River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-02-18
i, s. FLEET NOW
HALF WAY HOME
TRIUMPHANT RETURN EAGERLY
AWAITED AT HAMPTON ROADS.
HAS SAILED $4,000 MILES
Warships Will Steam Into Historic
Waters on Washington's Birth
DAY After Opening Eyes of
Whole World.

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half way across the Atlantic, and on
February % will complete it's world
voyage, adding another epoch to the
| record of Hampton roads
On the natal day of the Father of
the Republic the fleet will complete it's
| demonstration of the efficiency of the
| American sailor, the marine power of
the nation, and the desirability of
world peace The scene of the spec
tacle will be the identical roadstead
over which the hardy little British
vessels plowed that brought the first
Englishman to jamestown and Amer
| lea, and over which the guns of the
| first ironclads Numbered in the battle
that revolutioniZed naval warfare
Vessels Travel 45,6o0 Miles.
During these months of record
| steaming the heavily armored fighting
vessels have travelled approximately
! $4,000 miles, and are returning in con-
dition still fit for "a frolic or a fight"
| The cruise has been a veritable expe-
dition of the seven seas, and tasks
| heretofore deemed impossible for the
modern ironclad have been accom-
! plished with an ease bordering on the
commonplace.
That the experience gained on the
cruise will be of unending benefit to
| the navy is indicated from the fact
that probably one-half of the entire
personnel of the naval establishment
participated in the epoch-making trip.
Three of the 16 captains who sailed
| in command of vessels are returning
home as rear admirals. Eight other
captains are returning in command of
the same ship on which they began
the journey of the world
| From rear admiral down to mid
shipman the training has been such as
no other naval cruise ever afforded.
| Among the enlisted men the training
| has been even more valuable Lands
men shipped just before the start and,
utterly green in the ways of the deep,
are coming home an integral part of
wonderful fleet efficiency and loyal be-
levers in all that the American navy
| stands for
Admiral Evans Retirement.
To Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry,
a strict disciplinarian, a man of few
words, but a recognized scholar and
constant student of the higher arts of
| naval science, fell the task of direct
ing the fleet on all but the first $4,000
| miles of it's journey. Rear Admiral
Robley D. Evans, now reIired, took
the fleet out of. Hampton roads on De-
| cember Is, 1907, and, although illness
II IL -
his cabin for a greater part of the
way, he retained command until San
Francisco was reached and the first
| stage of the long trip had been ac-
complished.
Death has twice invaded the ranks
| of the captains who sailed with the
| fleet, but in both instances the officers
had been previously relieved from
duty. Capt Henry McCrea of the
Georgia. most popular officer, died
| soon after his return to the east, fol-
| lowing REIMBURSEMENT of command al
| San Francisco. Capt. Greenlief A. her
| riam, who took the Missouri to the
| Pacific coast, capable man, also died
! within a comparatively short time
after turning his vessel over to sue
| cessOr.
Record Target Practice.
Drills and record target practice
| filled the time spent by the fleet at
| Magdalena 1t was a month of real
work-a month of work enjoyed by ALL
| Record target practice is eagerly an
| ticipated every year. 1t is a time that
| every sailor, no matter how new he
| may be in the service, gets a chance
at the guns provided he has shown any
| sort of aptitude in the 'ping-pong"
| trials, which are continuous aboard the
men-of-war in port and out It is at
record practice that the men attain
the rank of "gun pointer and get a
white star and crossed circle on their
blouse sleeve if they make a certain
| mark. To be a gun pointer means ex-
ira pay each month"; according to the
class attained, and there is prize
money for all, if the ships guns as a
whole make a deserving record. The
| record practice of last spring devel-
| oped an accuracy and rapidity of fire
| never before attained.
After Magdalena came the excursion
| of the fleet to the California resorts
and there was apparently, never
ending program of merry making
The story CT the fleets visit to Hon
olulu. to Auckland Sidney, Melbourne
and Albany in Australia; to Yokoha-
ma, to Amoy, to Manila and to the
ports of call on the way home through
| the Suez are too recent to need recall.
| The welcome extended in Australia
and Japan left nothing to be asked
either in lavishness of entertainment
| or in sincerity of purpose.
The battleships, had their schedule
brought them sooner to the eastern
! end of the Suez, might have played a
notable part in succoring the stricken
people OF Messina. As it was the serV-
| ices of the ships were offered, but the
relief plans had already developed so
as not to require them.
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