Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-26
THE ATLANTIC FLEET


J. B. Conno!iy's Impressions of
Its Great Cruise.
FINEST Iii WORLDS HISTORY
Even While Passing Through Danger
Gus Magellan Strait the Ships Kept
Their Prescribed Spaces-Views Of
Southern Neishbors.
James B. Connolly Of Gloucester,
Mass, noted as a writer of sea stories
and close friend of President Roose
welt, left Admiral Evans feet at Mag
dalena bay after having Travelled with
the ships from Hampton Roads as the
civilian representative of the president.
He arrived at San Francisco by train
| the other night and gave this state
ment of the fleet:
With the coming, to anchor in Magda-
lena bay of the Atlantic fleet great
cruise ended. To be sure, the vessels
4 later, after parade of the west coast,
have to complete the circumnavigation
Of the globe by the way of the east
and the Suez canal but that will be
child's play compared with what they
accomplished in leaving Hampton
Roads, holding the feet formation all
the way and making the 1900 mile
itinerary in schedule time
Here is the problem: Sixteen battle.
ships of FIVE classes and as many Sizes
speeds and equipments, were suddenly
called upon to get ready for sea. Most
Of them were preparing for. fall target
practice and had been looking forward
to the winter West Indian cruise. Most
OF them had their systems of internal
Communication yet to install. Under
these conditions they left for sea with
many various and important parts IN
completed. A good deal Of this worh
they finished during the cruise BY theil
own men in addition to the hundred
other duties. To take this feet around
was the duty Of some hundreds Of
officers, young and old, experienced
and otherwise, and 1900 men, o,
whom half probably had never before
been to sea.
| For eight weeks this feet proceeded
In formation which allowed only 25(
yards of clear water between the sterr
OF one ship and the bow Of the mex
behind, all this time steaming at 10
II or II knots an hour except on rart
occasions, when they slowed down fo
some extraordinary reason, and the1
only for the shortest time. And tina
i $50 yards interval had to be preserv
ed at all hazards, for IL the officer O
the deck allowed ship to fall more
than forty yards out of position hi
was compelled by the commander ii
chiefs order to hoist an indicating
| pennant, which Of course no Officer
cared to do If he could avoid it
Now, 1t did not matter whether /
was night or day, clear weather o.
foul. that close interval had to b,
maintained.
i The passage Of the Magellan strait
Of the perils Of which so much ha,
been said, was made by the feet a
regulation speed at regulation inter
walls. The worst part of that passage
making from the strait into the Pa
cific, was made at night In the usua
formation in fog and at 10 knot!
an hour without one ship for a singl,
instant endangering the safety of tn,
next in line.
Another thing, this feet impressed
as no one thing ever did before upol
the minds Of the people OF the Soutl
American republics the military powe
Of the United States. This is the cas-,
at Trinidad, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Are
mas and Callao. At Valparaiso tn,
feet had not arranged to stop, but tn,
people were treated to as grand dis
play as any Of the more favored ports
They were steamed in one side of th,
harbor, across the water front and on
the other side, while 100000 peopl,
gathered from the various parts o
Chile stood and watched. No les
| than the size and power Of the fee
did the behavior Of our sailors ashor,
leave their impression upon the Soutl
American people.
At every port the men were givel
liberty. At no port did they reflec
anything but credit upon the servic,
and the nation. They were clean, vel
set, intelligent looking, well behavet
young fellows, three or four thousan.
Of them some days, making the rounds
Of the shops, museums, anything, an.
place that would interest the youn,
fellow eager to see the world. An.
among all these thousands so few o
them played the rowdy that we all hat
to feel proud Of them.
'The United States must be grea
and good nation" they said every
where, III these are their young sail
ors."
The Monroe doctrine became to then
much more palpable because Of th
impression made by our officers an,
men. Undoubtedly we will have to in
terfere or at least be asked to inter
fere for generations yet In South Amer
lean political affairs. and because o
this cruise these southern people vii
appeal to us with more force.