The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-02-16
THE BIG FLEET Is NOW
HALF WAY HOMT.


Old Point Comfort, Va, Feb. IA
Half way across the Atlantic Ocean on
the last long reach of their Spectacu-
lar cruise around the world, the six
teen battleships of the United States
Atlantic Fleet" are steaming today in
leisurely fashion towards the anchor
age grounds of Hampton Roads from
whence they sailed just fourteen
months ago. During these months OF
REGARD steaming the heavily ar-nore ed
fighting vessels have Travelled approx
mate $4,000 miles and are returning
in condition still fit for a frolic or
fight. The cruise has been verita-
bile expedition of the seven seas and
tasks heretofore deemed Impossible
for the modern ironclad have been ac-
compished with an ease bordering On
the commonplace.
The stories of the cruise have ibeen
succeeding chapters of receptions, ban
quets, balls and merrymaking, but
back of all this relaxation and enter
tanning in the hospitable ports of the
two hemispheres has been a stest Of
men and material which has placed
the American navy in an enviable po-
sition before all the world The en-
gine room efficiency in THE long Eags
of the journey-developing new and
Unexpectedly wide Steaming radius
for a ibattleship; the facility in
the following the motions of the flag
ship in the fleet, squadron and divis-
ional maneuvers which came with con
stant experience at sea, and above all
the marvellous records made at the
targets in Magdalena and Manila
Bays tell of the rural work and the
substantial accomplishments that
have marked tnis most notable OF
peace demonstration among the ma
vies of the world.
The previously arranged schedule
of the journeys from port to port had
been adhered to in remarkable man.
ner except in two instances when vio-
lent storms made full speed too dan
gerous and uncomfortable. To Offset
these lapses from punctality the fleet
has made some of it's longest runs two
whole days ahead of time. None of
the undertakings imposed upon the
ships or the men has been too diff
f1cult. The cruise, however, was not
inauguated without serious misgiv-
ings at home and abroad. Victor Met
calf, of California, was Secretary of
the navy when the cruise began. At
ter the ships had set sail from Manila
with homeward ibount pennants flying
Mr.. Metc0lf said:
when the purpose of giving this
assemblage of ibattleships the privi-
leges and advantages of practical
cruise was announced, criticisms
high technical quarters were heard.
It was suggested that the undertaking
was too monumental; that battle
ship is too vast and complicated a
piece of mechanism to send around
the globe on any ordinary occasion ;
that dangers more than multiplied
with number in such a case; that dis
aster lurked on every submerged
ledge and was borne on every un-
known tidal current; that the ske1e-
ton of some of the ships would doubt
less be left in the Straits of Magellan;
that. il the fleet should succeed in
rounding South America it was rea-
sonably certain that the iindividual
ships would, one fby one, arrive with
machineries loose and almost unser-
viceable, with crews rejecting the de-
moralized condition of the Material,
and that woeful spectacle of failure
would thus be presented.
''As to the material, the cold facts
are that the ships have practically
taken care of their own repairs on
| this cruise. The repair lists turned
| in at the Cavite Naval Station were
negligible