The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-02-26
! OUR SHIPS ARE
HOME AGAIN.
Great Men of War Steamed
Into Hampton Roads
To The Sound Of Music and
The Thunder Of
Cannon.


With homeward-bound penntnas
steaming air behind them TWEEN
ty-eight bands playing The S.ar
Spangled Banner" and salutihg cannon
roarig a tribute to 1he President Of
the United States. the bautieship fleet
of the American Navy ended Its
worlds cruise here to-day.
After steaming in review OF the
President whose eagle-crested flag
OF blue was at the mast OF the yacht
Mayfiower the sixteen batrdeships fin
ally cast anchor In the same way of
Hampton Roads whence they started
fourteen months ago on the notable
journey OF for;y-five thousand miles.
The joy homecoming was written
upon the face Of every bluejacket and
every officer on the sixteen ships.
The long cruise, the visits TO many
OF the most famous parts OF the world
the homage paid to the fleet by every
nation favored on the calling list
have been sources of intense interest
to every one aboard the famous ves-
sells, but unquestionably there has
been no scene in all the world to
compare In beauty with the familiar
landmarks picked up by the battle
ship fleet as 1t steamed triumphant
and with self-reliant force through
the Virginia Caps today and enter
ed the hospitable waters OF Chesapeak
Bay and Hampton Roads.
There was an atmosphere OF final
accomplishment about today's events
that lent to them a new significance
The American Navy had set new
cruising standard for tine other natives
of the world to strive for.
AS she had led the beau.iful column
of battleships bidding defiance ito tine
storms OF tortuous channels of strange
waters out of Hampton Roads four
teen months ago. and as she had
piloted the fleet through alb the seas
and into all ports of THE long. cruise
the flagship Connecticut steamed again
to-day at the head Of the returning
squadrons.
In the wake of the white ships of
the homecoming fleet, followed Ene
welcoming host in gray, four battle
ships and five wonderful cruisers
which were sent thousand miles to
sea TO convey the preliminary word of
welcome to the famous ship. The
gray vessels, IL IL had not been for
the abundance OF American flags fly
ing from their mastheads, might easily
have been mistaken for foreign ships.
Foreign naval attaches large parties
of Government officials and high Off
GERS of the army and navy. were
aboard the fleet OF welcome which
steamed out today TO greet the in
coming vessels and to witness the re-
views by the President at the tail
Of the horseshoe.
The Mayflower which came down
from Washington. last night with its
distinguished party, cast her anchor
In the same waters to-day where she
took up her position at the sailing Of
the fleet After the ceremonial greet
ing. the battleships and their escort,
the Mayflower steamed on a long col
umn into Hampton Roads and when
the Homecoming vessels anchored,
the Mayflower took up a po
sition in their center Admiral
Sperry and other flag Off
GERS with tine captains commanding
were received on board and to them
President Roosevelt extended cordial
thanks, which he afberward expressed
anew to the officers and crews of the
four divisional flagships the Connec-
ticut, Louisiana, Georgia and WILSON,
sin, which he visited late In the af-
farnoon