Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-08


that the conditions of the ships are
from Hampton Roads in December OF
1901 During these IA months the feet
has been practically self sustaining IA
the matter OF repairs. The officers and
men responsible for repairs lave met
Eery test, and the results prove that
the ships have been better cared for
than when they depend upon the navy
yards.
Establishments in the navy will be slim
rlated by the general interest in this
cruise and the splendid opportunities at
forded the men to see the world. Cruises
t. foreign ports which keep the men in
terested and contented should be the
rule and not the exception.
New standards of efficiency in steam
engineering, which means economy in
coal consumption and increased radius of
action have been established. The voy-
age Of 3651 miles from Honolulu to Auck
land was the longest ever undertaken by
a large fleet without recoaling; yet we
reached Auckland with coal enough in
our bunkers to steam additional
thousand miles
For technical work the cruise has been
ideal The long stretches between ports
permitted unremitting daily exercises
and maneuvering. The degree of gunnely
efficiency has been greatly improved, as
the conditions of drilling and training
during long distance cruising cannot be
equaled in home waters where there is
constant interference. This is proved by
the unequaled results of the target prac
tice at Magdalena bay and Manila
THE fleet everywhere has encountered
| unbcunded hospitality. The lavish enter
tainment and perfect good feeling dis
| played We're almost without precedent.
and they should always be remembered
by our people. W nile the cruise has been
| intensely interesting and valuable to Off
| GERS and men, there is naturally wide
| spread citation throughout the fleet at the
prospect of reaching home in a fort
night"
The difficult operation of getting the 16
huge batteships out of the narrow war
basin of Gibraltar and under way was
accomplished with skill and perfection
of maneuvering which won the admira-
ton of all the foreign naval officers who
watched the proceedings critically from
land and sea. Admiral Sperry directed the
|
At $50 A. NJ. the signal to unmoor was
given. and the great schains holding the
ships to the buoys We're loosened one by
one until the vessels were held to their
anchorages by only a single chain.
At $50 a stream of multi-cOlOred sig
nal flags on the flagship communicated
tie order to get under way 10 tbs
| Georgia, the Nebraska, the New Jer-
Soy. the Rhode Island and the Virginia
lying at the rear of the basin. AS the
flags came nuttering down five minutes
later the designated battleshIps cas-!
oft their last lines and slowly swung
their noses in the direction OF thu
breaches in the breakwater. Twisting
ard turning to the changing of engine
| Eongs, they crept out. the Georgia
leading the way, with Lieut.. Gem
nlander George w. Kline on the
bridge
once outside. Rear Admiral Wan.
Wright'S division fell into formation
and waited for the second and tnird
| groups. The second group consisted
of the Vermont, proudly flying ;nt
battleship efficiency trophy at her fore
the Minnesota. Kentucky. ohio AND
kearsarge: and the third was COM
posed OF the Wisconsin. Kansas
Louisiana, Missouri and Illinois. The
three groups waited outside, and at
1888 the Connecticut brought up the
rear.
| Although it is not customary to fire
| parting salutes the Devonsnlre, the
| flagship of Rear Admiral Sir James
Goodrich, K. n. admiral superintendent
lat Gibraltar which had taken UP Il
| position at the entrance OF the harbor
hcisted and saluted the American flag
I2G the Connecticut passed out The
| band on the quarterback of the Con
n"cticut played the English anthem.
Iwhilc the musicians on the foreign
warships played THE Star-Spangieti
| Banner as the respective enS1gns
were dipped. Admiral Goodrich and
| Admiral I.itvinoff of the Russian navy
signalled Goodbye; pleasant voyage.
Admiral Sperry replied Iacon,caily,
| Thanks"
| When the Connecticut steamed ma
| jcstically along the line of the waiting
| American vessels, took its place at the
| head Of the column and set the guide
| flag five of clubs" The Is other ve.,-
stls steamed gracefully in behind the
| Connccticut. and with the black speed
cones run up to the yardarms the I'M
posing procession, which was over
| three miles long, moved to the south
| The alignment of the ships was per-
| feet, and the spectators crowdIng the
terraces of the Alamada and Eurorc
point could not restrain EXPLANATIONS
OF delight. while the American passed.
gers on two liners anchored close IN to
| shore cheered.
| For 4 distance of about II miles the
| fleet stood to the south. Then, being
clear of Cape Tariff, the most south
erly point of Europe. and with moth
| ing but the broad Atlantic between
| them and hcme, the flagship headed
abruptly to the westward and in In
dian file the splendid feet left the
ancient pillars of Hercules behind
Looking from the rock of Gibraltar
the water separating the ships seemed
gradually to tie obliterated as the dis
tance. increased until the is hulls re-
| sembled a lorg white line surmounted
by trailing plume of smoke. Sud
denly. of Cape Spartel the line way