The San Francisco call., 1908-05-07
Torpedo FIodNa Successfully Completes
FventfuI Voyage From The Atlantic
Six Stanch Little Vessels Commanded
by Lieutenant Cone Prove Endurance

The half dozen black hulled midgets
that make up the second torpedo
fiotilla looked like a few stray mos
quitoes yesterday in the passing pro-
cession laf lighting machines. The
ease with which they darted ahead
strength unwarranted by their out
ward appearance. They look fragile.
They are fragile, so fragile that a
close inspection inspires wonder that
they could survive the buffeting from
old ocean that a journey outside the
heads would entail One wonders how
in the name. of Neptune they were
brought safely all the way from
Hampton roads. Go on board how
ever, meet the officers and men by
whose efforts the miracle was per-
formed, and it ceases to be a miracle.
Lieutenant II. |. Cone. commander of
the hotilla, looks as if he might be
able to swim from Hampton roads to
the Golden gate if his duty demanded
1T. If he undertook the task he would
probably make good and the date
scheduled for his arrival would see a
close cropped head, thatched in terra
Gotta. nosing through the sweils off
Lime point. Commodore" Cone is tail
and angular, clear eyed and trained
fine; has a jaw like General Chafee' S
and smile like Admiral Lord Charles
Beresfords Wherever he is things
move. He is one of the reasons for the
hotilla's arrival with the fleet. The
other reasons equal in number the
officers and men under him, plus the
workmanship that so skillfully ad-
justed the framework and made it pos
sible for midget's body to house the
internal economy of a leviathan.
SWIFT RUN OF FLOTILLA
ing of the flagship Whipple and the de-
stroyers Truxtun, Lawrence, Hopkins
Hull and Stewart, left Hampton roads
December 2, IA days ahead of the battle
fleet. The first stop was at Trinidad
where the aotilla. and the fleet were
in company for the first time. The
fotilla leftTrinidad Chris tmas day for
Para and on that run encountered the
first heavy weather of the cruise.
With plenty of coal and unlimited sea
room the destroyer has little to fear
from big seas. Fighting gales, how
ever. whets the always working appe-
tites of the furnaces and on long leg
like the run from Trinidad to Para
| anything that increases the coal con-
sumption is serious.
To make matters worse Midshipman
r. II. Roberts, executive officer of the
Hopkins, lost his footing one day, slid
a stanchion with broken leg. There
was no surgeon on the destroyer and
no chance to get one nearer than Para.
Ihe accident was reported to Commo- :
dore Cone, who took stock of the
ffotlha's coal supply, figured the dis
tance to be travelled, decided that the
thing could be done and ordered the
speed increased to 23 knots an hour.
1t was close figuring, but accurate
and although the f1otilla arrived at
Pare in an almost coalless condition
the destroyers reached their destina-
tion without mishap and entered the
harbor in style
PAY NEPTUNE'S TRIBUTE
During the run from Trinidad to Para
the fiotilla crossed the line and Nep-
tune, who visited each little ship, took
advantage of their size and violated the
immunity which previous crossing of
the line is supposed to confer upon the
sailorman. Neptune and his court first
bathed and shaved those first timers
who preferred riding the goat to pay
ing fine. Those who had paid the fine
were next smeared with grease and
ducked and then the old reprobate de-
cided that he would play no favorites
and before he adjourned court all
hands had paid tribute.
The f1otilla was at Para for four DAYS
and between there and Pernambuco
more bad weather was encountered. At
Pernambuco orders We're received for
the fotilla to join the fleet and accom-
pany the battleships through the straits
of Magellan. To obey these orders it
was necessary for the fotilla to catch
up eight days on it's schedule The al
most impossible was performed and the