The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-03-03
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Fleet Returns After the Longest
Cruise Ever Taken
|BY A WAR SQUADRON

The Great Armada Steamed Majes-
ticaIly Into Hampton Roads Mon
day in Battle Line Ten Miles in
Leneth-The Greatest Navel Dis
play Ever Witnessed at Any Time.
Old Point Comfort, Feb. "a
When the globe encircling battle
ship :ieet cast anchor today in the
immense watery triangle, bounded
by Newport News, Norfolk and the
gray old walls of Fortress Monroe,
there ended one of the most spec
tacular and successful cruises in the
history of the world. TIE fleet an
chorged after the review at the place
where it started more than a year
ago and it is home in almost as good
condition as when it began its 49,
900 mile journey, more than twice
the distance ever sailed by any feet
in the history of the world.
For week the cities bounding
Hampton oRads have been fleet mad
and the elimination of the enthusl-
asm and excitement was reached this
morning when the great battleships
steamed majestically into the roads,
with the flagship Connecticut lead
ing the procession and Admiral
Sperry on the bridge. With the
sixteen battleships was the third
squadron, commanded by Admiral
| Arnold, which had been sent out to
sea last week to meet and escort
it home. When the ships cast anchor
| in the roads there were twenty-siS
in all, of which twenty were bat
tleships.
Saturday and Sunday every incom-
ling train and steamship brought an
immense multitude of people into the
cities around Hampton Roads AND
the number of sightseers has never
before been witnessed in these wa
ters. It is estimated that between
10000 and $4,000 visitors lined
the shores or were in the scores o!
pleasure crafts afloat in the roads
The crowd was even larger than the
great throngs which saw the fee
depart. People are here from every
State in the union.
The marine spectacle and review
today was something extraordinary
an event which will live in the mem
ory of every beholder. Early; in tht
morning the day promised to bt
ideal, but about 10 o'clock the SIX!
became overcast and light driz
zling rain began to fall, which con
! tinued throughout the review. Thi'
marred somewhat the great pano
rama.
| The ships filed past the Mayhower
under lowering gray sky, and a
times the rain and the mist almos
obscured the tail Of the feet, while
the saluting guns sounded muflet
in the fog. Otherwise the marine
picture was perfect. The review oc
Cured at the tail of the Horse Shoe
which lies between Cape Charles anc
Cape Henry, eleven miles from Oh
Point Comfort.
When the ships were first sighted
coming up through the Virginis
capes, grim and gray looking, the!
began to fire the presidential salute
of twenty-one guns, and vast pal
of smoke hung over the scene. The1
as they filed past the president:
yacht, each ship fred itwenty-ont
guns. Again at II o'clock each yes
sci fired twenty-one guns, the nation
al salute in honor of Washington:
birthday.
| At o'clock this morning fifty o.
more excursion steamers, private ant
small pleasure crafts Of various kind!
left Norfolk and Old Point Comfor
and raced down the bay to meet the
fleet. They were black with people
| and covered with immense signs o.
welcome Home
When the Connecticut arrived op
posite the MayfoRer, the excursion
fleets sirens screamed, whistles blew
and the bands played the Star Spang
led Banner.
The Mayhower, having on board
President Roosevelt, Secretary Of the
Navy Newberry and Mrs. NeWberry
the Roosevelt family and Represen.
tative and Mrs. Longworth, and sew
eral friends, arrived at Hampton
Roads early this morning, having
come down the Potomac from Wash
ington Sunday afternoon.
The Mayfower was in its position
at II a. NJ, at the Horse Shoe tail,
and the battleship fleet, ship by
ship, headed by the flagship, steamed
slowly past IN review.
The ships amid the thunder OF
their guns were in a line which ex-
tended for almost ten miles and from
the time that the Connecticut pass
81 the Mayfower until the last yes
-sl dipped its flag and the last salute
has been fired, more than two hours
elapsed.
The vessels steamed four hundred
yards apart and the division eight
hundred yards apart.
After the review they dropped an
Choir in a two-column formation and
the barges Of the admiral's fleet
carried each captain to the Mayfower
where they were received by the
president. The reception was brief,
the officers returning to their respec-
tive fagships.