Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-15
After Magda1ena came the excursion

After Magdalena came the excursion
of the fleet to the California resorts
and there was apparently reverend
ing program of merl:ymaking. AT san
Diego Coronado Beach, at the ports
of Los Angeles, at Santa Barbara at
| Monterey. Santa Cruz and San Fran
cisco. the people of California received
the fleet with wild acclaim. 1t was
the first time that such an array of
| fighting vessels had been seen on the
| Pacific Coast and California celebrated
| with hospitality for which the people
of the state are noted. A trip to Puget
Sound took the feet to Seattle
Tacoma and Bellingham and these
| cities offered an entertainment which
| ranked with the very best of the entire
| trip.
| When the ships set sail out or 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 desirable
Invitations had been accepted for visits
to Australia, to China and Japan ana
there was never deviation from the
outlined plans The fleet had done eX-
actly what the authorities at Washing
ton said it would. but in manner
| which surprised and gratilied them TO
| the fullest extent
The story of the fleets visit to
| Honolulu. to Auckland. sydney. Mel
| bourne and Albany in Australia; TO
| Yokohama. to Amoy. to Manila and to
the ports of call on the way home
through the Suez are too recent to
| need recall The welcomes extended
| in Australia and Japan left nothing to
be asked either in lavslrness Of enter
tainment or in sincerity of purpose.
The battleships, had their schedule
brought them sooner to the eastern
end Of the Sucz. might have played a
notable part in succorng the stricken
people of Messina. AS it was the ser
vices u the ships were offered but the
relief plans had already developed so
| as not to require them. In way the
battleship fleet, however, accom- lished
much Store ships laden with supplies
| for the fighting vessels We're des-
patched by the home government ard
officers and men were glad TO give UP
the solid foodstuffs and delicacies to
| the earthquake sufferers. A large sum
| Of money was contributed from the
| beet and the first division Of four ves-
sells urt;er Admiral Sperry called at
Naples to express sympathy and SOY
SOW. The battleship Illinois was TIM
,nly one of the American fighting YES
| sells to really enter the earthquake
zone This ship went to Messina and
| 100 American sailors searched the ru
| ms until they had recovered the bodies
IA
wife.
| After visits to various Mediterranean
ports ard accepting the Inequalities of
half a dozen nations. the sixteen ships
gathered again at Gitralter and sailed
| for home Saturday. Feb T. They will
be met at sea. about 1000 miles from
shore, by the third of "home" squad
ron Of the Atlantic Fleet. consisting of
four tattleships and five cruisers.
Ever the last leg of the famous jour
| ICY IS 20 be given over 10 work. There
will be Gaily drills and maneuvres and
inspection by the commander in chief
IF every vessel on the way over. Pres
ident Roosevelt will greet tile leet on
February -. from the bridge Of the
MayfioWcr, at the point from which
he babe farewell fourteen months ago.
There will be two strangers in the
feet when it reaches here-the Ne
hraska and the Wisconsin. both Pa
cifc-h built. which replaced the Maine
and Alabama. detached at San Fran
CISCO, and sent home in advance. The
Maine will be the flagship OF the vel
coming squadron.
At Manila Bay the ships spent three
weeks at the target. engaged in full
battle practice. Battle practice is at
much longer range than record prac-
tice and is really a test of what the
guEpOiltcrS developed at record prac-
flee can do When the ships are firing
under battle conditions and at battle
distance The battle practice at Ma
Mia, held under the new tire cuntro'
system, showed an improvement in
many instances of 100 pen cent over
the Sunncry records of Il year ago.
The composition of the fleat as it re.
turn, is as follows:
First squadron, first division. Rear
Admiral Charles S. Sperry. command
Cr-in-t hief:
Connecticut. Gagship), Capt, Huge
OstCrhauS.
Kansas. Capt Charles n. NrcelanG.
Minnesota. Capt. John Hubbard.
Vermont, Capt. Frank F. Fletcher
Second division, Rear Admiral Rich
ard Wainwright, commander:
Georgia, Qiagship), Lieut.. Command
ar c. W. Kline
Nebraska, Capt. Reginald r. Nichoi-
son.
New Jersey Capt W. H. H. South
rland.
Rhode Island Capt Joseph b. Muir
lock.
Second squadron, third division, Rear
Admiral Scaton Schroeder command
ing:
Louisiana. Flagship. Capt Kossuth
Niles.
Missouri Capt Robert NJ. Doyle.
Ohio, Capt. Thomas 3. Howard.
Virginia. Capt. Alexander Sharp.
Fourth division, Rear Admiral w E.
Potter. commanding:
Wisconsin, Qiagship). Capt. Frank r,
Beatty.
Illinois. Capt John NJ Bowyer
I<earsarge. Capt Hamilton Hutchns