The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-16

Valparaiso, sweeping in great
curve into the harbor and out again
before the admiring eyes of deep I
~ impressed people. No stops were
made between Punta Arenas and Cal
lao. where again the entertainments
offered the visitors taxed every days
time to the utmost After Callao
came Magdalena bay, where for
month the ships were otu of touch
with the world except by wireless
telegraphy. Drills and record prac-
tice filled the time at Magdalena. Ii
was month of real work-a month
of work enjoyed by all. Record tar
get practice is eagerly anticipated ev-
cry year. II is time that every
sailor, no matter how new he may
be In the service, gets a chance at
the guns provided he has shown any
sort of aptitude in the "ping-pong'
trials which are continuous aboard
the men of war in port and out II
is at record practice that the men at
tain the rank of gun pointer and
get a white star and crossed circle
on the blouse sleeve if they make
certain mark To he a gun pointer
means extra pay each month. accord
ing TO the class attained, and there
is prize money for all, If the ships
guns as a whole make a deserving
record. The record practice of last
spring developed an accuracy and
rapidity of fire never before attained.
After Magdalena came the excur
sion of the fleet TO the California re-
sorts and there was apparently a
never ending program of merrymak-
ing At San Diego Coronado
Beach,; at the ports of Los Angeles.
at Santa Barbara. at Monterey, Santa
| Cruz and San Francisco. the people
of California received the fleet with
wild acclaim. IL was the first time
that such an array of fighting YES
sells had been seen. on the Pacific
coast and California celebrated with
a hospitality for which the people of
the state are noted. A trip to Puget
sound took the feet to Seattle, Ia
coma and Bellingham and these cities
offered an entertainment which rank
ed with the very best of the entire
trip.
When the ships set sail out of San
Francisco for the severe trip there
were many predictions that they
would be left in the Pacific and that
events might make such course
desirable. Invitations had been ac-
cepted for visits to Australia, to
I China and Japan and there was never
J deviation from the outlined plans.
The fleet had done exactly what the
authorities at Washington said it
/ would, but in a manner which sur
prised and gratified them to the full
est extent.
The story of the fleets visit to
, Honolulu, TO Auckland, Sydney, Mel
bourne and Albany in Australia: to
{ Yokohama, to Annoy. to Manila and
to all the ports of call on the way
home through the Suez are too re-
cent TO need recall. The welcome
! extended in australia and Japan left
nothing to be asked either In lavish
ness of entertainment or in SINGER
, ity of purpose.
The battleships. had their sehed-
ule brought them sooner to the east
ern end of the Suez, might have
played a notable part in suceoring
the stricken people of Messina.. As
il was the services of the ships were
offered. but the relief plans had al
ready developed so as not to require
them. In a way the battleship fleet,
however. accomplished much. Store
ships laden with supplies for the
fighting vessels were dispatched by
the home government and officers and
men were glad to give up the SOLID
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