The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-22
DATTLESHIPS
WILL STEAM IN
THIS MORNING
Admiral Sperry's Fleet at An
Choir Fifty Miles Off
Virginia CapeS.
EVERYBODY READY FOR
T0DAY'S GRAND REVIEW
THOUSANDS AT NORFOLK AND
OLD POINT COMFORT WAITING
FOR NAVAL SPECTACLE.

Fort Monroe, Va. Feb. 21-The re-
turning battleship fleet reached the
southern drill ground fifty miles off the
Virginia capes early today and the
battleship Connecticut was in constant
wireless communication throughout the
afternoon The fleet will remain on the
ground until ; o'clock tomorrow morn
ing. getting under way at that hour in
order to make the capes by 10 O'Clock
and begin passing the Mayfower at the
tail of the Horseshoe in Chesapeake
bay, one hour later.
The weather was wel1-nigh perfect
off the coast today and the battleships
during their breathing spell or the drill
grounds will be polished and painted
afresh for the review tomorrow, which
will go down in history as one of the
most notable in the annals of the navy.
Twenty Batteships.
the number of vessels in the line
! that viii file by the MayfloWer will no.
| be so great as at other reviews, but
never before has the president per-
sonaily visited so many of the ships as
he proposes to do tomorrow. The re-
view will also be notable in that il will
bring together the greatest number Of
bYttleships ever assembled under the
American flag. There will be twenty
flrst-class battleShipS in the imposing
column. two more than at the review
i'm San Francisco harbor last May. In
anticipation of tomoTrows pageant,
the waters off here tonight are filled
with brilliantly lighted yachts and
many classes of government vessels.
Roosevelt Enroute,
Word was received tonight that the
president and his party on board the
Mayf1ower are well on their way down
the Potomac. The Dolphin is en- route
from Washington with the members Of
the house and senate naval commit
tees on board. A specially chartered
steamer is bringing another party of
more than 100 members of congress
From Baltimore, Richmond and New
York veritabie fleets of excursion beats
are coming.
Rear Admiral Sperry reported the
arrival of his fleet and the welcoming
squadron under command of Rear Ad-
miraI Arnold to the navy department
this morning as soon as the twenty
five ships of the joint command were
broIght to q standstill at the ocean
drill grounds.
Great Crowd Assembling.
Both Norfolk and old Point were
fairly choked with excursionists and
visitors. and the hotels are crowded
The repair ship Panther converted
cruiser commanded by Commander
Valentine s. Nelson, steamed in today
the third of the auxiliaTies of the feet
to make home. A homeward-bound
pennant of red streamed behind as she
entered the capes and proceeded to an
anchorage almost directly off the gov
eminent pier. The Panther has been
ready at ali times to make any repairs
I Ill
the equipment of n modern station
ashore. the presence of this floating
machine shop has lent q feeling of Sc
curity to every commander officer IN
the fleet
The collier Ajax also came in today
The YanktOn slipped N last Wednes-
day This busy dispatch boat returned
from Washington today veTitable
treasure ship. In her strong room to-
night are golden eagles. double eagles
and half eagles to the amount of sS00,0e0
to be used in paying off the officers and
men upon their arrival
Yacht for pfHeers' Wives.
The naval Yacht sylph. one of the
vessels placed at the disposal of the
president. arrived today to take out to
the reviewing ground tomorrow the
wives of the admiTals and captains of
the feet.
Mrs. Sperry. Mrs. Schroeder, Mrs.
Wainwright and Mrs. Potter, wives of
the flag officers of the four divisions of
the feet. are here and more than one
half of the wives of the captains also
will be on beard the Sylph tomorrow
The naval yacht Oneida assigned TO
the militia of the District of Columbia
is here with General George H Harries
of Washington and a party on board.
Vessels OF the Virginia and Maryland
oyster navies" arrived this afternoon
and threw out their rainbow dressing
lines Immediately upon anchoring
Several lighthouse tenders and cutters
are here to take out parties of govern
ment officials. army officers, etc
The decision of Admiral Sperry not
to attempt to receive the hundreds of
wireless messages addressed to officers
of the feet has occasioned much woe
here among the navy widows" and
hosts of sweethearts who have gath
cred to greet the Homecoming officers.
Continued on PAGE 2,