The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-06

ClDTbltdTs req, o.-Wlln the DdnuS
on board playing Home Sweet Home, ''
the American fleet of sixteen battle
ships under Rear Admiral Sperry left
Gibraltar at II o'clock this morning
for Hampton Roads on the last lap
Of its famous around-the-world cruise
of $4,000 miles One hour later the
vessels were we'll clear Of the land
and steaming westward In double col
umn formation at a speed Of ten knots
an hour. They will follow the south
ern route to Hampton Roads. a dis
tance of $500 miles and about91 900
miles off the American coast they will
be met and escorted home by the
third squadron of the Atlantic fleet
under Rear Admiral Arnold.
The weather conditions at the time
OF departure were glorious. The sky
was without a cloud and there was
just enough breeze to curl the crest5
of the sun-flooded waves. Nothing
could have surpassed the beauty OF
the marine picture as the American ar
mada weighed anchor from under the
shadows of the towering rock OF Glib
raltar and moved out into the strait.
The difficult operation or getting the
sixteen huge battleships out of the
narrow war basin OF the port and un-
der way was accomplished with skill
and perfection of maneuyering and de-
tall. which won the admiration or all
the foreign naval men who witnessed
the proceedings critically from lanl
and sea Admiral Sperry directed the
whole operation from the centeroridgc
of the Connecticut. At half past eight
o'clock the signal to unmoor was Civ
en- and the great chains, holding the
ships 10 the buoys, were ioosened,
one by one, until the vessels were
held to their anchorages by but sin
gle strand. AT 8 So strcrm OF multi
colored signal flags on the flagship
communicated the order TO get under
way to the Georgia, the Nebraska. the
New Jersey. the Rhode Island and the
Virginia. lying at the rear o. tie pas
IN AS the flags came fluttering down
fiye minutes later, the designated bat
tleships cast off their las, iines and,
they slowly swung their noses in the
direction Of the breaches IN the break
water. Twisting and turning TO the
changing OF engine gongs, they crep6
out the Georgia leading the way with
Lieutenant Commander George w.
Kline on the bridge
Once outside Rear Admiral Vain.
N'right's division fell into formation
and waited for the second and third
groups. The second group consisted
oil the Vermont, proud:y I;ying the
battle efficiency" trophy, at ner rore;
the Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio and
kearsarge, and the tn,rd was compo5-
ed Of the Wisconsin. Kansas, ;4ouisI.
ana, Missouri and Illinois
The three groups waited outside.
and at half past tea the Connecticut
brought up the rear
Although II Is not customary 10 fire
parting salutes. the Devonsaire, the
flagship Of Rear Admlral Sir James
Goodrich. r, n, Admiral SuperInten.
dent of Gibraltar which had taken up
position at the entrance OF the mar.
Dor, hoisted and saluted the flag as
the ships passed out. The panu on
the quarterback Of the Connecticut
played the English anthem, while the
musicians On the foreign warshlps
played the Star Spang'ed Banner" as
the respective ensigns wete dipped.
Admiral Goodrich and Admiral Lit,
vlnoff OF the Russian nay, sIgnalled:
Goodbye; pleasant voyage" Admir-
al Sperry replied laconically Thanks
Then the Connecticut steamed ma
Jestically along the line or ,ne waiting
American vessels. took It's place at
the head of the coiumn and set the
guiding flag five Of clubs" The flf.
Teen other vessels wheeled gracefully
IN behind tn Connecticu,, ana with
me black speed cones run up to the
yard arms.
The Imposing procession, which was
over three miles long, moved TO the
south
The alignment Of the ships was per-
1ect. and the sight was so impressive
that the spectators. crowding the ter
races oil the Alamadea and the Euro.
pa point, could not restrain exclama-
t'ons of delight. while the American
passengers on two liners anchored
close into shore burst into involun-
tary cheers.
For a distance OF twelve miles tho
fleet stood to the south Then being
clear OF Cape Tarifa, the most south
crly point, and with nothing but the
broad Atlantic between tnem and
home. the flagship headed abruptly to
the westward and in Indian lie, tae
splendid fleet left the ancient Pilla-
OF Hercules behind and steamed
through, the straits and Oh, 20 sea.
Looking from the rock o. Gioraitar
the water separating the sa;ps seem
ed gradually TO be obliteralcc as the
distance increased un;ii the sfxtccr
nulls resemblcd long wni5e :;ne sur
mounted by trailing plume of smoke
Suddenly. off Cape Spartel. the lii,
~avered and broke into smnii paris
inen few minutes later, there wer.
TWO parallel lines instead or ono
showing that the fleet aG- assume;
us regular double cruising rorma;.on
The last glimpse Of TIC warship
was obtained at l:57 this arteraoo,