The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21
FLEET RECEPTION
DETAILS COMPLETE
Armada to Lie Off Hampton
Roads Today and Be Reviewed
by President tomorrow
Social Features of Welcome for
Returned Sea Fighters
to Be Notable

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 20.-ad-
greeting to the incoming fleet:
"ADNIRAL c. :. sPERRY. Conn
manding the American BattIeship
4 Fleet:
.My Dear Admiral: L congratulate
You your return home with your
magnificent fleet. 1 assure you that
the American people feel very proud
of what might appropriately be termed
the most memorable cruise of "a bat
tIeship feet In the history OF the
world.
"With the best wishes, 1 am, very
sincerely, GEORGE DEWEY,
..AdmiraI of the Navy
FORT MONROE, Va, Feb. 20.-When
the saluting guns on the forward
bridge of the armored cruiser North
/ Carolina booned 13 times today in
honor of the blue flag of Rear Admiral
Sperry on the battleship Connecticut,
the combined forces that are to enter
the Virginia capes on Monday morning
/ to be reviewed by President Roose-
| velt in celebration of the world cruise
of Is American batrleships were COM
/ pleted.
Wireless signals from the North
Carolina and her j1nior consort. the
Montana. early today told of the ap-
proach of the last two ships sent to-
welcome the home coming vessels to
/ the main body of the fleet The wire
less station at the Norfolk navy yard
! could not pick up the fleet direct either
last night or today on account of
/ static interference in the atmosphere,
! but the messages from the North
| Carolina were sufficient evidence that
the fleet is near enough to the vir-
ginia capes tonight to insure it's ar
rival off the entrance of Hampton
roads some time tomorrow
The feet will lie to or maneuver off
| the capes tomorrow afternoon and
| evening, and will get under way Mon
day in time to pass into home waters
and begin fling past the Mayfower
exactly at the hour indicated.
WIVES AWAIT HUSBANDS
Scores of officers wives are already
at the hotels here. Among them are
about 10 who made the journey all
the way around the world on mer-
| chant ships, and who overlook or
waited the naval vessels at the various
ports visited. Some OF these women
even went to Australia, but most OF
/ them remained in Japan while their
husbands were in the Antfpodes.
The social feature of the fleets re-
turn and stay in the roads is to be
as notable as the departure.
Washingtons birthday is to be eele-
brated IS holiday more generally
than ever before in this section and all
the residents of Norfolk, Newport
News. Hampton and other cities who
can possibly do so will either be afioat
or gathered along the shores of the
/ roadstead to witness the impressive ar
rival of the ships and the ceremonies
attending the visit of the president.
The man of war anchorage. stretch
ing three miles in crescent from the
Old Point pier. was cleared today of
all merchant ships.
After the Mayfower leaves for
Washington late Monday afternoon
allowed within the anchorage grounds
/ and may stear between the two long
4 lines of 20 battleships and five big
| cruisers.
EMORY TO GREET FLEET
/ Rear Admiral William H. Emory.
who commanded one of the divisions Of
/ the fleet up to the time of his retire
ment at Manila last November arrived
today to witness the home coming of
/ the fleet.
According to advices received here
/ the Georgia is not the only one of the
1 f6 battleships that is coming home in
/ command of the executive officer. Cap
! tain Hamilton Hutchinson. who sailed
with the Kearsarge from Hampton
roads all the way to Gibraltar. became
/ Ill there and asked for relief. The
! Kearsarge is probably, therefore. IN
command OF Lieutenant Commander
Nathan C. Thwining. Captain Hutchins
returned from Gibraltar on the Koeni-
gin Luise.
evans Not at Reception
WASHINGTON. d. c., Feb. 2O.-By
the irony of circumstances the home
coming of the American battleships
will be marred by the absence of the
idol of the navy. Fighting Bob
| Evans. Somewhere in the west Fight
ing Bob Will read with pride the sue
cessful outcome of the cruise in which
he was such an important factor, but
he will not be at Hampton roads in
! person.
1t is whispered, and the whisper is
/ not confined to an official few. that
several weeks ago when preparations
for the welcoming pageant were under
way President Roosevelt sent an in
vitation to Admiral Evans TO join the
official party OF the Mayfower. There
are those who say that the invitation
was couched in such terms as tc
amount to a tacit order TO its recip-
lent to decline.
No one in Washington official circles
| will advance any reason for the on1is-
| sion to give al Hampton roads what
may be termed a naval Hamlet" with
the melancholy Dane absent from the
cast.
| Money for Sailors
I WASHINGTON. Feb. 2O-Carryina
! 100000 in gold pieces fresh from the
| government mint to pay the officers
and men of the Atlantic fleet the gun
boat Yankton. which yesterday com
pieted the cruise around the world