The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-02-26
BIG GUNS BOOM
FORTH SALUTES
Battleship Fleet Reviewed by
President Roosevelt.
MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE

| Twenty-Five Leviathans of War, Car
rying 10000 Men and 1920 Death.
Dealing Cannon, Pass Before the
President on the Yacht Mayfiower-
Din of SaIutcs Added to by Steam
Whistles and Cheers from Thou
sands of Threats.
Prepare to hoist anchOr!"
Hoist anchor!"
"Follow the motions Of the flag
ship!'
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry,
commander of the greatest battleshlp
fleet ever assembled under the Amer
lean flag, sent these signals in rapid
succession from the battleship Con
necticut lying off the tail of the Horse
Shoe south of Cape Charles, Va. I'm
| mediately twenty-five leviathans of
war, carrying 10000 men and 1000
death-dealing cannon, began to move
slowly forward.
Roosevelt on the Mayfower.
Just inside the Horse Shoe lay a
steam yacht, the Mayfower. Standing
on her bridge was President Roosevelt,
commander in chief of the army and
,navy,;s the man who conceived the
cruise and sent on it's journey around
the world fourteen of the battleshlps
then approaching him. After an alb
sence, of ABS days he was there to well
come the fleet home after voyage or
42,25O miles Beside him stood Secre-
tary Of the Navy Truaman H. New
berry.
Immediately behind the Mayflower,
carrying the president, lay a convoy
of vessels, each loaded to the gunwales
with humanity. Congressman, diplo-
mats, navy widows" and navy sweet
lcarts" lined their decks. From every
masthead was flung the signal 'Wel-
COM Home" Revenue cutters and
torpedo boats sped hither and thither,
Eeeping the roadway clear.
Salute to the President.
Jow athwart the Mayfiower black
muzzled gun belched forth a puff of
white smoke and tremendous ex-
plosion woke the echoes along the
shores of historic Hampton roads, COW
cred with people as far as the eye
could reach. Twenty-one guns fired
from both broadsides in rapid success
sion from the flagship Connecticut
bearing on the bridge Admiral Sperry.
commander of the feet, saluted the
president. Her streaming "Homeward
bound pennant and the long lines Of
| jackies manning her yard arms and
fighting tops and dressing ship along
the decks were soon weather in
smoke.
From every vessel in the welcoming
fleet rolled back a volume of cheers
such as was never heard in Hampton
roads before. 1t was burst of pa
triotic enthusiasm in which the human
voice was matched against steel and
gunpowder. Every sea captain grabbed
his whistle line and tore loose at
rate that threatened to leave his YES
sci stranded on the shore for lack of
steam to get home.
President Extends Thanks.
After the ceremonial greeting Of the
battleships and their escort the May
flower steamed at the end of the long
column into Hampton roads, and when
the homecoming craft had anchored
she took UP position in the center
of the fleet
Admiral Sperry and the other flag
officers, together with captains com
handing, were received on board, and
to them President Roosevelt extended
the cordial thanks which he afterward
expressed anew to the officers and
crews of the four divisional flag ships
the Connecticut, the Louisiana, the
| Georgia and the Wisconsin-which he
| visited late in the afternoon.
| Tribute to the Fleet.
In thanking the officers and men of
| the fleet the president said:
"You have falsified every prediction
of the prophets of failure. You left
! this coast in high state of battle eff
| ficiency, and you return with your eff
| ficiency increased You have borne
| yourselves SO as to make us at home
| proud of being your countrymen You
have shown yourselves the best of all
possible ambassadors and heralds of
| peace.
| eve are proud of all the ships and
| all the men in this fleet and we well
come you home to the country whose
| good repute among nations has oeen
| raised by what you have tone