The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-04
EMPHASIZES
 REACH SUEZ Two Days Ahead of.
 Schedule. FLEET TO GO TO MEssINA Doctors and Supply of Provisions,
 for Sufferers. Arrangements Have Been Made for Fleet to Have Right of way
 for Clear Run Through the Csnai. 

* Suez Jan, 2.--The United states At iantic battleship fleet. completing two days ahead of its schedule, the next to the longest run Of It's Worla-sIa iine -cruise. arrived here this morning from Colombo distance of s.4fV knots. from which place the feet sailed on December 20.
 The ioss of q seaman from the bat tieship Illinois, who fell overpqaro anu was drowned, as previously repoIteo' was the only accident to mar the vey- age from Colombo. The Illinois re- mainsd on the scene to search TOT .hs sailor and Is a,iittle behind the meet.
 The stately array of pattieships was an impressive sight The weather was splendid and the bay was crowded witn craft. the occupants of which gave an enthusiastic welcome to the snips Os- spite their long trip. the werships look. ed as smart and trim as though turnea out for a naval review.
 When the ships had come to ancnoI. the Egyptian and Canal authorities went aboard the flagship Connecticut and welcomed Rear Admiral sperry who expressed himself as well satisned with the cruise from Colombo. de regretted that he was compelled to cur taIl his stay in Egypt but hoped that at some future times an opportunity would be given him to visit Cairo Ine Admiral spoke of the Australian visit of the fleet as the special feature or the trip.
 : Uniyersal regret is expressed here that the visit of the battleghips VIII pc hrief. It had been expected that representative oficer would visit Cairo ana be presented to the Khedive on the anniversary of his accession. to the throne on January 8. A contingent or soc officers and men left by special train for Cairo this afternoon.
 The ennverteds cruiser Yaukton en. tered the canal this afternoon and the supply shipS cnisoa probably will pass in toniRisk Tue former haa a, number If dactofa aboard and ahN siat4er a large smDnIy If provtsinne and stores Both win no to MessanA at fufI sfssed. All arranesments were made by wireless for. the ships of the fleet to pass through the canal as quickly as possi- ble and to coal at Fort Said. where 25, 900 tons are stored.
 The auth critics have made arrange ments for the battleships to have right of way for a clear run through the ca nal
 The Connecticut. Vermont. Kansas and Minnesota will enter the canal at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning and will arrive at Port Said at 10 o'clock Mon day night The second group. consist
  Missouri and Virginia. will enter Tues day and the third line. composed of the yVfsconsin, Kearsarge, New Jersey. Rhode Island, Georgia and Nebraska, will start Wednesday. At Port Said the crews will coal the battleships with all possible speed so as to be in posi- tion to go promptly to Messina If It 10 finally determined to send them there.
 New Years Day was passed by the oG hn continuous round of fun. There were athletic contests boxing and foot racing, eliminating in the evening in a grand entertainment on board the flagship Connecticut. con. sisting of a sketch and costume contest vaudeville and a minstrel performance. The members of the ships company were the actors and the evening ended in q grand cake walk. the costumes and millinery for which were made aboard ship. >,...
 Tn reply to q message from the Navy Denartment. Rear Admiral SpSrry said that he had supplies available for ois- tribution to the Italian earthquake suk- ferers as follows: ..
 Beverages. 50,000; bread. esO,oOV pounds; cereals. So.ooo pounds on nnc 90 900 pounds; fresh meat. SV'o0V hounds: other meat. 100000 pounds; vegetables. (canned). So,ooo pounds; milk. 50, 900 pounds and numerous other
 
 The CulRoa will distribute these pro- visions. There are six surgeons ana a number of hospital men on board the Culgoa and Yankton. and they are "a king with them supplies of cots. plank sts etc These supply ships are due to arrive at Messins January ana S' To Give New Test.
 Tine American fleet Is the most pow erfuI ever to pass through the Suez Canal and will give new test or the capactty of the great artincial water ronte Great Britain often has sent strong souadrons to the East along this road but none has heen more than nay large as the American fleet
 p,en,ber of the stan of the intelli- oence office of the British Admiralty caiied attention some weeks ago. when war in the Balkans was under discus" .ior that inc United States would have
 tnrce in the Eastern Mediterranean ir January. holding the balance of pow ar in the event of naval Europe being divided. ss safe one even for 16,00O ton ves-
 o,s sncb as the Connecticut class, ,,,hIcb will be the heaviest fighting ships that ever have gone through. The canal which originally provided for vessels of draughts of twenty-four feet seyen inches. has been deepened to somewhat more than twenty-eightfe feet. vessels of the Connecticut class require t,,.entvsix feet nine inches When the present plans are executed, the canal win have. thirty-one feet depth over a floor of 12O feet. The width Is ample. ,rhe Dewey dry dock l35 feet wide, got through with only two feet fin breadth to spare at one bad spot. The Dewey was the widest craft ever taken through tbe canal. and the Connecticut class will ha A urecedent so far as draught is concerned.
 Leave to go through the suez Canal will cost the United States govern ment. with quarantine and other dues not far from $i50.00O. The regular tolls ar st. 47 per ton. The Suez Canal Com nanv's rate of dividend on s4O,0OO. .OO0 1 rapital has been from 94 to 2s per cent | for a number of years
 1 Navy Department Notified. 1 Washington. Jan. 3-The arrival of Naat af fhA GuAW EaHal