Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-02-04
THEIR FIRST STOP.
AMERICAN BATTLEsHIPs RE-
cEIvE HEARTY GREETING BY
ENGLISH AT oIBRALTAR.
ARRIvEDAHEADOF SCHEDULE
Entire Population Of British Medlter-
ranean Stronghold Out to See
Vessels Enter the
Harbor.

Gibraltar, Feb. 1.-The first division
Of the United States Atlantic feet,
composed Of the Connecticut, Yer
mont, Kansas and Minnesota, under
command of Rear Admiral Sperry, ar
rived here Sunday morning from Vile.
franche. Although the arrival lacked
the noisy accompaniment Of thunder
guns, the former exchange of salutes
being postponed until Monday In de-
ference to the day, the British wei
come was no less hearty and cordial.
From the moment the glistening white
bulls of the American ships were
mere specks upon the blue water Of
the Mediterranean, every coign Of
vantage on the Rock of Gibraltar was
occupied and by the time they were
ready to round majestically into the
harbor the entire population seemed
to be massed on the waterfront.
The two British battleships Alder
marie and Albion, and the four ships
Of the second cruiser squadron Just
returned from South American
waters; the Russian battleships
Tzarevitch and Slava and the protect
ed cruisers Bogatyr and Oleg, the
French gunboat Cassini and the Dutch
gunboat Haimadal, lying inside the
breakwater with sides manned, flags
dipping and bands playing greeted the
Americans as each in turn entered
and was berthed. The American bat
tleships responded with flags and mu-
sic, the band on board the Connecti-
cut playing the national anthem Of
each country represented. As they
passed the jackies aboard the Russian
warships uncovered and stood with
barred heads while the American bands
rendered God Save the Gar"
The official calls began as soon as
the visiting ships were moored. Vice
Admiral Sir James E. G. Goodrich,
the admiral, superintendent and COM
mander of all the naval establish
ments at Gibraltar, although Rear Ad-
miral Sperrys senior In rank, did not
wait for the latter's visit, but imme-
diately boarded the Connecticut to
extend his greetings, at the same time
insisting that the ships of the d.
visions due here Monday, as far as
possible, anchor in the basin instead
of ON the Algeciras side as previous.
ly arranged. The senior officers Of
the foreign warships followed suit and
later in the day Rear Admiral Sperry
returned the calls, going first to Adj
miralty house to repay Vice Admiral
Goodrich's' courtesy.
All day launches and shore boats
filled with the curious, churned around
the American battleships, the sight
seers marveling at their size and COM
pairing them with the other warships
in the harbor. At shutdown the
Georgia and Nebraska under com
mand of Rear Admiral Wainwright,
arrived from Tangier Five golfers
and the auxiliaries Panther and Yank-
ton already are here and the coaling
Of the first division began Monday.
Despite the rather unofficial char.
acter of the visit and Rear Admiral
Sperry's disconeerting appearance
with his fleet, two days before single
division was expected, the English
evidently intend to give the Ameri.
cans reception they will long re-
The program for the reception OF
the feet on its return to Hampton
Roads has been completed. 1t prac-
tically reverses the program carried
out when the feet sailed. President
Roosevelt on board the Mayflower, an.
chored between the Horseshoe and
Lynn Haven bay, will review the feet
as 1t passes in at noon on February
%. Rear Admiral Sperry, the other
and executive officers
will then go aboard the Mayhower |
to receive the presidents greetings
hfter which the president in turn viii
visit the flagship Of each division and
meet the assembled officers and six |