The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-12

ships at Magdalena until Sunday so
with their arrival at the Mexican bay
last night the fleet is almost four days
ahead of time.
1t has been known for some few
weeks past that the big Sixteen"
would arrive at its practice ground
ahead Of time, but it was never sus-
pected that such an excellent show
ing as this would be made. The i'm
portant fact about 1T is that most of
the four days gain in time was made
on the last stretch of the voyage from
Callao, South America. Previous to
the visit at that port the fleet was
kept on schedule. making the various
stops the full length called for in the
itinerary.
It Is reported on very good author
ity that an official message was also
received from Rear Admiral Evans
himself by the local wireless station
last night to be transmitted to Wash
ington. 1t was to the effect that Ad-
mfra1 Evans reported to Washington
that he arrived at the bay with all the
ships of the fleet in even better con-
dition than at the time when it sailed
from Hampton Roads and that he is
even now ready for any unforeseen
emergency that may arise and the en-
tire fleet is prepared to sail for any
destination at an hours notice. That
this message was received is an as
sured fact, but when the local opera
tors were questioned about it they
neither affirmed nor denied it.
The importance of this message is
overwhelming. The eyes of the entire
list of naval officials, practically every
citizen of. the United States and even
the entire world were expectantly
awaiting the reports at the terminus
of the long voyage as to the effects 1t
would have on the ships. Now that
word has been received that the en-
tire fleet is in even better condition
than at the time It started on Its long
cruise, the mammoth naval undertake
ing is crowned with boundless success.
To Stay a Month or More.
While no additional word has come
by wireless from the south and none
is expected until welI> into night.
when strong light waves of the sun
make a way for the ether impulses Of
the wireless flashes it is believed here
that the american battleship fleet"
as it has been officially referred to by
President Roosevelt. is safe within
the island guarded harbor Of Magda-
lena bay. The last word received
from the fleet at the wireless station
here was to the effect that the ships
were off Magdalena bay, probably a
distance of so miles or more and
would steam into the bay soon after
day light. These sailing orders should
at noon have put the fleet into man
of war cove, behind the rocky PENN
sula leading down from the north and
serving as one of the unusual means
of protecting this favored harbor
This peninsula also contains the lit
tie adobe settlement of Magdalena
and the improvised customs house
which has been improvided by direc-
ton Of the Mexican government to
enable traders from the north to
carry on business with the officers
and men of the feet, who, for a period
of q month or more. are to be prac-
tically cut off from the rest of the
world
The waters in and about MagdaIena
bay are strange sailing ground for the
officers of the battleship fleet, most of
whom have gained their craft of sea-
manship along the Atlantic coast and
for this reason the entrance was not
too closely approached during the
night.
Magdalena has been used as an
American naval base for some time
! by the vessels of the Pacific fleet and
| by stray cruisers from the Atlantic
squadrons, but it now holds the great
| est number of warships it has ever
known and the echoes of the harbor
hills soon will be awakened with a
| roar of guns far beyond anything
| ever held on the Pacific coast
Speed Causes Surprise.
Naval officers here on board the
| marveled today at the speed with
which the fleet was brought from
Callao to Magdalena. Even the
latest calculations made after the in
creased speed of the ships were an
nounced by wireless did not put the
fleet into Magdalena bay before late
this afternoon or sometime tonight.
The Tennessee and Washineton.
which form a part of the second divi-
sion OF the first squadron of the Pa
cific fleet, and are known as the Path
| finders. recently covered exactly the
same course as that taken by the 16
pattleships in their cruise from Attain