Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-09-12
Atlantic Fleet Returns to Roads
Today and Jack Tars Are to
Be Given Liberty.
SCHROEDER TO MEET COMMITTEE
Commander of Big Fleet viii Meet
Delegation from Tidewater Cities to
Confer Regarding Health Conditions
Ships Begin coaiing Tomorrow
Morning.

Following their month of hafd
work on the Southern drill grounds.
off the Virginia Capes, the crews CT
the % ships comprising Rear Adj
m:ral, Schroeder's Atlantic fleet are
to be given shore leave in parties or
$500 each at Old Point this week
and hundreds of them will come 90
this city and other towns on the Pc
ninsula. The fleet will return 10
Hampton Roads from the. drill grounds
this morning.
This information was contained in
letter from Rear Admiral Schroeder.
making an engagement for a confer
ence this week with the committee
representing Newport News, Norfolk
and Portsmouth to discuss the health
conditions in this section. This COM
mittee went to Washington last week
TO confer with the secretary of the
navy col cerning the matter and when
Informed that the granting of the
shore leave was left entirely in Ad-
miral Schroeders hands, the COM
mittee Immediately requested the ad
miral for a conference at which it
could refute .der6gatory reports con-
corning health conditions in Tidewat-
er Virginia. The conference will be
held on the flagship Connecticut to-
day.
Begins CoaIing Monday.
Admiral Schroeder has advised the
committee that his fleet will pass in
the Capes today and will begin taking
on coal at 6 o'clock r.onday morning
Q h..
ships have been filed their crews will
be given shore leave for the first
time in more than month.
The length of the stay of the fleet
in the Roads has not been determin-
ed, but it is stated that several of the
ships will be sent back to the drill
grounds early this week to complete
their record day stationary target
practice.
That the feet needs coal badly
was announced in a message sent in
yesterday by Admiral Schroeder. Sew
eral loaded golfers are now in the
Roads and government coal barges
are being loaded at Lamberts Point
All OF the ships OF the fleet spent
yesterday on the drill grounds in
manoeuyers and feet evolutions. A
light sea was running and the wind
was blowing from the northeast at
ten miles an hour.
Target OBrien in Bad Shape.
Examination of the target boat
O'Brien, which was lowed in the
Roads last week shows rents and holes
liz the little vessel that can hardly
be repaired in time for the BOATS use
again before the conclusion of the
fleets battle target work this week
shell from the battleship Louis
iana's five inch gun striking the
O'Brien near her stem. penetrated and
almost cut her again in two. Gan
ing holes were left in her two sides
and the foundation of the boats con-
ming tower was knocked out of place.
The O'Brien was found to be in a
much worse condition than was the
target boat Nicholson when she came
in for repairs following damages re-
ceived on the drill grounds. Eight
raft targets have been completed at
the navy yard for use BY the vessels
of the fleet that have not vet con-
Guided their day record target work
The British steamer Howth Head
from New r'eans for bunker coal re.
ports having sighted of Bodies Is.
land an overturned boat evidently
from one Of the American battIeships
of the coast.