The San Francisco call., 1908-05-15
Sperry Will Hoist His
Flag on Connecticut
Thirteen Guns viii Bid Him
Welcome and Say Farewell
TO Admiral Thomas

The orders for the departure today
OF the Pacific fleet were countermanded
yesterday, and when Rear Admiral
Charles s. Sperry. assumes command of
the Atlantic feet, which he will do
about 1890 this morning. he will hois:
at the Connecticuts main a red flag
with two white stars, and the blue flag,
sign of the senior officer present, VIII
be broken out at the main of the West
Virginia, Rear Admiral James Henry
Daytons flagship Although Admiral
Sperry entered the navy one day be-
fore Admiral Dayton the latter out
ranks the commander of the fourth
division just one number, and when ii
comes to rank in the navy one number
is as good as dozen, and when ad-
miral No. Is is in the harbor admiral
No. II must ay the red flag.
ALL READY FOR SEA
The orders for the Pacific fleet to
remain found the armored cruisers all
ready for sea. They were to have
sailed this morning at o'clock for the
Santa Barbara channel. British Column
bia, it seems, wants to see the Ameri-
can navy in all its glory. and Uncle
Sam is disposed to give John Bull a
chance. The orders received yesterday
were for the ships of the first squadron
Of the Pacific fleet to remain in this
harbor until further orders.
1t is now thought that instead of
going south the arrnored cruisers will
either follow or precede the battleships
around Cape Flattery, and that the
ships will be divided on Puget sound
so that the northern ports may all have
their wish without 1t being necessary
to change the time schedule already
planned for the Atlantic feet.
Rear Admiral Charles Nj. Thomas,
commander in chief of the Atlantic
fleet, will haul down his flag on the
Connecticut at 1880 o'clock this morning
and will leave the ship in the thunder
and smoke OF the thirteen gun salute
that will mark the severance of his Of
fetal connection with the great armada.
Admiral Sperry. who succeeds to the
chieftainshlp, viii be saluted as he
leaves the Alabama. and again when he
hoists his flag, on the Connecticut. In
this last salute OF welcome to the new
chief all the ships Will join.
SAILORS LOVE sPERRY
On the Alabama Admiral sperry is
dearly loved by officers and crew. .es-
pecially by the crew. To his officers he
is true sailorman and gentleman
The enlisted men know him as the
sailors friend and champion. On the
Alabama they scout at the suggestion
that Sperry's health will prevent his
retaining command of the feet OF all
the admirals on the active list, they
say, Sperry is the most fit He is an
enthusiastic pedestrian. AT Magdalena
bay they say he took flag lieutenant
Wurtsbaugh for stroll on the beach
and nearly walked that officer to death.
Ask any member of the Alabama's s
crew If Admiral Sperry is sick man
and you viii be told that the new COM
mander in chief can outrun and out
jump oV per cent OF MS omcers-
Admiral Sperry is given. credit for
the concentration of the battleships
into the big fleet that he will command
today. He represented the United
States at the last Geneva conference.
and as naval plenipotentiary to The
Hague was the only naval representa-
tive who had a vote. He was president
for some years of the naval war COL
lege. in the establishment Of which he
was one of the prime movers. And the
men that know him best say that he
IS the youngest old man in the navy.