Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-15
After a $4,000 Miles Cruise Bat.
tIeships Still Fit for "a
Frolic or a Fight
EXPERIENCE IS INVALUABLE.
schedule of Journey Closely Adhered
To--Many Officers Return With
Much Higher Rank.

old Point Comfort. Va. Feb. H--Halt
way across the Atlantic ocean ON the
l.st long reach of their spectacular
cruise around the world. the 1G battle
ships of the United states Atlantic fleet
.a teamiug today m losmclv fashion
towards tho anchorage grounds of
Hampton Roads, from whence they
.aled just "a months ago. During these
months OF record stoaming the heavily
sr1ored lighting vessels have Travelled
.pproximatcly $4,000 miles ana are te-
,orring in condition stul &c for "a
rr7ic or a fight" The cruise has been
a ysutable expedition OF the seven seas.
and tasks heretofore deemed impossible
for the modern ironclads have been ace
ecmplishcd with an case bordering ON
tre commonplace.
The stories of the cruise have been
.re.eoding chapters of receptions ban-
auets. balls and mcrrymakiug. but back
of au this relaxation and entertaining
n the hospitable ports of the two hem
spheres has been a. test of men and
material. which has placed tho Amcri-
cam navy in an cnviahlo position before
I'D the world Tho engine room eff
fei,ucy In the longer legs of the jour
upy. developing new and unexpected
Iv wide steaming radius for battle
ship. the facility in following the moo
lions Of the flagship in the fleet squad
ION and divisional mduCuvers which
came with constant experience at sea.
and. above an the marvellous records
made at the targets BOO Magdaloua and
Manila bays tell of the real work and
The substantial accomplishments that
have marked this most notable of peace
considerations among the navies of
Che world
The previously arranged schedule of
fha journeys from port 10 port had been
adhered To i'm remarkable manner. ex-
eapt in two instances. when violent
storms made full speed too dangerous
and uncomfortable To offset these
hpsts from punctuality the fleet has
made some OF its longest runs two
whole days ahead OF time. None Of the
Undertakings imposed upon tho ships
uI the men has been too difficult. Tho
cruise, however, was not inauguiatod
without serious misgivings at home and
abroad Victor NJ. MetCalf Of California
was secretary OF the navy when the
cruise began. After the ships had set
sail from Manila, with homeward bound
remnants flying, Mr.. Mctcalf said:
SECY. METCALFs VIEW.
when the purpose OF giving this as
semblage Of battcships the privileges
and advantages Of "a practical cruise
was announced. criticisms from high
technical quarters We're heard II was
suggested that the undertaking
was too monumental; that n bat
t'gship IS too vast and Compli-
GATED piece Of mechanism
to send around the globe on any ordi-
nary occasion; that dangers more than
multiplied with numbers in such a
case, that disaster lurked on every
submerged ledge and was borne ON
every unknown tidal current; that the
skeleton OF some OF the ships would
doubtless be left IN the straits Of Ma
ge.Ian that. II the fleet should succeed
iu rounding South America, SC was rea-
sonably certain that the individual
ships would, ono by one. arrive with
machinery loose and almost unservice-
able with crews rejecting the democrat
lied condition OF the material and That
woeful spectacle OF failure would thus
he presented.
As TO the material the cold facts
are that the ships have practically
taken care Of their own repairs on this
cruise. Tho repair lists turned in al