The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-16
Story of the Performance
Of Vessels On World
Encirciine. Trip Is Of
Much Interest.
WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE AND
THE PREPARATIONS THAT
HAVE BEEN MADE-MUCH DA-
IA HAS BEEN GIVEN OUT.

OLD POINT COMFORT, Feb
14.=Half way across the Atlantic
ocean on the last long reach of their
spectacular cruise around the world.
the 16 battlesnlps of the United
States Atlantic fleet are steaming to-
day in leisurely fashion towards the
grounds OF Hampton
Roads, from whence they sailed just
Ia months ago. During these months
of record steaming the heavily ar
mored fighting vessels have travelled
45, 1000 miles and are
in condition still fit for
"a frolic or a fight" The cruise has
been a yeritable expedition of the
seven seas and tasks heretofore deem
ed impossible for the modern iron
clad have been accomplished with an
ease bordering on the commonplace.
The stories of the cruise have been
succeeding chapters of receptions,
banquets, balls and merrymaking.
but back of all this relaxation and
entertaining in the hospitable ports
of the two hemispheres has been
test of men and material which has
placed the American navy In an en-
ylable position before all the world.
The engine room efficiency In the
longer legs of the journey-develop-
ing a new and Unexpectedly wide
steaming radius for battleship. the
facility in following the motions of
the flagship in the fleet. squadron
and divisionel maneuvers which came
with constant experience at sea. and
Ill lf.t4. ssssfArs
made at the targets In Magdalena
and Manila bays tell of the real
work and the substantial accomplish
ments that have marked this most
of peace demonstration
among the navies of the world.
The previously arranged schedule
of the journeys from port to port have
been adhered to In remarkable man
ner except in two instances when yio-
lent storms made full speed too dan
gerous and uncomfortable. To on
set these lapses from punctuality the
fleet has made some of its longest
runs two whole days ahead OF time.
None of the undertakings imposed
upon the ships or the men has been
too difficult. The cruise. however,
was not inaugurated without serious
at home and abroad. Vic
tor M Metcalf. of California. was
secretary of the navy when the
cruise began. After the ships had
set sail from Manila bay with home
ward bound pennants flying. s.r. Met
calf said:
when the purpose of giving this
of battieshfps the priv
ileges and advantages of pIaeti.al
cruise was announced. criticisms
from high technical quarters were
heard. 1t was suggested that the
was too monumental;
that battIeship is too vast and com
plicated a piece of mechanism to send
around the globe on any ordinary oc-
casion: that dangers more than mti-
tiplied with numbers in such a case.
that disaster lugked on every sub
merged ledge and was borne on every
tidal current: that the sNel- s
eton of some of the ships would
dou ubtless be left. in the Straits Of
that. II the fleet should
succeed in rounding South America
Ii was reasonably certain that the in
diyidual ships would. one by one. ar
rive with machineries loose and all
most unseryiceable. with crews re-
fiecting the demoralized condition of
the material. AMI that a woeful spec
tacle OF failure would thus be pre-
sented. sife
AS to the material. the cold facts
are that the ships have practically
Continued on page two)