Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-07
HOME, SWEET HOME
Battleship Fleet Starts on Last
Of Long Voyage, 5
PARTING SALUTES An ~ EN-
Extraordinary Courtesy Extended by
Admiral Goodrich.
BEAUTIFUL MARINE PICTURE
BEAUTIFUL MARINE PICTURE
Perfect Evolutions Excite Admiration
of British Naval officers.
STATEMENT BY ADMIRAL sPERRY
All ships Are In Fine Condition and
VIII Need Few Repairs After
Their Trip of $4,000
Miles.

Rear Admiral Sperry left Gibraltar at II
| o'clock this morning for Hampton Roads
| on the last lap of It's famous around-the-
world cruise of $500 miles. One hour
later the vessels were we'll clear of the
land and steaming westward in double col
umn formation at speed of ten knots an
hour They will follow the southern
route to Hampton Roads, distance of
$500 miles, and about 1,00O miles off the
American coast they will be met and
corted home by the third squadron of the
Atlantic fleet under Rear Admiral Arnold.
The weather conditions at the time of de-
parture were glorious. The sky was with
out a cloud and there was just enough
breeze to curl the breasts of the sun
flooded waves. Nothing could have sur
passed the beauty of the marine picture as
the American armada weighed anchor from
under the shadows of the towering rock
of Gibraltar and moved out into the strait.
The difficult operation of getting sixteen
huge battleships out of the narrow war
basin of the port and under way was ac-
complished with skill and perfection of
maneuvering and detail which won the ad-
miration of all the foreign naval men who
witnessed the proceedings critically from
land and sea. Admiral Sperry directed the
whole operation from the after bridge of
the Connecticut.
First Signal at Eight O'clock.
At $3.50 o'clock the signal to unmoor was
1 given and the great chains holding the
ships to the buoys were loosened one by
| one, until the vessels were held to their
anchorage by only single strand At 1855
a stream of multicolored signal flags on the
flagship communicated the order to get un-
der way, to the Georgia. the Nebraska. the
New Jersey, the Rhode Island and the Vlr-
ginia, lying at the rear OF the basis. AS the
flags came fluttering down five minutes
later the designated battleships cast off
their last lines and, like freed leviathans
seeking escape, they slowly swung their
noses in the direction OF the breaches in
the breakwater. Twisting and turning to
the changing of engine gongs, they crept
out. the Georgia leading the way with
Lieutenant Commander George w. Kline
on the bridge.
Once outside Rear Admiral wainwrights
division fell into formation and waited for
the second and third groups. The second
group consisted of the Vermont, proudly
flying the Battle Efficiency trophy at its
; fore; the Minnesota, Kentucky Ohio and
Kearsarge; and the third was composed of
the Wisconsin, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri
and Illinois. The three groups waited out
side. and at 1880 tho Connecticut brought
up the rear
Parting saIutes Given.
Although 1t is not customary to fire part
ing salutes the Devonshire, the flagship of
Rear Admiral Sir James Goodrich, r. N
I admiral superintendent at Gibraltar, which
had taken up position at the entrance of
I the harbor holsted and saluted the Amer
ican flag as the Connecticut passed out.
} The band on the quarterback of the Con-
necticut played the English anthem. while
the musicians on the foreign warships
{ played the Star Spsnged Bannerr AS
the respective ensigns were dipped Admiral
Goodrich and Admiral Litvlnoff of the Rus
. sian navy signalled Good bye; pleasant
! voyage" Admiral Sperry H,plied laconi-
cally, Thanks"
Then the Connecticut steamed majestic
ally along the line of the waiting American
vessels, took its place at the head of the
column and set the guide flag "five OF
clubs" The fifteen other vessels wheeled
gracefully in behind the Connecticut. and
with the black speed cones run up to the
: yard arms. the imposing procession which
was over three miles long, moved to the
south.
The alignment OF the ships was perfect
p and the sight was so impressive that the
spectators crowding the terraces of the
Alameda and Europia Point could not re-
strain ordinations Of delight, while the
d American passengers on two liners an.
chored close into shore burst into involun.
e tary cheers.
Long white Line in Sea.
For a distance OF about twelve miles thu
fleet stood to the south. Then, being cleai
/. of Cape Tarifa. the most southerly point Of
a 1t. and with nothing but the broad Atlantic
!, between them and home the flagship
: headed abruptly to the westward and IL
a Indian file the splendid fleet left the an
, cient pillars OF Hercules behind and
|. steamed through the straits and out t,
) sea.
y Looking from the Rock Of Gibraltar, tn,
water separating the ships seemed grad
ually TO be oblterated as the distance in
creased until the sixteen hulIs resembieC
a long white line surmounted by a trallinI
o plume OF smoke Suddenly. off Cape Spar
tel, the line wavered and broke into smal
parts. Then few minutes later there wer,
two parallel lines instead Of one, showinI
IT that the fleet had assumed its regula
5 double cruising formation.
The last glimpse OF the warships was OBJ
IL tained at 1851 this afternoon from the sig
a nal station on top OF Gibraltar, 1900 fee
n above sea level They were headed a it'll
a to the south OF west to reach the thirty
. fifth parallel, which they intend to follow
The dispatch boat Yankton is 700 mile
r ahead Of the fleet and 800 miles ahead o
the supply ship culgOa, which left her
February The collier Ajax and the re
pair ship Panther will remain here unit
tomorrow 10 clean up odds and ends
The officers and men left here witt
= feelings Of Jubilation that their next por
u win be home. When the fleet reaehe
e Hampton Roads 1t viii have Travelled abou
IL 5000 miles.
le Statement by Rear AdmiraI sperry
y Rear Admiral sperry, prior TO the de
m parture OF the battleships for Hampto