The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-21
HOME PENNANTS
AFLYING FLEET
IS NEARING HOME
Speery's Gallant Sixteen To-
morrow Morning Will Steam
Proudly Past the Virginian
Capes.
GREAT GUNS TO ROAR
IN HEARTY WELCOME
Added to the Din Made by the
War Monsters Will Be the
Rafting Yankee YeIIs of
Sightseers.

Norfolk, Va, Feb 2O.-Flying their
long homeward bound pennant the
sixteen battleships of the American
fleet will steam in the Virginia capes
on Monday morning home from their
pilgrimage of over forty thousand
miles around the world In majestic
alignment the vessels will proceed
slowly to an anchorage in Hampton
Roads, led by the Connecticut, flag
ship, with Rear Admiral Sperry on the
bridge. 1t will be their first time in
home waters since leaving San Fran
cisco last July.
AS he did when the ships started
on their long voyage nv enorthim
on their lonk cruise in December.
1907, President Roosevelt will review
them on Monday from the bridge of
the yacht Mayflower. With the chief
executive in welcoming the fleet will
be Secretary of the Navy Newberry
When the fleet sailed, Victor Met.
calf was secretary of the navy. and re-
viewed them with the President.
Will Salute President.
Each member of the home coming
fleet on passing the Mayflower, which
will be anchored off the tail of the
horseshoe, will roar forth a salute of
twenty-one guns. Even these crash
ing reports will not drown the wei
come that historic Hampton Roads
has in waiting for the fleet. The fam
GUS anchorage will be in an uproar at
the entrance of the first vessel.
Big guns of Fort Monroe will boom
forth welcome. thousands watching
in the shores will send up rafting
Yankee cheers and so will thousands
more on board a great flotilla of ex-
cursion boats. Flags will be a flut-
ter everywhere as will probably the
hearts af many women as the ships
come in. The ovation to the fleet
will take place on a great national
holiday.
conway's Escort Fleet.
Following Sperry's ships into the
Virginia roadstead will be four bat
tleships and five cruisers of the third
Atlantic squadron. Under Rear Ad.
miral H. Arnold this squadron went
1000 miles off shore and extended, a
great sea greeting to the homeward
Founders. There are two strangers
in the homecoming fleet, the battle
ships Nebraska and Wisconsin. which
Joined the squadron at San Francisco
after the Maine and Alabama had
| been detached and sent home. The
| Nebraska and Wisconsin were built
| on the Pacific coast.
The Welcoming Ships.
The welcoming fleet consists OF the
| battleships Maine. Alabama, Missis.
sippi and New Hampshire and the
cruisers Montana, North Carolina,
| Salem, Chester and Birmingham.
BY 1870 O'Clock all the ships are ex-
pected to be at anchor and the Of
| ficial visiting will begin. At O'Clock
Rear Admiral Sperry and the flag Of
| ficers, accompanied by the captains
of each division will go on board the
| Mayflower and pay their respects to
ry. Half an hour later the President
| and Secretary Newberry will leave
the Mayflower and board in turn the
Connecticut. Louisiana, Georgia and
Wisconsin. the flagships if the four
| divisions of the fleet
! There will be ten miles of warships
| in Hampton Roads.