The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-07
BATTLESHIPS
START ACROSS
THE ATLANTIC
Last Leg of the Most Famous
Cruise Ever Attempted by
Modern WaFShipS.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
At GIBRALTAR PERFECT
REAR ADMIRAL sPERRY ISSUES
STATEMENT CALLING ATTEN-
TON TO GREAT RECORD.

Gibraltar, Feb. 6.-With the hands
on board playing Home, Sweet Home, .
the American feet of sixteen battle
ships, under Rear Admiral Sperry, left
Gibraltar at II clock this morning for
Hampton Roads on the last leg of its
famous arCund-the-world cruise Of
ZOO miles. One hour later the vessels
were well clear Of the land and steam
inz westward in double column forma-
ton al a speed of ten knots an hour.
They Will follow the southern route to
Hampton Roads, a distance of $500
miles. and about LOCO miles off the
american coast they viii be met and
escorted home by the third squadron
Of the Atlantic fleet, under Rear Ad-
miral Arnold.
The weather conditions at the time
Of departure were glorious The SKY
was without a cloud, and there was
just enough breeze to curl the crests of
the sun-fiOOded waves. Nothing could
have surpassed the beauty of the ma
rine picture as the American armada
weighed anchor from under the shad-
ows of the towering rock Of Gibraltar
and moved cut into the strait.
Perfect Skill Shown.
The difficult operation of getting the
sixteen huge battleships out Of the mar
row war basin of the port and under
way was accomplished with a skill and
perfection of maneuvering and detail
which won the admiration of all the
foreign naval men who witnessed the
proceedings critically from land and
sea. Admiral Sperry directed the whole
operation from the center bridge Of the
h. = Il 4
The signal to unHoOr was given and
the great chains holding the ships to
the buoys were iOosened one by one
until the vessels We're held to their an
chorages by but q single strand Al
S.35 stream of muiIi-colored signals
on the flagship communicated The order
to get under way TO the Georgia. the
Nebraska. the New Jersey. the Rhode
Island and the Virginia. lying at the
rear of the basin As the flags came
futtering down five minutes later the
designated battleships cast off their
iast mes and, ike freed leviatlians
seeking escape. they slowly swung thssr
noses in the direction Of the breaches
in The bTeakwater. Twisting and turn
ing TO thu changing Of engine gongs
they crept out, the Georgia leading the
WAY, with Lieutenant Commander
George ". Kline on the bridge.
First Group Waited
once outside Rear Admiral Vain
vright's 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 her fore: the Min
ncsota, Kentucky, Ohio and Kearsarge,
and the third was composed Of the Wis
u ]
and Illinois.
The three groups awaited outside. and
a. 1899 o'clock the Connecticut brought
up the rear.
Although 1t is not customary to fire
parting sslutes, the DevOnshire. the
flagship of Rear Admiral Sir James
Goodrich. X. y. admiral suDerintend-
ent at Gibraltar. which had taken I'D a
position at the entrance of the harbor
hoiSJed and saluted the flag as the
ships passed out. The band on the
oaarterdeck Of the Connecticut played
The English anthem, while the musi-
Clans on the foreign waTships played
The Star Spangled Banner" as the re-
spectlve ensigns were dipped. Admiral
Goodrich and Admiral Litvino, of the
russian nav signailed: Goodbye;
peasant voyage Admiral SperTy re-
pied laconically, Thanks"
Majestic Scene.
Then the Connecticut steamed ma
!'Sticaily along the line of the Amer
iean line Of vessels. took its place at
'He head of the column and set the
guiding flag sign Club of clubs" The
htteen 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
In the south.
The alignment of the ships was per-
l.cJ and 3le sight was so impressive
mat the SPECTATORS crowding the ter
races Of the Alameda and the Europa
ieiHt could not restrain explanations
vi delight, while the American passen-
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