the strenuous
work or target practice is taken up.
Fhe ships viii take their turns at the
Targets in divisions, of which there are
four, comprising foar vessels each. 1t
win rest with ADMIRAL Evans as to
whether the divisions are sent to the
range in regular order or as circum-
stances dictate. Admiral Evans HIM
self has command of the first division,
which includes the Connecticut, Kan
sas, Vermont and louisiana Admiral
Emery is i'm command of the second
division, composed of the Georgia, New
Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia Ad-
miral c. NJ. Thomas, the second SQUAD
ron commander, who acted at many of
the South American shore functions as
the representative Of Admiral Evans,
is afro commander of the third division
Of the fleet. His flagship is the Min
1nesota, and the remaining members of
the division are the sister ships Ohio,
Maine and Missouri. The fourth divis-
ion is commanded by Rear Admiral
Sperry, whose flags float from the
truck of the Alabama. The Illinois.
Kentucky and Kearsarge complete the
command.
Four Ships at a Time.
The record target practice work will
be done with only four ships on the
range at one time, but after it is COM
pleted will come the battle tactics and
fleet maneuvers with every ship in
line
CALIFORNIA; coast cities were graft
fed today over the announcement of
the tentative partial itinerary of the
fleet from Magdalena to San Francis
co. Various rumors had come to the
coast saying that this or that city
might be cut off the visiting list The
tOfficial declaration that stops would
be made at San Diego, San Pedro, San
ia Barbara and Santa Cruz, came as a
grateful reinsurance from the navy de-
partment, and plans for the various
receptions are going forward with re-
newed vigOr on the part of the various
city committees that have them in
charge. The enthusiasm of the people
knows no bounds, and all are looking
forward TO the visits of the fleet as
notable events in the history of the