The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-02
The Great Fleet.
A Voyage of Nearly Forty Thousand
Miles the Final Result.
New \ DIRK Tribune.

A voyage of 81 200 miles is i'll effect
what is now prescribed for our wal
fleet, and 1t may easily be prolonged
to more than 10000. The distance
from Hampton Roads To San Fran.
cisco is about $500 miles, and had
the feet been directed to double upoI
its track in returning it would thus
have made trip of 81, 900 miles. But
i'll returning home by circumnavigat
ing the globe it will have a longer
cruise, the distance from San Fran
cisco to New York by the route
roughly outlined being about %, 304
miles.
All the details of the voyage are
not yet dete rmined, and it is entire ly
possible that some visits to additional
ports, perhaps of China, Japan OF
India, or III Europe, may be arranged
which will increase the itinerary by
from two to five thousand miles.
The first run will be from San Fran
cisco to Honolulu, distance of 2,09s
miles. At Honolulu the ships will
again be in American waters, but
there will be some regret that the
long desired improvements at Pearl
Harbor have not been made, so that
our feet could be received there.
Thence a course will be laid directly
to our Samoan possessions, 2,251
miles, and there again it will be re-
GREETED that the superb harbor of
Paeo- Pago has not received the i'm
proving attention which it merits.
Next, after thus sailing more than
1890 miles without entering alien wa
tiers, the fleet will steer for British
port. Sydney and Melbourne, in the
commonwealth of Australia, are men
toned as the dual objective, and
Sydney, the nearer of them, is 1857
miles from Samoa.
1t seems probable, however, that
the new Dominion of New Zealand
will be visited on the way, in which
ease we must reckon the distances
from Samoa to Auckland as 1876
miles and from Auckland to Sydney
as 1924 miles. From Sydney to
Melbourne is only $40 miles. Then
will come the longest stretch of the
whole cruise from Melbourne to
Manila, distance, by way of Torres
Strait, of 4,5l1 miles.
At Manila the keels will again
plough American waters, for the last
time before the final homecoming
The route from Manila westward is
not yet definitely announced. If
visits to China and Japan were de-
cided upon, the distance from Manila
to Hong Kong and Canton would be
$40 miles, and from Hong Kong to
Yokohama and Toxic | $50 miles, with
the necessity of doubling those dis
tances for the return trip. If, how
ever, such visits are not made and
the ships come straight home from
Manila, the route will doubtless lie
first to Singapore, ,343 miles. Thence
it may be direct to Alden, 1888 miles,
or first to Colombo, 1877 miles, and
thence to Alden, 2,l13 miles.
OF course, too, there is the posi-
bility of visit to Bombay, which is
1888 miles from Colombo and 1850
miles from Alden. From Alden the
course will be up the Red sea to Suez,
1910 miles through furnace seven
times heated, and then 81 miles
through the canal of Port Said From
Port Said the direct course would be
to Gibraltar, !, 1906 miles and thence
to New York, 3,206 miles.
1t seems probable, however, that
the feet will at least call at Malta on
its way through the Mediterranean,
and there is a possibility of detour
along the shores of that sea, so as to
visit Italy, France and Spain; and it
is still problematic whether after
passing the Pillars of Hercules the
westward track of Columbus will be-
pursued or trip northward will be
made to the British and German
shores.
However simple and direct the trip
is made, it will be of great length and
it will be a unique exhibition to the
world of the efficiency of the Ameri-
can navy. Already European experts
are pronouncing enthusiastic encomi-
ums upon a fleet OF Is heavy battle
ships which is so we'll built