Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-23

Name, ana the w lSCOilSiIi' "iiiSh iS
placed the Alabama. Both of these
vessels were built in the Pacific. both
Joined the fleet at San Francisco ana
TO-DAY made their first appearance IN
an Atlantic port.
The hattleship fleet and it's escorting
squadron of four battleships and five
cruisers arrived at the drill grounds
80 miles off the Virginia Capes yeSter-
day and while there made ready for
today's review With the first streahs
OF the coming day. residents of Nor
folk, Newport News and other nearby
places began to make their way to
POINTS of vantage along the borders OF
ocean or bay.
At Virginia Beach, Cape Henry and
all along the Lynn Haven and Will
loughby shores. great thronss were
gathered On the opposite shore OF the
roadstead the crowd was densest mere
at Old Point The ramparts of Fortress
Monroe were black with spectators.
The battleships picked UP their regu-
lar cruising speed of 10 knots an hour
early this morning after a night OF
comparative rest. Grass work was pol
ished and wherever paint had been
married fresh coats applied during yes
terday's wait made the ships as I'M
macuatn in appearance as they were
GA that beautiful day i'll December
1907. when they sailed away on d
cruise that was to set pow mark for
the navies of the world to strive to at
tain.
When the battleships pointed their
1 ht taWaN Dt
tie roads. the Mayflower, with the
President and his party on board, Wa
steaming down Chesapeake bay at tht
| anchorage ground at the tau Oh III.
Horseshoe, where Ii months ago the
| President had stood on The bridge Oh
the same vessel to review the out
going fleet and bid il Godspeed on its
| Journey The President then sald the
sailing of the fleet meant SIMPLY the
sending of homogeneous Body OF war
slips on an extended practiT" crulS'
and he did not consider the event on'
OF sufficient importance to require {
speech or other special ceremony.
Today, with their splendid record be
hind them the Is battleshins cam
hrme to a welcome and to cerenloni
| GUS greeting which could hardly nave
been more jubilant if the fleet Were
returning victorious from some IA
nous battle-ground. The President ad
dressed not only the officers Of tn
lect gathered upon the quarterd9ck
the Mayfowcr but he visited as Wei
the four divisional Iiagships and there
| he addressed the crews in terms
enthusiastic compliment. AS 1t wa
impossible for Mr.. Roosevelt to NiSl
each of the IL returning vessels, repre-
Scntatives of the men from each shlI
| in tn: four divisions We're gathere'
upon the iagshipS and they in tur.
| look the Presidents; greetings to thel
shipmates.
The Maytiower had not long lair
anchor when smoke on the horizA
told Of the approach of the fleet an
soon the mastheads OF the Connect
cut could he picked up with glasse;
through the wide swung Capcs. The
the white hull OF the famous flagship
dashed into view. Out of the distance
Tie fleet grew rapidly until at last tn
end OF The white column i'll front coui
be distinguished The gray clad yes
srls of the escort grew far more slow
~ above TIE horizon and served as
splendid demonstration of the value o
the neutral color for naval vessels Ii
time OF war.
While the leading ships We're still
q mile or more distant from the May
lioW"r. a puff of white smoke from th.
forward bridge of the Connecticut fol
lowed by a muffled boom, served as
signal to all the fleet that the fagshi
had made OUT the Presidents fla;
on The MaylioWcr. 1t was also the sig
nal for home at last" for $4,000 me
and 600 officers. That first gun of TIN
Conncc;iCutS national salute to the
President found every ship with salut
ing cannon ready and the secon
powder puff from the flagship had no
sounded when the guns of all the othe
Ships h3I begun to speak in unison tn
honors due the Chief Executive TIL
fcct was almost lost to view as tbs
Sa!tlt;rg was at its height but tn.
clearing veil of smoke flashed the ships
into view in a brilliant picture.
The President made his way to TIL
bridge of the Mayflower while the sa-
| luting was in progress. He had not
! long to wait before the imposing line
was bearing right down upon the re-
viewing boat. The scene was beauti-
full as well as inspiring. On either
side of the incoming armada, scores o.
! excursion steamers grew thicker ant
| thicker as the warships ploughed then
way to a home anchorage. The excur-
sion steamers, the tugs and the
! launches were keeping up a continu-
! Gus roar Of SaluteS from their vari-
I toned whistles while the people ashore
j ch"ercd
! The Connecticut and all the ships iii
| her furroWed wake. were dressed in
| cruising fashion for filing in review.
| At eacn masthead of the succeeding
| ships huge American flags stood out in
| the breeze The Union Jack was aflut-
| ter at each stem and streaming flags
| We're in place at every lofty gaff. 1t
| was not until the ships had come to
anchor off the Old Point Pier two hours
! later that the rainbow dressing lines
were strung from stem to stern across
| the maStheadS and the ships took on
| the full dress which the presence OF
| the President of the United States de-
mandS when ships are resting in port
and which We're hoisted as we'll today
in honor of George Washington.
MaieStically the Connecticut steamed