Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-23

of the fleet was one which the president
probably never will forget. 1t set
nerves tingling with patriotic pride, for
there is no more inspiring sight than a
long column of well drilled fighting
ships.
On either side of the incoming ar
mada were gathered scores of excursion
steamers. The tugs and the launches
were Keeping up a continuous roar of
salutes from their varitoned whistles
and the thousands aboard as we'll as
the throng on shore were cheering in
chorus which carried its welcome
home far across the waters to ears
that had not heard so sweet a sound in
all their $4,000 miles of cruising through
the seven seas of the world.
The Connecticut and all the ships in
her furroWed wake were dressed III
cruising fashion for filing in review
Huge American flags stood out in the
breeze.
1t was not until the ships had come
to anchor off Old Point pier house
later that the rainbow dressing lines
were strung from stem to stern across
the mastheadS and the ships took on
the full dress which the presence of
the president of the United States de-
mands when ships are resting in port
and which were hOisted as well today
in honor of WashingtOns birthday.
w <alAlCI1Coll lIpS VI Wal are
at anchor today the rainbow dressing
lines are f1uttering in the breeze.
Majestically the Connecticut steamed
toward the Mayf1oWer, a seVen-mile
line of fighting vessels at her heels. In
their natty uniforms of blue, the sailors
Of the Connecticut were manning the
rails.
CLOSE aboard shoulder to shoulder,
they stood stiffly at attention along
the sides of the 15,000-ton ship-an al
most unbroken human line from fore
castle to quarterback. Officers on the
bridge and decks stood with swords
drawn and in special. full dress uni
form.
AS the PROV of the Connecticut
reached the bridge of the Mayf1ower
the band on board the flagship began
to play the Star Spangled Banner"
The president doffed his silk hat and
stood at attention in salute to the flag.
AS the last strains of the national an
them died away the roar of another sa-
Lutte shook the air. This time it was
the Connecticut alone that fired.
Formidable, self-reliant, fairly brist-
ling with high calibered guns, she
steamed by the Mayflower, a splendid
example of naval architecture.
In the wake of the Connecticut came
the Kansas, the "cleanest ship in the
navy The Kansas is a counterpart of
the Connecticut in every detail. AS
she passed the same ceremonies set by
the flagship were followed, including
the individual salute of twenty-one
guns to the presidents flag.
The Minnesota and the Vermont in
turn completed the passage of the first
division.
Second Division Passes
Five hundred yards separated the
first and second divisions AS Admiral
Sperry, commander in chief of the
fleet, had stood on the after bridge of
the Connecticut, so stood Rear Admiral
Richard Wainwright on the after
bridge OF the Georgia, flagship of the
second division, which included the bat
tleships Nebraska, New Jersey and
Rhode Island. All four ships of the
division are of exactly the same design.
Following the second division, which
completed the first squadron, came the
second squadron, composed of the third
and fourth divisions. The second and
third divisions are commanded by Rear
Admiral Seaton Schroeder.
Admiral Schroeder, whose flag was
flying, stood on the after bridge of the
Louisiana, ship of the Connecticut
class. The other three ships of the di-
vision are the Missouri and Ohio, of
similar design. and the Virginia. which
belongs to the Georgia class.
The last of the returning ships passed
with the fourth division, commanded by
Rear Admiral William P. Potter, with
his two-starred flag at the main of the
Wisconsin. After the Wisconsin came
the Illinois. and last in the line came
the Kearsarge and Kentucky, the old
est ships in the fleet.
The Illinois and the two last vessels
named are to be taken out of the fleet
at once to undergo a practical rebuild
ing. Their places while they are being
modernized are to be taken by the New
Hampshire, the Idaho and the Missis-
sippi.
All three of these vessels were in the
line Of welcoming ships today.
Maine Appears Formidable
Appearing vastly warlike and grim.
the Maine in her new dress of gray
followed 500 yards in the wake of the
kentucky. She received from the
cheering throngs all of the honors ac-
corded the vessels of the homecoming
fleet
Rear Admiral Arnold, commanding
the third squadron of the Atlantic fleet,
was on the bridge of the Maine.
The Idaho, Mississippi and the New
Hampshire were the last of the battle
ships in line and were forwarded by
the looking armored cruis-
ers North Carolina and Montana, and
lastly by the rakish-looking little scout
cruisers Salem ard Birmingham, which
have the speed of the wind.
The little tender Yankton, which
preceded the fleet into Hampton Roads
last Wednesday and since that time
had gone to Washington to bring a
ransom of gold to payN off the officers
and men of the homecoming vessels,
met the battleships inside the capes
this morning and steamed proudly by
the Mayf1ower with saluting cannon,
roaring a tribute to the presidents
flag as loud as any armor-clad in the
powerful column.
When the last of the cruisers had