Morris tribune., 1909-02-27
FLEET HOME AGAIN
Big Batt|eships at Anchor in
Hampton Roads.
WELCOMED BY THE PRESIDENT
Vessels Pass in Review After
Cruise Around World.

Fort Monroe, Va, Feb. 22.-Our
fleet is home again. Riding safely at
anchor in the waters of Hampton
Roads after a welcome such as never
before warmed the hearts Of returning
sailormen are the sixteen bully" YES
sells that have sailed around the world.
1t is impossible to resist the tempta-
tion to say that they look as eft for
fight or a frolic" as they did when
they sailed away from here more than
fourteen months ago under the COM
mand of Admiral Evans.
When the Mayfiower, bearing Pres
ident Roosevelt and his invited guests.
Secretary Newberry and others
sailed down the harbor today the
guns of Fort Monroe told the thou
sands of visitors to these shores
that the welcome to the fleet
would begin soon. Immediately the
smoke began to rise from the stacks
of the scores of excursion vessels
chartered to bear the thousands of
visitors out to sea to welcome the
fleet. Turning their bows eastward
they steamed slowly after the May
flower and took up their positions as
near the presidential yacht as safety
and the naval regulations would per-
init.
When the Mayfower reached the
position selected for her off Thimble
shoal llaht her anchor was cast and
the party aboard prepared to await
the coming of Admiral Sperry and his
ships Word was sent to the admiral
that his commander-in-ohief was wait
ing for him and the Connecticut hoist
ed the signal for the fleet to follow
the flagship in. Steaning at fair
rate the Connecticut moved past the
Mayfiower, her guns booming out the.
presidential salute. The Mayhower
responded and the great naval review
was on.
From that time until the last Of the
twenty-five returning warships had
sailed past the Mayhower and paid
its respects to the president in noise
and smoke there was continual roar
of artillery that shook the Virginia
hills and made conversation on the
excursion steamers a difficult task.
The civilian vessels added to the din
with sirens and whistles. amid which
the cheers of the visiting thousands
anxious to do their share in the noisy
welcome was all but lost. 1t was a
pandemonium such as was never be-
fore heard in this historic harbor.
CircIed the World.
While the fourteen vessels of Sper-
rvs fleet that have made the circuit
of the world. covering more than A.
600 miles since they left here in De-
cembsr, 1907, received the greatest
amount of applause the two battle
ships which joined the fleet on the
Pacific coast and the vessels of Ad-
miral Arnolds conveying squadron re-
ceived their due share of attention.
Probably the greatest amount of ap-
plause greeted the appearance of the
Connecticut. which was the flagship
Of the feet throughout the cruise, and
the Nebraska, which made its first
appearance on the Atlantic seaboard.
In reviewing the fleet the May
flower occupied almost exactly the
same position she did when the presi-
dent bade s.odspeed to the sixteen bat
tleships at the beginning of the cruise.
The fleet which saluted him today,
however, presented a more imposing
appearance than the outbound arma-
da. Then sixteen warships sailed
south: today twenty-five war vessels,
including twenty battleships. passed
I'm review before the commander-in
chief
When the last ship had passed the
Nayfiower the presidential yacht
weighed anchor and turned to take
up her position between the Connec
ticut and the Louisiana. Hardly hal
she cast anchor again when boats
were cleared from the sides of the
Messels of the fleet and Admiral
Eperry and the commanders and ex-
ecutivs officers of the ships were
rowed to the Mayfower to pay their
respects to the president After these
nficial calls were paid and the naval
ynen had returned to their own ves-
sells the president visited in turn the
flagship of each division and met and
greeted the assembled officers and
the representative enlisted men sent
to pay the respects of the jackies to
him