The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-06
With Bands on Board Playing
Home, Sweet Home.
ON THE LAST LAP
OF Famous $4,000 Mile Trip
Around the World.
Is Due at Hampton Reads on
WashingtOn's Birthday.

Gibraltar. FEB 6--WItE the bands
| on board playing Home. Sweet Home
+ the American feet OF 10 battIeships IN
/ der Rear Admiral Sperry left Gibraltar
| at II o'clock this morning for Hampton
Roads On the last lap of its famous
world cruise OF $4,000 miles
| One hour later the vessels were well
clear Of the land and steaming west
ward in double column formation at a
| speed Of 10 knots an hour They viii
follow the southern route 70 Hampton
Roads. a distance of $500 miles, and
about 1.00o miles of the American coast
/ they VIII be met and escorted home by
the third squadron Of the Atlantic nee%
under Rear Admiral Arnold
The weather conditions at the time OF
departure were glorious The sky was
without a cloud and there was Just
enough breeze to curl the ereSTS or the
sun flooded waves Nothing could have
surpassed the beauty OF the marine pic
ture as the American armada weighed
anchor from under the shadows OF the
towering rock OF Gibraltar and moved
out into the strait
The dffdcuIt operation OF getting the
Is huge battIeShips out OF the narrow
war basin Of the port and under way
was accomplished with skill and per-
fectIou Of mausuvsriuz and detail
foreign naval men who witnessed the
VfaeeedIngs critically from land and
sea- Admiral SperTy directed the whole
operation from the after bridge OF the
Connecticut
signal to Unmoor
At half past s O'Clock the signal 70
unHcor was given and the great chains
holding the ships to the buoys we're
Iooseued one BY one until the vessels
were held TO their anchoragss by
single strand At sa stream OF
muItf-coEoEad signal flags on the Tag
ship communicated the ordtr 20 gsE
under way 70 tha Georgia. the Ne
braska. the New Jersey. the Rhode
Island ard the Virginia, lying at the
rear Of the basin
As The Tags came HutteriEe down i've |
minutes Eater the designated batlts- Z
- - s-sag or 4slzfg tzzt fIHes srs1 Ike
freed fevfarnans seeking escape theS :
slowly swung their noses in the direc- /
tfoF OF the breaches in the breakEsteF- I
Twisting and turning TO the changing Of
engine gongs. they crept out the
Georgia leading the way with Lfeuten-
ant Commander George W Kline on
the bridge
vright's division fell into formation
and waited for the second and third /
groups The second group consisted OF
the Vermont. proudly flying the battle \
efficiency. trophy at her Tore; the Mln- 4
nesota. Kentucky. Ohio and kearsarEe
and the third was composed Of the
wisconsin. Kansas, Louisiana. Missouri
and Illinois
History Of the Cruise
The American battIeship feet com !
posed OF Is warShips. IS now on its /
last run Of its famous cruise around /
the world It left Hampton Roads I
Decem her Is. 1907. and when 1t again I
anchors in that port February p, II /
will have been gone one year and SIS /
days No accident has marked the |
progress Of the greatest armed fleet (
that has ever made such a long voy- /
age The cruise has been in every re /
speCt n unqualified success The trip /
has been watched with the greatest in 1
terest BY all foreign powers and +
wherever the vessels called South 4
American Australia Japan China !
CeyIou- Egypt and the ports OF the I
Mediterranean the officers and men
have been given hearty official and /
private welcome
The feet left Hampton Roads under
\ Admiral RobIey D Evans, Who con-
ducted IT "a far as San Francisco
Rear Admiral Charles NJ Thomas
then tool. command. but he was sue
raede5 Nav Is by Rear Admiral Sper-
" who brought the vessels home
Rear Admiral ArnoId's third squad
ron Of the Atlantic feet consisting OF
the battIesEfps Maine Mississippi /
New Ham psFire and Idaho and the
scout cruisers Chester and BIrmIug-
ham and Salem viii meet Admiral
SDerrvss feet in the Atlantic about a
then with Admiral AruOid'S ships as
an escort the world touring vessels
will proceed towards Hampton Roads
where they will be received By Pres
fdeut Roosevelt on Washtngrons
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