Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-02-07
BATTLE FLEET
H0MEWARO
BOUND
SHIPS LEAVE GIBRAL TAR
FOR HAMPTON ROADS
Last Lap Of Epoch Marking
Cruise of Fofty-fiye ThouS-
and Miles Ends on Washing
TONS Birthday,

IBy Morning journal special Leased wirsI
Gibraltar. Feb. 6.-With tho bands
on board playing Home Sweet
Home" the American fleet of sixteen
battleships under Rear Admiral
Sperry left Gibraltar at II o'clock
this morning for Hampton Roads on
the last lap Of the famous around-the-
world cruise of $4,000 miles one
hour later the vessels were well claar
of the land and steamine westward in
double column formation at 4 speed
of ten knots an hour
They will follow the southern route
20 Hampton Roads. distance of s 500
miles, and about 900 miles off she
American coast they will be met and
escorted home by the third squadron
of the Atlantic fleet urde9 Rear Ad-
miral Arnold.
The weather conditions at the time
Of the departure were glorious. The
Sky was without cloud ana there
was Just enough breeze to curl the
rests of the sun flooded waves. No
thing could have surpassed the beau
~ Of the marine picture as the Ameri-
can armada weighed anchor from un-
ier the shadows OF the towering
ock of Gibraltar and moved off in5o
he strait
The difficult operation of getting
the sixteen huge battlcships out of
he narrow war basin OF the port and
nnder way was accomplished with
skill and perfection Of maneuvering
ana detail which won the admiration
IF all the foreign naval men who Wit
messed the proceedings critically from
land and sea. Admiral ~nerry dnec-
ted the whole operation rom the con-
ter bridge Of the Connecticut. At
half past eight O'Clock the signal to
inmoor was given and thc great
'hains holding the ships to the huovs
We're loosened one By one until the
vessels were held In anchorage by but
a single strand At S:55 a stream of
multicolored flags on the flagship
commanded the ships to get under
way Twisting and turning amid the
changing of engine gongs. the ships
crept out. the Georgia leading the
way with Lieutenant Commander
George w Kline on the bridge.
once outside Rear Admiral VAIN
wright's division fell into formation
and waited for the second and third
groups. The second group consisted
of the Vermont proudly FIXING the
battle efficiency troph at her fore
the Minnesota, Kentucky. Ohio and
kearsarge, and the third was com
posed of the Wisconsin. Kansas. Lou
lsiana. Missouri and Illinois
The three groups waited outside. |
and at 1880 the Connecticut brought
up the rear
Although II is not customary to |
lire parting salutes the Dcvonshire. !
the flagship of Rear Admiral sir
James Goodrich, r ~, admiral SUI
perlntendent Of Gibraltar which had |
taken up position at the entrance
Of the harbor, hoistcd and salutod |
the flag as the ships passed out
The band on the quarter deck of |
the Connecticut played the English
national anthem While the musicians |
IN the foreign Warshps played the |
star Spanglcd Banner" as the re- |
spective ensigns were dipped. Admir-
~ Goodrich ana Admiral Litvinof of |
the Russian navy. signallcd: Good
bye; pleasant voyage" Admiral !
Sperry replied laconically. THANKS
Then the Connecticut steamed ma
i"stieally along the line of the wait
ing American vessels ana took It's
place at the head Of the column and |
set the guiding flag, Five of clubs"
The fifteen other vessels wheeled |
gracefully in behind the Connecticut
and with black speed cones run up
20 the yardarms
The imposing procession. which was
over three miles long, moved to the
south
Tho alignment Of the ships was
perfect and the sight was so impress
ave that the spectators crowding tho
terraces of the Alameda and Europe
point could not restrain exclamations
IF delight while the American pas
'engcrs on two liners anchored close
N shore, burst into Involuntary
,hcers
Fr distance of twelve miles the
leet stood to the south. then. being
lear Of Cape Tarifa. the most south
'rly point OF Europe and when moth
ne but the broad Atlantic lay before
men, the flagship headed sharply to
me westward and in Indian file the
splendid fleet lcft the ancient pillars
lf Hercules behind them and steamed
through the straits and out to sea.
Looking from the rock OF Gihral-
ar the distance sfraratng tho ships
seemed gradually to be obliteratcd as
he distance increased until the six
.een hulls resembled a long white line
'urmountcd hy trailing plume Of
'moke.
Suddenly. after cane Spartel. tho
inc wavered and broke into small
parts. Then % ftw minutes later
here were two parallel lines instead
" one. showing that the fleet had
assumed its rcgnlar double cruising
'Ormatfon
The last glimpse Of the warshirs
vas obtained m 1851 this afternoon
rom the signal station on top of Glib