The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-17
BIGGEST POWDER
BURN IN NAvY'S
HISTORY
2000-Gun Salute to Mark End
Of Long Cruise.
IN HONOR OF THE PRESIDENT
Fleet Will Enter Hampton Roads
Monday Morning and Roosevelt
viii Visit Flagshlps.

WASHINGTON, reD. At.-ANediig AVVV
guns, the biggest salute ever fired in
honor of any American, will be dis
charged in recognition of the flag of
the president of the United States
during the review by Theodore Roose
welt of the Atlantic fleet on its return
to Hampton Roads next Monday Ev
cry one of the twenty battleships and
five cruisers will fire twenty-one guns
upon first sighting the Mayiower as
the fleet approaches the tail of the
horseshoe, each ship will fire like
salute just after passing the Mayflow-
er in review, and the salute will be
repeated as the president leaves the
fleet late in the afternoon to return to
Washington. In addition to this, the
fagships of the four divisions of the
fieet-those which made the world
cruise-will fire twenty-one guns each
as the president boards them to ad-
dress them to the officers.
Never before has so much saluting
powder been burned in one day by the
American navy The roar of the bat
tie between the Monitor and the Mer-
rimac on Hampton Roads would have
sounded as mere pistol shooting as
compared with the thunder of this sal
ute
The fleet, headed by the Connecticut
will enter the Virginia Capes at 1875
O'Clock at ten knots. AS the fleet
sights the Mayhower, which will be
anchored to the north OF the channel
off the Tail of the Horseshoe, the
speed will be slackened to eight miles
an hour, which will be kept the re-
mainder of the eight miles into the
Connecticut's anchorage off Fort Mon
roe. The Connecticut will pass the
Mayfower at II a. m, but owing 10 the
slowed down speed and the length of
the great single column of warships,
the last ship to pass will salute at
about | o'clock The line will be
about seven miles in length, the dis
lance from stem to stem of each Of
the 20 ships being 400 yards, the reg
ulation steaming distance.
The Connecticut will take her an
chorage position at II o'clock and the
entire fleet win be ready and drop
anchor on signal from the flagship at
1880. Admiral Sperry, accompanied
by the three division commanders OF
the main fleet, and by Admiral Arm
old, commanding the special third
squadron, these accompanied by their
STATS and all the battleship comman
ders, will be received by the president
on the Mayfower at o'clock. Admir-
al Sperry will formally report to the
president and secretary of the navy
the completion of his cruise. The
president will deliver an address prais
| iuS Tue OliNtio lOI tiN maj htu ouNSSSs
of the trip. At 2.35 the president will
arrive aboard the fleet flagship Con
necticut, escorted by Admiral Sperry
Then he will visit the other three flag
ships in turn. On each of these ships
the president will spend twenty-five
minutes and address the officers ant
men. On each flagship will be assem-
bled as liberal representation of Off
GERS and men from each Of the othe
three ships in the division as can b
accommodated.
At 4:40 o'clock the president vii
return to the May6ower and at 3 o
: clock he will be under way for the re
= turn to Washington, where he will al
rive about . o'clock next morning.