Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-06
DoUBLE COLUMN FORMATION.
wav in Which Vessels Got Out of
Narrow War Basin Chal-
Ienged Admiration.
p0mcult Operation Perfectly Executed
Weather Conditions Perfect
Voyage by Southern Route.

Gibraltar. Feb. with the bands
an hoard playing "Home, Sweet Home"
AZ American fleet OF 16 battleships
r,5s. Rear Admiral Sporry left Gil
b-,rtar at II o'clock this morning for
hampton Roads on the last lay OF its
emous around the-world cruise of
5000 miles. one hour later the ves-
s.s were clear Of tho land and steam
me westward in double column for
nation at a speed OF 10 knots an hour.
They win follow the southern route
to Hampton Roads. distance Of g.
500 miles. and about 1000 miles Off
be American coast they will be met
and escorted home by the third squad
ron of the Atlantic fleet under Rear
Admir- Arnold.
The weather conditions at the time
of departure were glorious. The sky
MAS without a cloud and there was just
enough breeze TO curl the crests Of
taa sun-noodcd waves. Nothing could
have surprised the beauty of the
marine picture as the American
armada weighed anchor from under
the shadows OF the towering rock Of
Gibraltar and moved out In TO the
strait
CHALLENGED ADMIRATION
The difficult operation Of getting tho
i5 huge battleships out OF the narrow
a5s basin OF the port and under way
va- accomplished with a skill and per
estou of maneuvering and detail
which won the admiration OF an the
foreign naval men who witnessed the
proceedings critically from land and
sga. Admiral Sperry directed the whole
apeiation from the center bridge of the
Connecticut AT hall past s o'clock the
signal % unmoor was given and the
great chains holding the ships TO the
blHrs were loosened one by one until
ua vessels were held 20 their anchor
se ny but "a single strand Al $3.50
s.tetm Of multi-colored signals on
i.e nagship communicated the order
90 get under way 10 the Georgia. the
Nebraska, the New Jersey, TN. Rhode
Island and the Virginia, lying at tho
utr of the basin. As the flags came
autieling down Eve minutes later the
designated battleships cast of their last
lines and. like freed leviathns seeking
20 escape they slowly swung their noses
in the direction Of the breaches Ia the
hrelkwater Twisting and turning TO
tAe changing OF engine gongs they crept
out the Georgia leading the way with
Lieut.. Commander George w. Kline on
tls bridge.
once outside Rear Admiral VAIN
isuts division fen into formation and
a,ed Tor the second and third groups.
IH. second group consisted OF the Yer
'a't proudly dying the battle ell
0ncy' trophy al her fore. the Mime
'ta Kentucky Ohio and Kearsarge
aHd the third was composed OF the
W Wisconsin, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri
and Illinois
Iho American battleship fleet COM
posed of Is warships. II now on It's last
200 of is famous cruise round the
NNfIu. II left Hampton Roads Dec.
10 1907 ana when IL again anchors IN
That port Feb. p. ID viii have been
gone one year and 6S days. No accident
i7s marked the progress Of the great
SO armed fleet that has ever made
.lc1 "a long voyage. The cruise has
n.en In every respect an unqualified
success.
The trip has been watched with the
greatest interest by all foreign powers.
ana wherever the vessels called. South
Amrica Australia, Japan. China, Cey-
'on Egypt and the ports OF the Med
lbTfdnean. the officers and men have
been given hearty Official ana private
Welcome.
The feet left Hampton Roads under
ADMIRAL Robley ID. Evans, who con-
llcied n ms far as San Francisco. Rear
admiral Charles Al Thomas then took
Command, but he was succeeded May
y 10y Rear Admiral Sperry, who
brought the vessels home
i.n of the Atlantic fleet. consisting OF
Rear Admiral Arnold's third squad
ll' hlttlcships Maine. Mississippi New
hampshire and Idaho and the scout
users Chester and Birmingham and
salem win meet Admiral Sperry's
N'et ln the Atlantic about a thousand
niI0a from the coast and then. with
arnold ships as an escort. the world
curing vessels win proceed toward
ptou Roads. where they win be re-
owed by President Roosevelt on
W nIugtOn's birthday