Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-05
THE VERMONT LEADS.
eattIeship Will Receive Pennant Tor
Superior Workmanship.

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. Feb. fine
armOrpd cruiser Maryland was com
pelle to haul down her flag as cham
pion shooting snip of the navy. ana
the pcnnant floats over The ba''l'Sliii'
Vermont. the new trophy winner. VI
fetal announcement was made al the
navy department yesterday ina; inc
Vermont had won the battleShlp tro-
nhv as a result of the record target
practice at Manila Bay last fall, tax
ing the honor from the Maryland. Con-
gratulatory messages We're sent 10 '!le
fleet now at Gibraltar. To pc coh'e!ed
TO the caytain and crew Of IN" yes
sci
The Maryland. which is now on the
SCuth American coast in the Pacillc'
with Pacific fleet made her record
score in the fall Of 1907. in Magda'
| lena Bay The Vermont mao" nei
| record last fall in Manila Bay. me
exact scores and the percentages are
now being computed by Commander
jW l.. Sims. inspector Of target piac'
lice. and will BE- made public toner
rev. The standing Of all the SHIPS
OF the battleship class in sunnery--
that is. all battleships and armored
cruisers-was cabled yesterday b!
Secretary Newberry. botI to Admiral
Sperry, commanding the hat>'eshlp
! fleet proper. ct Gibraltar. and 10 AL
miral Swinburne. commanding the ar
mored cruiser fleet on It's way mort"
to Panama frcm Valparaiso Inc seq
retarv after extending his COnSratn-
I lations TO the officers and ere" o.
the winning ship. ordered that the
Vermont should fling to the bree|e
the gunnery pennant with appropriate
ceremonies. ,,.
The staining CT the ships. including
those of both fleets. is a. 1~llo"S:
Vermont, Minnesota. Pennsylvania
Colorado. New jersey. Kentucky, llil,
nois MARYLAND Tennessee. Virginia.
Missouri. kearsarge. Louisiana. Rhode
| Island West Virginia. Georgia. COP
necticut Kansas. California. O"'o and
! Washington.
The Vermont with her heavy guns
not only made the best record OF any
, Of tho sixteen battleships. but OF any
| of the TWENTY one big shops that went
through the practice. The Minnesota
came a close second. while the Penn
sylyania headed the percentage IN
the Pacific fleet. The Maryland
dropped from first Cf all last year
&C. eighth in the entire list this year
and to third place among the armored
cruisers. The armored cruiser Wash
ing:on dropped to the bottom OF me
list or the batt'eships last year. the
Illinois stood first. her record being
second to that Of the Maryland. me
wear previous the Illinois won the
navy pennant in The 2unnrTE WORN
at Guantanamo. in which the Rear
sarge explosion occurred. This record
Is based on b. III day and night prac
.ice. The reports show that on the
whole. the battlcships had rouener
weather for their practice in M'niiH
Bay than the cruisers did AT Magda
lena Bav. where the battleships broke
the worlds records last spring.
While Captain Frank F. Fletcher
commanding the Vermont. Is common
! ded. il is admitted that mucG OF inc
credit for the Vermonf's w1rk Is que
TO Rear Admiral W. p. Potter. who
was the ships captain NOR" than
wear before the practice. and VINO
Jeff the ship for promotion only on
the eye 81 the beginning OF the prac'
,ice. The bsiticship Connecticut. Ad
miraI Sperry's flagship. stands seven
teen in the list CT all the big ships
and Twelve in the list OF hattleshiPs'