The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-21
NORTH CAROLINA GIVES 13 GUNS
IN HONOR OF sPERRYs
BLUE FLAG.
FLEET IS ALMOST HOME
Vessels That Went Forth to Meet Re-
turning Warships Join the FlotiIa
and All Are Now Moving Toward
Hampton Roads, Where They Will
Pass in Review Feb. %.

Fortress Monroe, Feb. 20.-When
the salutng guns on the forward
bridge of the armored cruiser North
Carolina doomed 13 times today in
niral Sperry on the battleship Connec
tcut, the combined forces that are
now to enter the Virginia capes on
Monday morning to be reviewed by
President Roosevelt in celebration of
the worlds cruise of Is American bat
tleships, We're completed. Wireless
signals from the North Carolina and
her junior escort, the Montana, early
today told of the approach of the last
two ships sent to welcome the home
coming vessels to the main body of
the fleet. The wireless station at the
Norfolk navy yard could not pick up
the fleet direct either last night or to-
day on account of static interference
from the North Carolina were suffi-
tient evidence that the fleet is near
enough to the Virginia capes tonight
to insure its arrival off the entrance
to Hampton Roads some time tomor-
row. The fleet will lay to or ma
neuver off the capes tomorrow after
noon and evening and will get under
way Monday morning in time to pass
into home waters and begin filing by
the Mayflower exactly at the hour in
dicated.
Messages Pile Up.
Last nights static interference with
,,1a1 1HiJ; nff ha
apparatus to carry over great dis
tances during the day, have resulted
in congestion Of outgoing messages
at the Norfolk station that prorably
| never will be Strengthened out until
| the fleet actually is in port.
Scores of officers wives are al
ready at the hotels here. Among
them are about 19 who made the jour-
ney all around the world on merchant
ships and who overlook or waited the
naval vessels at the various ports
visited. Some of these intrepid
women even went to Australia, but
most of them remained in Japan
while their husbands were in the An
| tipodes.
Social Feature.
| The social feature of the fleets re-
| turn and stay in the roads is to be
as noticeable as the departure.
Washington's birthday is to be cele-
brated as holiday more generally
| than ever before in this section. and
all the residents of Norfolk, Newport
| News, Hampton and other cities who
| can possibly do so will either be afloat
| or gathered along the shores of the
roadstead to witness the impressive
arrival Of the ships and the cere-
| monies attending the visit Of the
president.
The man of-war anchorage, stretch
| ing three miles in crescent from the
| Old Point pier, was cleared today of
all merchant ships.
| After the Mayflower leaves for
| Washington late Monday afternoon,
however, excursion steamers will be
allowed within the anchorage grounds
and may steam between the two long
lines of 20 battleships and five big
cruisers.
| Emory Arrives.
| Rear Admiral William H. Emory
who commanded one of the divisions
of the fleet up to the time Of his re-
tirement at Manila last November ar
rived today to witness the home
coming of the fleet.
| According to advices received here,
the Georgia is not the only one of the
| 16 battleships that is coming home in
command of the executive officer
Captain Hamilton Hutchins, who
sailed with the Kearsarge from
Hampton Roads all the way to Gil
braltar became i'll there and asked
for relief. The Kearsarge is probably
| therefore, in command of Lieutenant
Commander Nathan c. ThWining.
| Captain Hutchins returned from Gil
braltar on the Koenigen Luise.