Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-02-22
BIG FLEET REACHES HOME
Squadron Now Lying Outside Capes
Waiting to Come In.
BIG REVIEW TO COME OFF TODAY
Norfolk ana Surrounding Towns Are
Crowded with visitors to We'll
come the Great Fleet to
Home Port.

FORT. MONROE. Feb. z.-The returning
battieship fleet reached the southern drill
grounds, fifty miles off the Virginia capes,
early today and the battleship Connecticut
was in constant wireless communication
throughout the afternoon. The feet will
remain on the drill grounds until o'clock
tomorrow morning, getting under way at
that hour in order to make the capes by
10 O'Clock and begin passing the Mayflower
at the Tail of the Horseshoe in Chesapeake
bay one hour later.
The weather was well nigh perfect off the
coast today and the battleships during
their breathing spell on the drill grounds
will be polished and painted afresh for the
review tomorrow, which will go down in
history as one Of the most notable In the
annals of the American navy.
The number of vessels In the line that
will file by the Mayflower will not be so
great as at other reviews. but never before
has the president personally visited so
many of the ships as he plans to do to-
morrow. The review will also be notable
in that it will bring together the greatest
number of battleships ever assembled under
the American flag. There will be twenty
first-class battleships in the imposing
column, two more than at the review in
San Francisco harbor last May. In antici-
patton of tomorrow's pageant, the waters
off here tonight are filled with brilliantly
lighted yachts and many classes of gov
ernment vessels. All water lanes seem to
be leading to Hampton Roads.
President In EnrOute.
Word was received tonight that the presi-
dent and his party on board the Mayflower
are well on their way down the Potomac.
The Dolphin is enroute from Washington
with the members OF the house and senate
naval committees on board. A specially
chartered steamer is bringing here party
OF more than 100 members of congress.
From Baltimore, Richmond and New York
veritable fleets Of excursion boats are max
ing their way to the reviewing grounds
and tomorrow will find the roads filled
as seldom before with host OF all manner
of floating craft.
Rear Admiral Sperry reported the arrival
of his fleet and the welcoming squadron
under command OF Rear Admiral Arnold
to the Navy department this morning as
soon as the twenty-five ships of the joint
command were brought 10 a standstil at
the ocean drill grounds. Practically all Of
the messages sent to the Norfolk navy
yard wireless station by the flagship Con-
necticut were In cipher code. None but
official messages were exchanged, Admiral
sperry having given orders TO the wireless
operators neither to send nor receive per-
sonai or commercial messages. Whether or
not Admiral speTy will take advantage
of the stay at the drill grounds until to-
morrow morning to inspect any OF the
vessels Is not known. but II Is believed by
the officers that are here that he will leave
this duty until after the presidents review
Hundreds of people who went 70 Virginia
beach and Cape Henry today, hoping to
catch a glimpse OF the ships. were disap-
pointed. as the ships lay off too far the
coast to be observed even from high
towers The faint tracings OF smoke from
some commercial steamer passing up and
down the coast occasionally set the throngs
afIutter with excitement, but hopes were
quickly dispeiled when the unromantic
vessels OF commerce came within range OF
vision.
Big Crowd of Excursionists.
Both Norfolk and Old Point were fairly
choked with excursionists and visitors and
the hotels were crowded. The repair ship
Panther, q converted cruiser commanded
by Commander Valentine g. Nelson, stole
In today, the third of the auznlarfes Of
the fleet 10 make home. A homeward bound
pennant OF red streamed behind as II en-
tered the capes and proceeded TO an an
chorage almost directly off the government