The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-22
~ 500 mile: 1.
RUN. FOR
THE FLEET
Last Stop Before
Starting Across
Pacific
Is. w. Press Association j

i q" r
umphlal entry into the harbor Of Seat.
tie. the metropolis OF the Northwest,
and reports received at the navy de.
partment indicate that the recen.fon
to be accorded the officers and sailors
will be quite as enthusiastic. as that
given at Los Angeles and San Fran.
cisco. The stop. at Seattle is the last
official visit the feet will pay at Pac.
life coast ports. before continuing its
tour of the world.
Preparations for the voyage are
now being completed by the navy. de.
partment and the itineary has now
reached final stage. A total OF ap.
|proxlmately 42,5oO miles will have been
covered by the Atlantic battleship
fleet when 1t arrives at Hampton
Roads. on February % next, according
to estimates made by the naval off.
cials.
The. distance to be covered. accord
Ing to an itinerary made public today
for the voyage of the. fleet from San
Francisco toNthe PHILIPPINES. thence
to China and Japan and back to Man
liza Is 1G.2lS miles. The longest lap of
this distance is from Honolulu to AUX
land. 1850 miles, said by naval off,
cials to be the greatest steaming dis
tance ever. made BY any battleship
fleet In the American navy without
stopping for COAL This will require
slightly more than sixteen ,days. and
during about six days of that time the
department expects to be in touch
with the feet through the operations
OF the wireless telegraph apparatus
aborad the battleships and the aux
il1Iaries and the cable station at the
Fiji Islands.
One OF the colliers and two OF the
supply ships will stop at Samoa for
coal and the battleship Illinois. which
under ordinary circumstances connot
carry enough fuel to steam 1000 miles
will store some coal In bags on deck
and also take fuel in her fire room.
Regular coal supplies will be taken
aboard at the various stopping places
when needed.
The fleet will leave San Francisco
on July G. as originally intended. make
two stops instead OF one at Manila.
hold extensive maneauvres in the Med.
iterranean. and reach Gibraltar the
first week in February. The first stop
in Manila will be eight days, after
which the fleet will return for three
weeks target practice In the Philip
pines. Upon reaching Australia the
fleet will be divided. eight ships go.
Ing to Melbourne and eight going to
Sydney. thereby saving several days
time. The stops at Yokohama and
Chefoo will be for only six or seven
days. the fleet making longer stops at
Hawaii and Samoa owing to the tiiE.
Guilty in coaling more than one or two
ships at at time. The plans are for the
fleet to be on the Atlantic coast not
later than February 60.
Leaving San Francisco July G, the
battleships are scheduled to cover the
2.100 knots to Hawaii In nine days.
arriving there on July Is. where the
coaling process will be long. keeping
the fleet until July 25.
The next run. from Hawaii to sa-
moa. OF 2.2G3 knots. will require MT the
ten-linot cruising speed ten days SO
that the fleet may be expected Mt Sa-
moa on August A. Another long stay
will be made on account of the coal
ing process Mt Samon, the fleet leav-
Ing that port about August ii for the
2,SSG- mile run to Australia
Two divisions OF the fleet will steam
into Sydney about August "a, whereas
the two other divisions make their
call at Melbourne, where they will re-
main for the last week In August,
steaming out ut the beginning of Sep
tember to join the bntleships at Sgd
ney and start on the long cruise to
Manila. .,
Reaching Manila in the middle OF
September. the fleet will spend eight
days in Manila Bay before leaving for
Yollohoma.
The fleet will arrive in Japan the
first week In October, so that. this
month will be entirely taken up with
calls at Yokohama and Chefoo. China,
the battleships then returning to the
Philippines In November. SO that the
greater part Of this month can be Civ.
en- over to target practice.
Rear-Admiral Sperry does not hope
to reach Colombo, 2.946 knots from
Manila, until the middle of December.
The runs from Colombo to Aden,s 2, 1870
knots. den to Suez. Il !. $40 knots. to.
getherl with the time consumed In