The sun., 1909-02-25
FLEETS OYER; WOUKNOV
OFFICERS FEAR THE DREADED
iDMIRAL'S INSPECTION.
Reason to Hope That Hurry to Get Ship,
into Navy Yards May Avert This
Six Days OF Day and Night Trial
Navy women Make Hotels Lively,


Navy Women Make Hotels Lively.
FORT MONROE, Feb. H.-The big naval
show Is all oyer and the hotel crowds
are thinning out. One may now get
about In the corridors with comfort,
The naval women still make the hotels
iiveler thanis usual at this season. but the
great throng OF spectators which began
10 melt away on Tuesday has dwindled
20 that only what might be called the reg
ulsrs remain.
The naval officers are marking time
They want TO know whether the dreaded
Admiral's inspection will take place. All
the ship Captains have been preparing
for this ordeal for months. II is prob
ably the most arduous test through which
the officers. men and ships ever pass.
Every drill has to be gone through. all
equipihent gone over all kinds OF en-
aineering work has to be done In this
test Even such things as abandoning
ship and Soaling have to be carried out.
There are nearly 900 items In the sched-
ule that must be passed upon for each
chip. An adverse report Is black eye
for any Captain ana they are ali nervous
as TO the outcome.
The reports deal not only with efficiency
but with cleanliness and things OF that
kipd- To have a thorough Admirals
inspection would require at least six days
work, and il would have to be night and
day work to-.
The ships are expected TO reassemble
here After ttsir repairs at the various navy
yards on May IS. The navy yard pres
sure to have them report at once has been
strong and il is now thought that the Ad-
mirals inspection will be deferred. A
strong pull has been made to have II post
poned.
1t 10 no secret that Admiral Sperry' 6
proposed visit TO Washington later in the
week has TO do largely with this matter,
and it is confidently expected that by
Saturday the various ships will get orders
to 60 lathe navy yards for repairs at once.
Coelins Of the ships continued to-day.
A hjsh southwest wind kicked up one
Of the usual disturbances at Hampton
Roads and made beating decidedly un-
comfortable.
There were few private social func-
ti6ns Ia and around Old Point, but even
that kind Of thing IL about over. From
be turned 10 business. All the hurrah
is over and there is only work ahead.
The Dixie came in this morning and
saluted Admiral Sperrys flag. The
quarantine on the Vermont. due TO a case
ofssmallpox, has been lifted,
Many Of the officers Of the ships are
getting ready TO practice for the Roose-
welt walking test Of fifty miles in twenty
hours. Most Of the stout ones hope
that Mr.. Taft will appreciate that there
are other ways Of testing a mans fitness
than by putting him 70 such inconyen-
iences as the Roosevelt test. in their
Tho customs officers will begin their
inspection Of the ships tomorrow.
Orders were issued through the feet to-
day for every man who had purchased
more than 500 worth OF goods in foreign
ports on the cruise to have his purchases
all declared and spread out for the in
spectors to 90 over 1t is thought the
inspection will occupy from two to three
days. There are some long faces in the
feet over the matter, hut II is thought
that q liberal construction Of customs
regulations will prevail, provided the
Treasury authorities are met IN courte-
Gus and friendly spirit and all hands make
aefeah breast OF purchases abroad.
'WAsHIyoToN, Feb. 24.--Ths Atlantic
battleship fleet, now at anchor in Hamp-
ton Roads, will within the next few days
scAtter TO the various navy yards on the
Atlantic coast for minor repairs prepara-
tory TO the cruise and target practice
which Will begin the latter part OF May
op the target range near Guantanamo.
Eight OF the betteships will soon leave
for their home navy yards. and the other
eight will remain in Hampton Roads
In order 10 send battalion Of bluejackets
augural parade. The battleships Con-
necticut, Vermont, Louisiana. Wiscon-
sin. Georgia, Illinois. Kearsarge and
Kentucky will remain in the roads until
after March, 4. Within the next few days
the Nebraska, Ohio and Rhode Island
Missouri and the New Jersey 10 the Bos-
ton ya.d. the Kansas 20 the Philadel-
phia yard and the Minnesota and Vir-
ginia TO the Norfolk yard.
After the officers and men Of the re-
raining battleehips have returned to
their ships the flagship Connecticut
will 60 10 New York, the Illinois and the
Vermont 70 Boston, the Georgia and Kear-
sarge TO Philadelphia and the Kentucky
and Louisiana TO Norforlk. The battle
ships will remain at the yards until about
May IS to allow repairs and give officers
and men shore leave. The Kentucky.
Kearsarge and Illinois will 60 into re-
and their places in the feet will be taken
by. the Idaho. Mississippi and New Hamp-
shire Of the third squadron.
The third squadron OF the feet, in
command OF Rear Admiral Arnold. will
sail from Hampton Roads shortly for
the range near Guantanamo to begin
spring target practice. These vessels
will return North the early part OF May.
when Admiral Arnold will be detached
from command and assigned to the
presidency of one Of the naval boards
In Washington. His squadron will then
bSperged in the feet, -
and Birmin CHAM. will sail for Bradford,
r. l.. in few days for coaling prepara-
tory 10 the comparative machinery tests
which they will undergo. The Birmingham
in equipped with reciprooating engines,
the Salem has Curtiss and the Chester
has Parsons turbines. Water tanks have
been installed upon all three cruisers and
an exact record will be kept OF the amounts
OF water and coal consumed on the trials.
The three cruisers will make long cruise
10 the West Indies in order to make a
obfhparative test OF the relative merits
Of the three types Of machinery. The
scout cruisers will probably not be ready
TO sail for thsir trials until about the early
part OF ne~t month.
Rear, Admiral Sperry. commanding
the Atlantic feet. has been ordered to
Washington next Saturday for a con-
ference with The members OF President
Roosevelt's naval reorganization COM
mission. 1t is probable that Admiral
Sperry will remain in command Of the
feet Tor several months He will not
retire until September next.
WON'T TELL now SHE VAS SHOT