The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-07-18
CRUISERS TO GO
BACK TO COAST
ADMIRAL SEBREE CONFIRMS RE-
PORT THAT ARMADA WILL STOP
AT SAN DIEGO.

PORT THAT ARMADA WILL STOP
AT SAN DIEGO
(San Diego Weekly Union, July 81
That the fleet of eight big armored
cruisers, representing the fastest, lar
gest and most powerful ships of their
class in the United States navy, and
the same number of speedy little tor
pedo-boat destroyers, which will leave
San Francisco next month on naval
trip to the Hawaiian Islands, will
come from Honolulu on their return
trip direct to San Diego for a visit at
this port, is the substance of state
ments made last night at Hotel del
Coronado by Rear Admiral Uriel Sc
bree, in command of the armored
cruisers Tennessee, Washington and
California, now lying off Coronado.
First reports were to the effect that
the cruisers and torpedo boats would
| go first to Magdalena bay from Homo
lulu, and after target practice there
| would probably come to San Diego di-
rect, and this was confirmed positively
| by Admiral Sebree last night
Yes, the entire fleet of cruisers
and torpedo boats will come direct to
San Diego from Honolulu" said the
admiral I'VE are due to arrive here
about the latter part of October, and
/ after a visit here will so south to
/ Magdalena Bay for target practice
This itinerary is according to the
latest orders | have received from
the department 1t had first been
proposed to go to Magdalena bay
for target practice, but those orders
have been cancelled. [ cannot say
just how long we will remain at San
Diego. The length of our stay here
then will probably depend somewhat
on the success of the cruise and on
further orders received from Washing
ton"
If these orders are carried out, and
there appears to he no doubt what
ever but that they will, San Diego will
be hostess to one of the largest ar
madas of the United States navy that
has ever called at San Diego at one
time. With the exception of the At
lantic battleship fleet, which stopped
OFF Coronado last April, it will be ad-
solutely the largest and will attract
no little attention.
The movements of the ships will be
watched closely from all over the
country on their trip to the Hawaiian
islands, because it will be a novel
performance, in that each one of the
eight cruisers will tow one of the eight
torpedo boats. For this reason all
eyes will be turned towards San Diego
when the warships arrive here, COM
pleting their unique trip.
The three cruisers which arrived
here last Friday night from San Fran
cisco with the three torpedo boats IL
tow, the ones now moored at the Coro
nado wharves in the bay, made the
trip as a test to secure data and in
formation for the commanders of the
various ships. which will be of as
sistance to them in making the trip tc
the Hawaiian Islands. The trip was
also made to San Diego to try out the
. towing scheme and see whether II
would prove practical, because it is tn,
first time it has ever been tried in tn,
r Cnited States navy. That the plal
will be a success, and that the cruiser
will tow the eight torpedo boats t.
Honolulu, seems now a certainty, &C
cOrding to the further statements mad
last night by Admiral Sebree. II
, said:
we tried several schemes in tow
ing the boats on the way down tn
coast. Some trouble was encountere
} the great difficulty being to find
tow line strong enough to withstan
the strain. The hawsers broke severe
times, but / believe we have arrive
0 at plan which will prove thorough
ly satisfactory and practical. We Ell
= countered some rough weather be
tween San Francisco and Point Cor
6 ceptiOn and l think we gave the line
g a good test, but there are several MOI
features to be tested yet, and this wi
! be done on the return north It
settled, however, that the cruisers wi
be able to make the trip to Honolul
with the torpedo boats in tow. w
o will leave here the day after tomorro
d between 9 and II In the mornir
, (Tuesday) for San Francisco. The to-
!. pedo boats will come out of the harbt
under their own power and be col
nected to the cruisers off the heads"
The feet is scheduled to leave Sa
; Francisco on its trans-Pacific cruis
on August "a. The eight cruiser
which will make this trip are the Tel
nessee (Rear Admiral Sebree's fal
ship, Washington, California, Sout
0 Dakota, West Virginia, Pennsylvania
r Maryland and Colorado. and the tol
I pedo boat destroyers which they wi
tow are the Whipple TruXton, Stewar
= Hull, Hopkins and the three now lyin
in port-the Preble, Perry and Farr5
n |