The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-22
End of a Wonderful Cruise Has Come and American
 Fleet Is Home Again
WIRELESS MESSAGES TOD
 NUMEROUS ID HANDLE
Roosevelt and Party Have Arrived at Fort Monroe and Will Aid In the Spectacular Reception to Be
 Accorded the Big Fleet.

Fort Monroe, February z.-The return ing battleships reached the southern drill grounds 50 miles off the Virginia Capes, early today and the battleship Con necticut has been in constant wireless communication throughout the afternoon. The fleet will remain on the drill grounds until o'clock tomorrow morning, get ting 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 well nigh perfect off the coast today and the battleships dur ing their breathing spell on the drill ground, 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 Amer ican navy.
 The review will be notable In that 1t will bring together the greatest number of battleships ever assembled under the American flag There will be 20 first class battleships in the imposing column.
 From Baltimore, Richmond and New York yertable fleets of excursion boats are making their way to the reviewing grounds and tomorrow morning will find the roads filled as seldom before with a welcoming host et all manner of float ing craft.
 Admiral Sperry Reports.
 Rear Admiral Sperry reported the ar rival of his fleet and the welcoming squad ran ,,ndar command af Roar Admiral Ar mold to the navy department this mern- ing, as seen as the 25 ships of the joint command were brought to standstin at the ocean drill grounds.
 None but official messages were ex- changed, Admiral Sperry having given or ders to the wireless operators neither to send nor receive personal or commercial messages.
 Hundreds of people went to Virginia Beach and Cape Henry today, hoping to catch a glimpse of the returning ships. They were disappointed, however, as the ships lay too far off the coast to be eb- served, even from high towers
 Both Norfolk and Old Point were fairly cl'oked with excursionists and visitors today. [ Inc repair ship Panther steamed in to- day, the third of the auxiliaries of the fleet to make home after encircling the globe.
 A homeward-bound pennant of red streamed far behind the trim white ves- sel as she steamed in the capes and pro- ceeded to an anchorage almost directly off the government pier. This floating machine shop has always been within wireless hail of the battleships, and al- though her services have happily not been required for any serious break downs her presence has lent feeling of security to every commanding officer in the fleet.
 Late Messenger.
 The collier Ajax also came in today, a late messenger from the fleet. The col Hers have no home other than the restless ocean, and so the black Ajax flew no home-bound pennant today.
 The busy dispatch boat Yankton re- turned from Washington today, a verit- able treasure ship. In her strong room tonight are golden eagles, double eagles and half eagles to the amount of ssO0 OOO to be used in paying off the officers and men of the fleet upon their arrival. The men have not had a pay day for some time, and the jingle of American gold in their pockets, in home port, will sound good to the blue jackets.
 The naval yacht Sylph, one of the ves- sells placed at the disposal of the Pres- dent, arrived today to take out to the re- viewing grounds tomorrow the wives of the admirals and captains of the fleet
 Mrs. Sperry, Mrs Schroeder, Mrs Vain wright and Mrs. Potter, wives of the flag officers of the four divisions of the fleet, all are here, and more than one half of the wives of the captains also will be on board the Sylph tomorrow. The naval yacht Oneida, assigned to the mill tia of the District of Columbia Is here with Gen George H. Harries of Wash ington and a party on board.
 Messages Are Restricted.
 The decision of Admiral Sperry not to attempt to receive the hundreds of wire less messages addressed to officers of the fleet has occasioned much woe here among the navy widows and the host of sweethearts who have gathered to greet the homecoming officers The ladies have been bombarding the naval wireless sta tion at Norfolk with messages for the past week. Some of the intended radio grams, 1t Is said, are such as the ether waves which carry the wireless dots and dashes seldom have known
 "Cheer up lucky, darling I'll be waiting at the dock." read one of the messages, while others were filled with more love and kisses than the wireless possibly could carry.
 Rear Admiral Edward D. Taussig commandant of the Norfolk navy yard and the fifth naval district, arrived this afternoon to arrange the last details of the fleets anchorage. The naval tugs that will form a patrol and keep the pathway of the fleet clear of trespass began to arrive this afternoon. The torpedo boat destroyer Worden, the flagship of the patrol is fleet enough to overtake and warn off any venture some craft that attempts to run through the forbidden lines.
 Plan for Review.
 ly is as follows:
 The MAyhower, with the President