The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-23

water" but what / want to see next
year is target practice under con-
ditions in rough water"
The bluejackets on the after bridge
| started to cheering, which was caught
| up by the white gloved officers
For if you ever have to fight" con-
tinued the president, you can't choose
your water
Burst Into Cheers.
Again the men burst into cheers.
Target work is the object nearest the
sailors heart today The men are en-
thusiastic on anything pertaining to
it, and the rivalry between the differ
ent ships both at record and battle
practice is intense. The men cheered
again when the president declared that
this was the first real battle fleet
ever to circumnavigate the globe, and
that any other nation that ever at
tempted a similar performance must
follow in the footsteps of America.
You have done the trick" he eX-
claimed, and the quick response of the
men brought a glad smile to the
speakers lips. "Other nations may
follow" repeated the president, but
they have got to go behind"
The cheering broke out afresh when
the president declared of the cruise
that nobody after this will forget
that the American coast is on the Pa
cific as well as on the Atlantic"
When the president had concluded
and was about to be "piped over the
side to continue his round of flag
ships, member of the crew proposed
three cheers and tiger" They
were given with a vigor that fairly
swept the chief executive off his feet
and as he bowed Acknowledgement he
exclaimed, eff there were enough of
me, I'd cheer for you"
A Gray Day.
The day of the fleets homecoming
was cold and gray. A drizzling down.
pour of rain formed an early morning
fog that threatened seriously to inter-
fere with the arrangements for the
entry and review The Mayflower in
the night had perious journey down
the lower Potomac and through the
Chesapeake bay, for scores Of excur
timore We're striving with her to make
their way through the gray banks of
mist. But the Mayflower safely
reached her anchorage off the light
ship that marks the tail of the horse
shoe shoals and took up position in
almost the identical spot where IA
months ago the president bade the de-
parting vessels Godspeed on their mo-
mentous journey, and promptly at the
hour set for their arrival, II a. m,
the flash of flame and a puff of white
powder from the forward bridge of the
Connecticut marked the beginning of
a day of salutes that reverberated
over the dancing waters of the road
stead with a continuous roar that
suggested the din of actual battle.
In addition to the salutes fired several
times in honor of the presient and
almost in the midst of the difficult
maneuvers of swinging the ships into
anchorage position. a tribute to the
father of his country was not for
gotten.
Washington Remembered.
Exactly at noon, in unison with the
cannon showing their muzzles over the
crowded ramparts of Fortress Monroe,
the fleet fired a salute of u guns,
each ship letting go simultaneously,
The first glimpse of the ships today
was when the black crosses formed by
the signal yards at the mastheads
loomed above the horizon. The day
was so overcast and gray that the
naked eye could scarcely distinguish
where water and sky began. Only the
leading ships in the long, straight line
were visible when the flash of the
cannon from the flagship started the
salute to the presidents flag flying at
the mainmast of the MayfloWer
The salute was caught up by every
other vessel in the r-flung column,
which seemed to disappear down the
near distance of the close drawn hori-
zon. The flashes of red fire burning
through the mist appeared to extend
far over the earth's rim.
Giant Cruisers.
In the wake of the 16 returning bat
tleships We're four other battleships
of the home station and five giant
cruisers. In the matter of battleships
it was the heaviest fleet ever gathered
under the flag. The escorting ships
We're garbed in the new gray pre-
scribed for all the vessels of the navy
and appeared at distance to disad-
vantage alongside the white and buff
vessels of the world girdling squadron