Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-21
EYES ON THE HORIZON
Great Throng on Home Shore
to Welcome Fleet.
DUE TO ARRIVE TODAY
But Failure of Wireless Makes the
Hour Uncertain.
WILL MANEUvER OFF CAPES
Early Tomorrow Morning Ships Will
Get Under Way for Grand Re-
view-Many Waiting Wives.

FORT MONROE Va, February 20, tOld
| Point Comfort. Na.).-Wireess signals
received from the North Carolina and her
junior consort the Montana. early today
| told OF the approach of the last two ships
sent to welcome the homecoming vessels
to the main body of Admiral Spcrry $
fleet. The wireless station at the Norfolk
navy yard could not pick up the feet d
rect. either last night or today, owing to
static interference in the atmosphere. hut
the messages from the North Carolina
were sufficient to indicate that the fleet is
near enough to the Virginia capes tonight
to insure its arrival off the entrance to
Hampton roads some time tomorrow.
The fleet will lay 10 or maneuver off the
capeS tomorrow afternoon and evening.
and will get under way Monday morning
in time to pass into home waters and be-
gin filing by the Mayflower exactly at the
hour Indicated. They have a way of doing
things In the navy exactly as they plan 10
do. and SO the arrangements and details
OF the review are being carried forward
with the same degree of certainty as
though the sixteen famous battleships and
their escort were already in view off the
Virginia coast.
Last nights static interference with the
wireless and the inability of the apparatus
to carry over great distances during the
ddy nave resulted In a congestion or Out-
going messages at the Norfolk station
which probably never will be fully
Strengthened out until the fleet actually
Is In port. Hundreds of the messages are
from wives. sweethearts and relatives OF
the officers on the various ships. Others
have to do with the details of the enter
tatnments being planned here and at Nor
folk for the officers and men of the fleet
Scores of Waiting Wives.
Scores of officers wives are already at
the hotels here. Among them are about
nineteen who made the journey all the
way around the world on merchant ships
and who overlook or awaited the naval
vessels at the various ports visited. Some
of these intrepid women even went all the
way to Australia, but most of them re-
mained in Japan while their husbands
were In the antipodes. There are other
wives here who went with the fleet as far
as California. Still others there are who
contented themselves with Witnessing the
departure from here fourteen months ago
and who then returned to their homes in
various parts of the country. The social
feature of the fleets return and stay in
the roads is to be as notable as at the
departure. From Washington. Baltimore.
Philadelphia. New York. Richmond and
Norfolk large parties have arrived for
fleet week. and every room in the hotels
Is taken and many persons were turned
away today at the Chamberlin. The prob
lem of providing for the countless hun
dreds who will be here Monday is worry
ing the hotel managers and authorities.
Norfolk Will be the mecca OF most of the
eXcursioniSts and elaborate preparations
are being made there to accommodate the
throngs with rooms and meals.
Excitement at Fever Heat.
AS the time of the fleets arrival draws
near che excitement in all the cities bor-
dering on Hampton roads is becoming
intense.
Washingtons birthday is to be ceIebrat-
ed 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 aioat or gathered along the
shores of the roadstead to witness the
Impressive arrival of the ships and the
ceremonies attending the visits of the
President.
three miles in d crescent from the Old
Point pier, was cleared today Of all mer-
chant ships and hereafter will be for
bldden territory to any but naval vessels.
After the Mayhower leaves for WASH
ington late Monday afternoon, however.
excursion steamers will be allowed within
the anchorage grounds and may steam
between the two long lines of twenty bat
tleships and five big cruisers. The tor
pedo boat Worden. which is to be flag
ship of the patrol provided to keep excur-
sion vessels from trespassing too near the
pathway OF the fleet. arrived off Old Point
tonight, a grim little vessel with the foot
Of a greyhound
Admiral Emory Arrives.
Rear Admiral William H. Emory. who
commanded one of the divisions of the
feet up to the time OF his retirement
at Manila last November, arrived today
to witness the Homecoming of the fleet
pt16 do
effects brought home on his old flagship,
the Louisiana.
According to advices received here, the
Georgia is not the only one of the six
teen battleships that is coming home III
OF the executive officer Can't
Hamilton Hutchns who sailed with the
kearsarSe from Hampton roads all the
way to Gibraltar. became i'll there and
asked for relief. The Kearsarge is prob
ably, therefore, in command of Lieut.
Commander Nathan C. TXininy Cant