Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-02-12
HAS LEFT GIBRALTER
air GREAT FLEET HOMEWARD
BOUND NOW.
With Bands Playing "Home, Sweet
Home,' Admiral Puts to Sea With
His 16 Battleships on Last Lap-Of-
fcers and Men Happy oreign
Powers Have Watched Trip Closely.

With the bands on board playing
"Home, Sweet Home, - the American
fleet of 16 battleships under Rear Adj
miral Sperry left Gibraltar at II
O'Clock Saturday morning for Hamp-
ton Roads on the last lap of its famous
around the-world cruise of $4,000 miles.
One hour later the vessels were we'll
clear of the land and steaming west
ward in double column formation at
a speed of 10 knots an hour. They will
follow the southern route to Hampton
Roads, a distance of 5000 miles, and
about 1000 miles off the American coast
they will be met and escorted home by
the third squadron of the Atlantic feet
under Rear Admiral Arnold.
Admiral Sperry directed the whole
operation from the center bridge of the
Connecticut.
The officers and men left with feel
ings of jubilation that their next
port will be home. When the fleet
reaches Hampton Roads it will have
travelled about $4,000 miles and
traversed about 400 degrees of latitude
and as many degrees of longitude.
Last Run of Long Cruise.
The American battleship feet, COM
posed of 16 warships, is now on It's
last run of its famous cruise around
the world. 1t left Hampton Roads
December 16, 1907, and when it again
anchors in that port February % it
will have been gone one year and .6S
days. No accident has marked the
progress of the greatest armed feet
that has ever made such long voy-
age. The cruise has been in every
respect an unqualified success.
The trip has been watched with the
greatest interest by all foreign powers
and wherever the vessels called, South
America, Australia, Japan, China, Cey-
Ion, Egypt and the ports of the Med
iterranean, the officers and men have
been given hearty official and private
welcome.
The feet left Hampton Roads under
Admiral Robley D. Evans, who con-
Quoted it as far as San Francisco.
took command, but he was succeeded
May Is by Rear Admiral Sperry, who
brought the vessel to Gibraltar.
Rear Admiral Arnold s third squad
ron on the Atlantic fleet, consisting of
the battleships Maine, Mississippi, New
Hampshire and Idaho and the scout
cruisers Chester, Birmingham and
Salem, will meet Admiral Sperry Is
feet in the Atlantic about thousand
miles from the coast and then, with
Arnold s ships as an escort, the world.
touring vessels will proceed toward
Hampton Roads, where they will be
received by President Roosevelt on
Washington IS birthday.
Suspend Naval oficer.
Captain Edward F. Qualtrough, OF
the battleship Georgia, having been
found guilty by courtmartial of being
intoxicated while on duty and of con
duct prejudicial to the good of the
navy, has been suspended from duty
for six months, with an additional pun
ishment of the loss of 10 numbers il
rank.
Rear Admiral Sperry has approved
the findings of the courtmartial, but
the secretary of the navy must take
official action on the recommendation
for loss of numbers.
Captain Qualtrough has been de
tached from the fleet and ordered
home. He will go as passenger OF
tho Haorr;o