The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-02-22
FLEET REACHED
HAMPTON ROADS
TOUR OF PRIDE OF NAVY CON-
PLETED AFTER AN ABSENCE
OF OVER A YEAR AND A To-
tai DISTANCE COVERED OF
42.227 MILES.

Olu oihI COulOTl, va, req. zG.-
Enthusiastically welcomed by the
mad blowing of the whistles of a
score of naval vessels and a hundred
or more other ships, this only to be
drowned out by the thunierous sa-
luting of twenty-one guns from each
of the sixteen battleships in the col
umn, Americas record-breaking
fleet sailed majestically into Hamp-
ton Roads today.
1t was the fleets Homecoming af-
ter it's decentralization of the globe,
the most remarkable continuous voy-
age ever made by the warships of any
navy.
President Roosevelt and Secretary
of the Navy Newberry, who were the
last to bid the fleet Godspeed when
it left Hampton Roads December 16,
1907, were the first to greet it upon
it's return The president and his
party of naval officers and ladies
aboard the Mayflower, which was an
chored off Thimble Shoal light, about
seven miles out from Fort Monroe,
sighted the warships as they turned
in through the Virginia Capes, then
formally reviewed them while they
passed the Mayfower in single col
umn. When the fleet had dropped
anchor in the roads just above his
toric old Fort Monroe, the Mayflower
steamed in among them, and Admiral
Sperry, the commander-in-chief, and
his flag officers and ship captains
were received on board by the presi-
dent. All, especially the commander
in-chief, were warmly congratulated
upon the safe completion of their I'M
precedented cruise.
1t was about 9 o'clock when the
Mayflower came from down the PotC-
mac and the Chesapeake Bay ana an
chored near Thimble Shoal, having
left Washington yesterday afternoon
Tn the party besides the president and
Secretary Newberry, were Mrs. Roose-
Welt, Miss Roosevelt, Mrs. Newberry,
Miss Newberry, Assistant Secretary
of the Navy and Mrs Satterlee, Rear
Admiral Cowles, chief of equipment,
and Mrs. Cowles, the presidents sis
ter: Commander Simms, the presi-
dents chief naval aide, and Mrs
Simms
Shortly after 10 o'clock the deck
watch Of the Mayf1ower discovered
a column of smoke almost directly
eastward over Cape Charles, and
half an hour later the warships.
which had been approaching under
slow speed in order not to anticipate
their scheduled hour of arrival, came
into sight and passed the capes. At
II o'clock the Flagship Connecticut,
leading, arrived off the Tail of the
Horse Shoe, at which point the f1ee-
was left by the Mayfower when it
followed the battleships out of the
roads at the beginning of The cruise.
4 quarter of an hour later the Con-
netticut was off The port beam Of
the Mayfiower at ';stanee of 800
yards. When opposite the Mayflow
ers quarter the Coanectic lt's six-inch
sans began the ofic.ai salute of Fl
guns in honor of the navy's camman-
lie, -in-chief. Less than nalf Of th,se
r. been FREE when the Kansas, the
s',cnd ship III line, "a ,k II; the sal
ute, quickly followed by the others.
The fleet, which has averaged about
10 knots speed throughout the cruise
of more than IA months, passed the
president at eight knots and entered
the roads at six knots.
The clock like system by which
the fleet weighed anchor and swung
around with the tide to begin the
cruise, was followed on the return.
The Connecticut first swung into po-
sition, taking her old berth, about
500 yards off Old Point, in the line
of the jamestown exposition grounds.
Two hundred and fifty yards apart
ali the ships of the first squadron
were anchored in single column, and
then began the formation of the Sec
ond column, with the flagship Lou.s
ja..a a. the ,e~'' ua- position was
&C the CoEnecticut's .iarboard. AMI
ST: htly astern. the two columns be-
In.; about 400 yards apart.
At the foot of the first column, but
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