The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-01-23
GUNS BOOM AS
FLEET SAILS
Admiral Evans Leaves
Rio Jansiro.
WAS A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE
israeli, God Bless You. Forever
more" Says Thomas.
Marked Courtesy Ia shown President
Penna Before Vessels Depart Foe
sfo.t soathern Port In
The World.
WAS A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE

ing Oh guns anu tne oHeSfs VI Shou7
sands on the accompanying pleasure
craft, the American warships sailed
from Rio Janeiro this afternoon. bound
for Punta Arenas. on the Magellan
straits.
Ten days will bring the fleet almost
midway on It's $4,000 mile cruise to
san Francisco and the ships and the
men carried with them today the God
speed and good wishes OF the whole
BRAZILIAN nation.
Not an untoward incident had
marked the visit of the Americans
here. They were Toasted and feted.
both officers and men. during their So
journs in Rio, and half the population
turned out from early in the morning
to give them q fitting farewell. The
quays, the public buildings and the
hills were crowded with thousands
watching the warships until they had
disappeared through the mouth OF the
bay into the open sea. So
President PennG came to Rio Janeiro
from Pctropolis about IL O'Clock and
proceeded on . yacht down to where
the warships were lying. HeA went
aboard the cruiser Benjamin Constant,
the American fleet and made, a tour
OF all the American ships. AccompA-
nied by Admiral AlencaT, the minister
OF marine, and DR.. l.. Muller, the
minister Of public works, and other
high officials. he visited the divisional
flagship Minnesota remaining mere
about an hour. Admiral Thomas. COM
nlander of the flagship; Captain Hub
bard and the American Ambassador.
Irving B. Dudley, received him with
all nonors and the pand played the
Brazilian national anthem.
In the saloon of the Minnesota there
was a mutual exchange Of greetings.
Admiral TnonlaSSmads httle speech
in which he expressed his. best wishes
for the prosperity OF Brasil and her
President. concluding with "Braztl, God
bleeB you. foreverm0re." n
The President responded with a
Thousand wishes for good voyage for
the splendid feet prosperity for the
TAXED States ana the health o. Presi-
der Roosevelt. ats
Penma d Henorea.
while the President was aboard the
Minnesota and during his trip among
the vessels. statutes were exchanged.
and on his departure from the flagship
twenty-one guns were fred .7 e
{ President Penna then returned to his
yacht which proceeded to a point on
Fort VilIegagnon to watch the depart.
ure OF the ships. 's*
I About o'clock the American feet
began. to move. passing out IN single,
and in inverse order, according to de
visions, the Alabama leading. Three
divisions OF the Brazilian navy follow
ed, composed OF three bsttieships. seven
cruisers and six .destroyers.
In the vicinity Of Fort Viiiegagnon,
many steamers circIed about having
on board thousands OF spectators from
shore. Hundreds OF launches and small
craft from the sporting clubs, all gaily
decorated. were there also. forming q
stirring spectacle
AS the warships disappeared from
view, they were stsaming at ten-knot
pace. One by one as they passed the
Presidents yacht they saluted with
twenty-one guns. and the forts replied
in kind
There was much waving of small
flags and handkerchtefs and the cheer
ing seemed incessant.
Captain r. r. Ingersoll. chief OF
staff. to Rear Admiral Evans on board
was interviewed before the departure
OF the fleet and said that he had no
special plans for the passage of the
ships through Magellan straits. They
will go through, however. as solid
fleet.
Third stage OF Voyage.
with their departure from Rio
Janeiro today the sixteen battleships
under the command of Read Admiral
Evans enter upon the third stage OF
their voyage to the Pacific, In this
run Of 2.2S0 knots which will ter
inmate February 1, according to the
schedule, at Punta Arenas. the most
southern port in the world, the ships
will traverse the hazardous narrows
at the eastern entrance to the Strait OF
Magellan.
Since Ferdinand Magellan the great
Portuguese navigator with a squadron
OF discovery fitted out by Charles ".
King OF Spain. discovered In 1890 and
passed through the strait named after
him, no greater attention has been
directed towards this famous inter
oceanic waterway by any event than
by the coming passage of 1t by the
fleet of American battleships. Magel-
Ian strait consists of two nearly equal
branches running from Northeast to
southwest and from northwest to
southeast, with a total length of $40
miles and a width varying from TWEEN
ty miles to hardly two miles and a
half.
In going through the Strait, Admiral
Evans feet will have the best time Of
the year for the purpose. the m!dsum-
mer OF the Southern Hemisphere.
There are few distractions In Ma
gelIan Straits from rocks and Islands.
The strait lies entirely within Chilean
territory but II Is a free waterway.
and IL considered neutral territory.
Az compared to the Cape Horn route,
the strait has an advantage of some
what more than 100 miles Steam ves-
sells seldom take the Cape Horn route.
The passage of Magellan strait is in
most respects comparatively safe for
steam vessels, though there are a few
dangers. The main difficulty is that
there IL too great a depth OF water.
in places IL reaches over 5000 feet. to
- -
we'll lighted. however. by numerous
lighthouses.
Steamships of the commercial lines
navigate the strait by night. but two
parts they always pass In daylight.
These are the Narrows. at the eastern
part OF the strait. and Crooked Beach.
U,um,hsp Ernortsrm Aae.t