Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-22
TOday's Telegraphic News
Return Of thu Fleet.

lug VI tue WQtblit8 Oh sCvAo VI ihfai
vessels and a hundred or more other
ships, this only to be drowned out by
the thunderous sslutng OF tTenty-one
guns from each OF The sixteen tatIleships
10 the column, Americas record.break-
ing feet uuGer The command OF Rear
Admiral Charles S. Sperry, and consist
ing of the Connecticut, Kansas, Mime
sofa, Vermont, Georgia, Nebraska, New
Jersey, Rhode Island, Lluisians, Vlr-
ginis, Ohio, Missouri. W ;onsin, Illi-
nois, Kesrsage and Kentucky, steamed
into Hampton Roads today. l! Hss the
fleets home coming after its circum-
navigation Of the globe, aud after
hsyiugvisited Trinidad, Rio de ia
metro, Puuts Arenas, Valparaiso, CAL
lao, MagdaleUa Bay, San Francisco,
Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney, Mel
bourne, Manila, Yokohama. Annoy, Co.
lombio, Port Said, Naples, VilIefranche,
Malta, Msrseilles and Gibraliar-ihe
most remarkable continuous voyage ever
made by the garships Of any ravy.
The president aid bis party Of naval
officers aud aiies aboard the bayhoRer,
which was anchored off Thimble Shosl
Light, about seven miles out from Fort
Monroe, sighted the wsrships IS they
turned In through the Virginia capss,
then formally reviewed them while they
passed the MsyhoEer In single column.
When the feet had dropped iuchor 10
the roads just above Font Monroe, the
May steamed in among them and
Admiral 5perry, fine eommander-in-chief
and bis flag officers and snip captains
we're received on board by the president
and warmly congratulated upon the safe
completion of heir unprecedented
cruise.
10 the party besides the president aud
Secretary NeWberrY, we're Mrs. ROOse-
welt, Miss Roosevelt, Mrs. Newberry,
NJ IS Newberry, Assistant Secretary oil
the Navy aud Mrs Sstteflee, Rear Ad-
miral Oowles aud Mrs. OOwles, the presi.
dents sister; Commander simms, the
presidents chief naval aide, and Mrs.
Simms.
The ar was trihs thick early this
morning, with a slight rain falling. The
temperature at 10 o'clock was 55.
The rain that had been threatening
from early morning caught the May.
flower, the Dolphin and the 5yIphlong
before the coming Of the feet had been
announced. The mist was dense and
only six ships could be plainly stem at q
time from the May but the huge
outlines of half a dozen others could be
seen, the black smoke rising almost In a
straight column. The president did not
mind the rain. He really appeared to
enjoy it aud remarked to those by him
.ha. 1t was just like the real thing.
Nearly bundled tugs and yachts oil
every description all loaded to their ut
most capacity blocked the sidelines OF
Hampton Roads, the revenue cutters,
ba7iog their hands full Ia maintaining
line formations and preventing COLI
sions. Seats and standing room on the
pleasure crafts vera sold out yesterday
and hundreds we're uraole to reach
points OF vantage along Hampton Roads
from Norfolk aud surrounding town
until the msuueYeIs were part over, the
the trolley systems being unable to
handle the traffic despite fifteen minutes
schedules.
Hundreds of visitors slept on cots 10
hotal halls lest night. The town was .
block with pushing humanity at seven
O'Clock. So far no serious accident on
water or land hiss been reported which ID
considered remarkable 10 consequence Of
the coDgested conditions. A congress
iopal party two hundred aud sixty in.
GLIDING families of representatives and
Congressman watched the review from =
Norfolk and Warrington steamer of the
all OF the horseshoe.
Conservative estimates place number
of visitors to Norfolk and Old Point al
twenty FIVE thousand.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock the wsrships,
which bad been approaching under
slow speed 10 order not to anticipate
their scheduled hour OF arrival, came in
to sigh. aud passed the cspes. At IL
o'clock the flagship Connecticut, leading
arrived opposite the May6ower aud her
six-lnch guns began the official salute OF
81 guns In honor of the nsvy's com.
mander-in.chief. Less than half Of
these had been fred when the Kansas,
the second ship 10 line, TOOK up the
salute, quickly followed by the others.
Passing ioto the roads the Connect
cut was first to swing into position, an
choriDg about 800 yards off Old Point.
A'tern of the Connecticut and two
hundred and City yards apart the ships
Of the fret squadron anchored In single
column. The second column took posi-
ton abreast of the frat, the two col
umns being about 400 yards apart.
At the foot Of the fret column the Maine
which went out to the mid-Atlautic to
escort the feet home, dropped anchor.
Behind her was the New Hampshire,
while opposite them In the second col
umn we're the armored cruisers North
Carolina aud Montana, and In the rear
we're the cruisers, Salem, Chester and
Birmingham. This squadron, which q
week ago met the dset about 500 miles
northeast Of the Bermudas, led the way
to the Virginia cspes, when it dropped
oack aud let the main feet enter fret.
Some time was necessarily consumed,
10 the ahips settling Toto their berIhs
When this was completed, upon the fash
Of signals from the Connecticut to the
Admiral SpsrrY personally
greeted the president and secretary OF
the payy and announced thst he was
ready to report the ED Of his cruise.
This report was then made in person,
the admiral beipg accompanied to the
MsyfoWer in launches by the three
other rear admirals OF The feet and the