The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-02-25
HOME WELCOME FOR RE-
TURNING BATTLE FLEET
Sixteen Giant War Ships In The
Presidential Review.

OLD POINT COMFORT, Va, Feb. q. -
With homeward-bOund pennants stream
ing far behind them, twenty-eight bands
playing the Star Spangled Banner"
and saluting cannon roaring tribute to
the President of the United States, the
battleship fleet of the American Navy
ended its worlds cruise here today.
| AFTER steaming in review of the Presi-
dent, whose eagle-crested flag of blue
was at the main of the cruiser yacht
Mayfiower, sixteen white battleships
finally cast anchor in the same fairway
of Hampton Roads whence they started
fourteen months ago on the notable
journey of $4,000 miles.
The JOY of homecoming was written
upon the face of every bluejacket and
every officer on board the sixteen ships.
The long cruise, the visits to many of
the most famous ports of the world, the
homage that has been paid to the fleet
by every nation favored on the calling
list, have been sources of intense inter-
est to every one aboard the famous
vessels; but unquestionably there was
no scene in all the world to compare in
beauty with the familiar landmark
picked up by the battle fleet as it steam
ed, triumphant self-reliant and effici-
ent force, through the Virginia capes
today and entered the home waters of
Chesapeake bay and Hampton Roads.
AS she led the beautiful columns of
battleships ready for any emergency
and bidding defiance to the storms or
the tortuous channels of the strange
waters of the hemispheles out of Hamp-
to Roads fourteen months ago, and as
she piloted the fleet through all the seas
and into all the ports of the long cruise,
the flagship Connecticut steamed again
today at the head of the returning
squadrons.
1t the wake of the white ships of the
home coming fleet followed welcoming
host in gray-four battleships and five
powerful cruisers being in this escort
ing column sent a thousand miles to sea
to convey preliminary word of well
come to the famous ship. The gray
vessels, if it had not been for the album
dance of American flags flying from
their mastheads, might easily have been
mistaken for foreign ships.
1t will require long while for the
American people to become accustomed
to the new color scheme adopted for
the navy, the glistening white and buff
since the days of the wonderful old
white squadron" having distinguished
the American navy above all others,
Transforming into things of beauty, en-
gines of destruction which in somber
lines of neutral gray appear hostile and
grim.
Foreign naval attaches, immense
parties of government officials, high
officers of the army and navy were
aboard the fleet of welcome which
steamed out today to greet the incoming
vessels and to witness the review by
the President at the Tail of the Horse
shoe.
After the ceremonial greeting of the
battleships and their escort, the May
flower steamed herself at the end of
the long column into Hampton Roads.
When the homecoming vessels had an
chored she took up a position in the
center of the fleet.
Admiral Sperry and the other flag
officers, together with the captains
commanding, were received on board
To them President Roosevelt extended
the cordial thanks which he expressed
anew to the officers and crews OF the
four divisional fiagships, the Connecti-
cut, Louisiana, Georgia and Wisconsin,
when he visited them this afternoon.
To the flag officers and captains COM
handing the ships of the battle fleet,
on their assembly aboard the May
flower, after the battleships had passed
in review, the President expressed the
thanks of the nation and his sense of
greatness of their accomplishment in
the course of the trip in betting the
world