The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-02-07

Gibraltar, Feb 6.-With the bands
on board playing Home Sweet Home,
the American fleet of sixteen battle
ships under Rear Admiral Sperry left
Gibraltar at IL o'clock this morning
for Hampton Roads on the last lap
OF $4,000 miles. One hour later the
yosscls were well clear of the land
and steamlne westward in double col
nmn formation at a speed Of ten knots
an hour. They will follow the south
ern route to Hampton Roads, a dis
tance Of $500 miles and about 900
miles of the American coast they will
be met and escorted homo by tho
third squadron of the Atlantic fleet
under Rear Admiral Arnold
The weather conditions at the time
of departure were glorious. The sky
vas without g cloud and there was
just enough breeze to curl the crestS
OF the sun-flooded caves Nothing
could have surpassed the beauty OF
the marine picture as the American ar.
mada weighed anchor from under the
shadows Of the towering rock OF Glib
raltar and moved out into the strait.
The difficult operation or getting the
sixteen huge battleships out OF the
narrow war basin Of the port and un-
der way was accomplished with skill
and perfection OF maneuvering and de-
tail. which won the admiration or all
the foreign naval men who witnessed
the proceedings critically from land
and sea Admiral Sperry directed the
whole operation from the cenrerbridgc
OF the Connecticut At half past eight
o'clock the signal to unmoor was Civ
en- and the great chains, holding the
ships TO the buoys, were loosened.
one by one. until the vessels were
held to their anchorages by but a sim
gle strand. At S55 a stream or multi
colored signal flags on the flagship
communicated the order TO get under
way to the Georgia the Nebraska, the
New Jersey, the Rhode Island and the
Virginia, lying at the rear or the pas
in. AS the flags came flutterlnG down
five minutes later, the designated bat
tleships cast off their lasr rrneS and
Ike freed loviathans seeking escape,
they slowly swung their noses in the |
direction OF the breaches n the break
water Twisting and turning 10 the |
Changing of engine gongs. they crept |
out, the Georgia leading the way With !
Lieutenant Commander George w. !
Kline on the bridge.
Once outside Rear Admiral VAIN. |
wright's division fell into formal ton |
and waited for the second and third |
groups. The second group consisted |
OF the Vermont. proudly Tying the |
battle efficiency trophy. at her FORE;
the Minnesota Kentucky, Ohio and |
Keersarge. and the tn,rd was compos,
cd OF the Wisconsin, Kansas. Loulsl- |
ana. Missouri and Illinois.
The three groups waited outside, |
and at half past ten the Connecticut |
brought up the rear.
Although II is not customary To fire |
parting salutes. the DevonsnIre the |
flagship of Rear Admiral Sir James i
Goodrich R. N, Admiral Superlntcn-
dent of Gibraltar, which had taken up
position at the entrance OF the mar.
hor, hoisted and saluted the flag as
the ships passed out. The band on
the quarterback Of the Connecticut |
played the English anthem, while the |
musicians on the foreign warships |
played the Star Spangied Banner" as |
the respective ensigns were dipped |
Admiral Goodrich and Admiral Lit |
vlnoff Of the Russian navy. sIgnalled: |
Goodbye, pleasant voyage" Admir-.
al Sperry replied laconically Thanks" |
Then the Conpecticut steamed ma
jestically along the line or lne waiting |
American vessels, took It's place at
the head Of the coyunn and set the
guiding flag "f1ve OF clubs" The fif- |
teen other vessels wheeled gracefully
In behind the Connecticuy. ana with
the black speed cones run up to the
yard arms.
The imposing procession. which was
over three miles long. moved to the
south.
The alignment Of the ships was per.
feet and the sight was go impressive,
that the spectators. crowding the ter
races OF the Alamadea and the Euro
pa point could not restrain exclama-
tions OF delight while the American
passengers on two liners anchored
close into shore burst into inyolun.
tary cheers.
For a distance of twolvc miles tho
fleet stood to the south Then being