New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-23
1911 -no, where the President bade the de-


- 81 n-a fash Of red flame and a pun
:. -.s.e ,,ox-5er from the forward bridge OF 'ie
-o,,ec+5c-,t marked the beginning OF d uaS
.s1,,,es which reverberated oyer the ddAoih9
-,a-ers Of the roadstead with continuous
-haf suggested the din Of actual batue' "
si+ion 10 the salutes fired several tunes III 49,
Of the President and almost in the nlus' O
difficult rnanauvres Of swinging the sIiil0
s.o,o-s.e ,,osition a tribute to the Father OF
his Country was not forgotten
Nom in unison. with the cannon showing 'iiei'
-. ,,,,e- the crowded ramparts of Fortress
Monroe the feet fired a salute OF twenty -oLe
.z,,rs esrh shin letting 60 simultaneously
The first glr1pse OF the ships to-day oy nv
president and his guests the MayhoWei' anu
the friends who journeyed down to the Il So
capes on the greatest feet Of excursion NeSs9.
ever seen in Hampton Roads, was hau Niien
me black crosses formed by the slgnal Eaius "
the mastheads doomed above the horiIoA'
as,, mas 50 overcast and gray that the nakeu
eye could scarcely distinguish where water enc
ed and sky began The smoke from the nee'
..,os LEI, the low living clouds and hung Ike
q nan over the approaching vessels. But graz
,,allz, the white hull and the buff superstructui
NJ the Connecticut. leading the long column %
returning battleships and their escort TOOK I'i III
out OF the mist
Only the leading ships in the long straight me
were visible when the fash Of cannon from nv
flagship started the salute to the president
1ar fying at the main Of the MaYno"eI- i
salute was caught UP by every other FesSel HI
the far flung column, scarcely visible oii M
close drawn horizon The flashes OF red nre
,--,r. ,r-o,,rb tt7e mist appeared TO extend
4s- over rhe asrtF's rim The roar Of the cannon
81 the height of tne volley was deafening' pu'
he noise died away at the finish ike olstaiiI
thunder the nearer ships finishing the toll OF
guns some moments before the echoes Oh the
last shots by the trailing escort were heard
The President made his way TO the bridge OF me
Ma,-iouer while the saIutiag was in progress ne
had moi long 10 wait before the imposing line pore
down upon the reviewing boat. The scene iihe
that at the departure Of the feet was one "iiIon
the President viii never forget, II Coulu i
20 set nerves tinFlinE with patriotic prlde' TOT
,fe-e IS no more inspiring sight than long COZ
urnn OF well drilled fighting ships
an either SIDE Of the incoming armada were
rarbare5 scores OF excursion steamers. which gre"
constantly thicker and thicker as the "arsilips
: ,oio,jshaa their way 10 & home anchorage Inc eN-
curson- steamers. the tugs and the iaunches were
keeping up continuous roar OF salutes rom oHel
zar4toned whistles. and the crowds ABOARD as
well es the throngs ashore. We're cheering IN
chorus which carried its welcome home Tar across
The waters 10 ears that had not heard so sweet
sound in al their forty-lve thousand miles OF
cruising through the seven seas OF the "orIo.
SHIPS IN CRUISING GARB.
The Connecticut and all the ships in her fur
rowed wake were dressed in cruising fashion for
fling in review 1t each masthead Of the succeed
ing ships huge American flags stood out IN the
breeze. The union Jack was afiutter at each stem
understanding flags in place at every lofty gan
+ was not until the ships had come TO anchor on
+he Old Point pier two hours later that the rain
bow dressing lines were strung from stem 10 stern
across the Tnastheads and the ships took on the
1ull eress which the presence Of the President OF
the United States demands when ships are resting
Fre and which we're
George Washington we'll Wherever American
ships OF war were at anchor to-day the rainbow
dressing lines were futtering in the breeze
MajeStically the Connecticut steamed toward the
nav7ovyer ? seven-rnile line-of fighting vessels
her heels Blzles aboard the flagship calling
the sailors and the marine guard to attention In
their marty uniforms Of blue the sailors Of the Con-
necticut were manning the rails close aboard
Shoulder 10 shoulder they stood stify attention
along she sides CT the 16.oo0-ton ship-an almost
unbroken human line from forecastle TO quarter
Geek on the quarterback the marine guard
drawn Up. officers the bridge and decks stood
with swords drawn and in special full dress uni
form.
AS the PROV Of the Connecticut reached the
bridge OF the Mayhower the band board the
flagship begah play The Star Spangled Ban
ner.- The President dofed his silk hat and stood
attention in salute 10 the flag There were no
cheers, but lump in the throat Of every
aboard the Presidents yacht, and cheering
wCsld have beer q welcome relief
AS the last strains Of the national anthem died
away the roar of another salute shook
This time IL the Connecticut alone that fred
"A ship Of beautiful lines acceatuated by the white
and bun paint she is soon 70 lose, the Connecticut
probably the famous flagship among the
navies OF the world-T4ever appeared to better ad-
vantage than to-day Formidable, self-reliant.
fairly bristling with high calibred guns and withal
"a graceful and immaculate a a pampered
yacht. she steamed by the AIayhower, splendid
example Of American naval architecture
In the wake Of the Connecticut with only four
nsndred- yards separating her bows from those Of
The flagship. came the Kansas, the cleanest ship
in -he navy The Kansas is counterpart Of the
Connecticut IN every detail As she passed the
ceremonies that had occurred the flagship were
duplicated. The band played, the men manned the
rails and as the saluting guns cleared the bridge
90 the Maynower where the President stood the
individual salute of twenty guns TO the Pres-
dents flag was fired
The Minnesota and rhe Vermont. in surn all
sisters the Connecticut, completed passing Of
TIE first division The Vermont. addition 10 her
other Tags, few the fore the battle trophy won
( last fall at the targets in Manila Bay
Eight hundred yards separated the first and sec
ond divisions AS Rear Admiral Sperry. com
rnsnder in chief Of the neet had stood on the
after-hridge OF ihe Connecticut. stood Rear Ad-
Iniral Richard Wainwright the after bridge OF
the Georgia. flagship 81 second division which
included also the batteships Nebraska New Jersey
and Rhode Island Here again the wonderful
homogeneity Of the feet strikingly illustrated
All four ships q the division of exactly the
came design Their displacement is only 1000 tons
less than that OF vessels Of the Connecticut class
but they easily distinguished by the superim-
posed turrets forward and aft. four s-inch guns
Face the Facts