Bisbee daily review., 1909-03-07
EPOCH-MARKING VOYAGE IF
 UNCLE SAM'S MIGHTY FLEET

The end Of the globe-encircling trip
 of the American battleship fleet at
 tracted the attention of the civilized
 world. The voyage marks an epoch
 and will for all time be historic.
 Leaving Hampton Roads on a
 clotdless day in December, 1907, after a review by the president from the
 bridge of the Maynower, the first run
 of the fleet took it to Trinidad. It
 had been anonunced that the practice
 cruise would end on the west coast
 of the United States, but hardly had
 the ships got under way than the fact
 became known that it was really Mir.
 ROOseyelt's intention to have the six
 teen battleships circumnavigate the
 globe. At Trinidad the first of the
 gayeties occurred. The officers and men of the feet were weicomed with
 hospitality which set a mark for all
 succeeding receiItiOns, and from that time on each succeeding port tried to uutdO its predecessor. The climax of lavish displays, or parties and receptions, undoubtedly came in
 Australia and Japan, although it
 would be difficult for the officers and
 men today to say just where it was the people tried hardest to make their stay pleasant one.
 From Trinidad the fleet called next at Rio, where the days of the visit were OvercrOwded with social events
 From Rio the itinerary led to Punta. Arenas, that unique and interesting
 farthest south" settlement on the Straits Of Magellan. Here again q negotiable people made the stay of the fleet an exceedingly pleasant one. The Chilean government sent a cTI1is- CT 10 accompany the sixteen battle ships through the treacherous waters or the Straits, and although tbe navi- gators of the American vessels had already plotted their own course through the narrow, rOck-walled waterway, the courtesy of the South American nation was fully appreciat- ed.
 When the ships had safely left the Straits, the department officials at Washington undoubtedly breathed n sigh of relief, although on the sixteen Dig ironclads themselves there was never a question in the mind of any officer or enlisted man as to the safe ] ty Of the sturdy fighting craft Sail , ing uD the western coast of South America the fleet passed in review of the pre'ident of Chile in the harbor Of 1 Valparaiso, sweeping in 9 great curve into the harbOr and out again before the admiring eyes of q deetlly i'm pressed people. No stops were made between Punta Arenas and CaliaO. After CaIIao came Mazda lena Bay. where for month the ships | were out Of touch with the world eN- | cept by wireless telegraphy. Drills and record target practice filed the time at Nagdalena. It was a month of real work. It is at record practice that the men attain the rank of "suu pointer" and get a white star and crossed circle Cn their blouse sleeve if 1 they make a certain mark.
 After Magdalena came the excur- l sion of the fleet to the California re- sorts. and there was apparently a never ending program of merrymal.- ing. Al San Diego Coronado Beach): at the ports of Los Angelo. at Santa Barbara at Monterey. Santa Cruz and San Francisco the people of Cal ifornia received the fleet with wild acclaim.
 When the ships set san ont of San Francisco for the return trip there were many predictions that they would be left in the Pacific and that events might make such a course deA sirable. Invitations had been accept cd for visits to Australia. China and Japan and there was never a deviation rom the outlined plans. The fleet had done exactly what the authori- l ties at Washington had said it would. 1 hut in a manner which surprised and | gratified them to the fullest extent
 The story of the fleets visit to Hon olulu, to Auckland. sydney. Mel 1 bourne and Albany in Australia; to Yokohoma. to Annoy. to Manila and Co the ports of call on the way home through the Suez are too recent tO need recall. The welcome extended | in Australia aud JaDan left nothing to be asked either in lavishuess Of enter tainment or in sincerity of purpose.
 The composition of the fleet was as follows;