Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-02-21
Chileans Gather at Valparaiso
to Witness the Spectacle
HEARTY w tLCOME GWEN
Americss Visit of an Hour Greatly
Apprecated--Passage of Battle
ships From Punta Arenas Made
Without Great Difficulty

Valparaiso, Chile, Feb. l5.-The great
| American feet of sixteen battleships,
Evans, passed Valparaiso yesterday af-
| ternoon and continued ON its voyage
tnorthward for Callao, Peru, the next
stopping place.
All Valparaiso and thousands of per-
sons from every city in Chile witnessed
| the passing of the fleet. President
Mont and the other high officials of the
republic came out from shore to greet
the battleships, and almost the entire
| Chilean navy exchanged salutes with
| them as they swung around Curamilla
point and into Valparaiso bay in single
tile, headed by the Chilean cruiser
| Chaca buco and five Chilean torpedo
| boat destroyers.
Turning sharp around Curamilla
point the Chacabuco and the Chilean
destroyers led the Connecticut and her
fifteen sister ships into the view of
thousands who had awaited their APP
pearance since dawn. The day was
| perfect and the spectacle of the fleet
stretched in great semi-circle, as seen
from the high hills around the bay, was
magnificent.
President Mont and other Chilean Of
ficials embarked on the training ship
General Baquedano and took post m
| well out in the harbor. Around the
| Baquedano the fleet swung "a speed
of four knots, firing the presidential
salute as they passed in review. 1t was
one hour from the time the head of the
feet entered the hay until the last yes
sci had passed the presidents ship and
| turned toward the open sea. Then the
BaQuedano lifted anchor and escorted
| the feet well out of the bay and on its
| way to the north. 1t was a review such
as had never before been seen in Nalpa
| raise bay.
The shipping in the harbor and the
principal buildings in the city were
dressed for the occasion, as the day
! was observed as Il holiday in honor of
the fleet. From the picturesque sloping
| hills dotted with houses. profuson OF
| bunting and the waving of flags was
observable from the bay"
| The enthusiasm of the Chileans was
almost boUndleSS. ANA they cheered
| Justify as each battleShip of the fleet
swept around the reviewing ship. their
sides lined with jaclies in immaculate
white, and the bands playing patriotic
airs The noise of the cheering was
lost. however, in that of the saluting
guns from the fort and the fleet. AL
together 200 shots were fired.
After the fleet had passed to the
| northward a banquet was served on
| board the General Baquedano by Presi-
dent Mont in honor of the diplomatic
corps and his other guests. Toasts
were drunk to President Roosevelt and
Admiral Evans and his officers, crews
and ships, and the universal wish was
expressed that the Americans may
have fair weather and a safe passage
to their destina ton.
In the city of Valparaiso last night
celebration of every kind were in
progress and everywhere was heard
words of praise for Admiral Evans for
having hOnOred Valparaiso with a visit
The passage of the fleet from Punta
Arenas, on the Strait of Magellan,
whence it sailed at IL o'clock on the
Il ght of Feb. Z. was made to this point
without great difficulty or incident
The Chacabuco led the fleet from the
time it left Punta Arenas until it had
passed through the strait and was well
out into the Pacific.