Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-25
Flotilla Escorting President Taft to
New Orleans Leaves st.
Louis Today.
WILL START AT FIVE O'CLOCK
Lighthouse Tender Converted Into
Floating White House.
GOVERNORS BOAT Is SECOND
1t Will Have Place of Honor as Far
as Helena.
WILL GIVE WAY TO SENATORS
Boat Containing National Legislators
VIII Have Place of Honor second
Half of the Trip--All Boats
Inspected.
Lighthouse Tender Converted Into
Floating White House.
GOVERNORS BOAT IS SECOND
WILL GIVE WAY TO SENATOR

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 2.-Governors, United
States senator's and congressman and for
eign diplomats arrived here today and
tonight to board steamboats, to make the
trip on the Mississippi river to New Or
leans to attend the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep
Waterways association convention. The
arrivals are guests of the Business Mems
league Of st. Louis on the trip.
The first boats to depart for New Or
leans, where the convention will open Oc-
tober 30, were the four torpedo boats
which have been here since october 1.
They got away early today and will await
the fleet carrying the deep waterway dele
gates at Memphis. The departure of the
torpedo boats was marked by the blowing
Of the whistles of every craft in port.
The Oleander, the government lighthouse
tender on which President Taft will
travel, was today made a floating white
house Everything the president will need
after he embarks at O'Clock tomorrow
afternoon for a four and a half days
trip was placed on board today.
Order of Precedence.
To avoid any possible friction, W. X
Kavanaugh. president of the Lakes-to-the-
Gulf Deep Waterway association, tonight
announced the steamer st. Paul, carrying
the governors win have the place Of honor,
next to the oleander from st. Louis to
Helena, Ark, where the Quincy, carrying
the senator's and congressman, will take
the ST. Pauis place in the column.
On the congressional boat a legislative
hall was installed SO Speaker Cannon can
hold mock sessions Of congress. Speaker
Cannon arrived at East st. Louis tonight
and will remain there until he crosses the
river with President Taft tomorrow. He
and Vice President Sherman, who arrives
tomorrow, will be guests of honor at the
dedication exercises OF the new federal
building in East St. Louis.
Among the surprises arranged for the
waterway delegates on the trip will be a
daily. paper printed on one of the news
paper boats. A fast launch will be used
BY the reporters in gathering the news
from the different boats in the fleet The
paper win give the news as It develops.
All Boats Inspected.
Supervising Inspector General George
Uhler inspected the craft every boat which
will make the trip late today There will
be twenty-five boats in the fleet, when 1t
leaves Memphis. The trip will be straight
down the Mississippi with the exception of
when the fleet turns up the Ohio to stop
at Cairo.
The first stop on the trip. which will be
at Cape Girardeau Mo-, at O'Clock Tues
day morning will be made just before the
sun rises. Electric searchlights will be in
use to permit a safe landing of the presi-
dent.
The first governor to arrive was Governor
NJ. e. Hay OF Washington. He Travelled
the longest distance of any of the visiting
delegates. United States Senator Reed
Smoot Of Utah, also arrived today as did
Senior Toledo Herrarte, minister Of
Guatelma to Washington. Governor Hay
tonight said he is interested in deep water
ways, because the Pacific coast will profit
by the deepening of the Mississippi river
when the Panama canal is opened. Senior
Herrarte believes the waterways movement
will increase the trade with his country.