The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-02-15
SIX WARDOGS OF
TIE FLEET RETURN
Back After Long Cruise in the
Far East and Hawaiian
Islands

Six of the eight armored cruisers
which left here September for the
far east returned to this port yesterday
afternoon with Rear Admiral UrieI Sc
bree on a new flagship. but still COM
mander in chief of the Pacific feet, a
position which he viii retain until Sat
urday. when he will haul down his flag
and turn his command over to Rear
Admiral Giles B. Harder, who has been
in command of the third squadron on
the ASiatic station. When the fleet
left here Admiral Sebree's flag was on
the Tennessee. At Honolulu the Ten
nessee and Washington were detached
from the fleet and ordered to Bremen
ton to be made ready for a voyage to
Rio de Janeiro, where they will be part
of the special service squadron which
Will represent the United States navy
at the Pan American exposition. Ad-
mfral Sebree transferred his flag TO the
California, the commander of which is
Captain Mayo, who was Sebree's execu-
tive officer when the admiral was cap
tain of the battleship Wisconsin.
TRADE WITH NATIVES
The fleets second stop was Mares har-
Dor, Admiralty island, where two navy
golfers from Cavite and British coll
with coal. Although there is a German
trading settlement at Mares harbor, the
people in the interior of the islands are
primitive savages, waging their wars
with crude weapons and varying veg
etarian diet with frequent canibal
feasts. The officers of the fleet accept
ed no invitations to dine with the ma
tives, but did manage TO secure some
of their implements of warfare in ex-
change for tobacco. The spear and ak
heads are made of obsidian and are
very crude. The natives wear no
clothes except leather belt, the gift of
the German government. The belt
buckle bears the legend Got nit uns."
The fleet arrived at Manila October
80 and after the men had been given
shore liberty battle target practice be-
gan and lasted until December g. The
battleship trophy was won by the At
lantic fleet, but the Tennessee was sec
ond in the whole navy and the Mary
land third
NIPPON'S MAIDS CLEVER DANCERS
While the fleet was at Yokohama Ad-
miral Sebree and his staff were pre-
sented to the emperor of Japan. They
were lavishly entertained by the Jap
anese and made the discovery that the
japanese society girls have mastered
all the round dances and make willing
partners. In spite of the fact that they
dance in kimonos and loose straw Slip
pers, they won golden opinions from
the navy officers, who are supposed to
know what's what in the art of Terp-
sichore. One dainty little japanese
maiden danced the champion Walter
Of the fleet, an athletic midshipman,
to a breathless standstill.
Between Yokohama and Honolulu
some interesting towing experiments
were made. Each ship took turns tow
Or oh n afh diric
With the ship behind going at slow
speed Is knot gait was attained, and
six knots were made with the engines
of the ship behind at a standstill. The
object of these tests was to ascertain |
what saving of coal consumption could
be made in this way, and the results
are said to have been valuable BY a |
judicious use of some of the ships as |
towboats the steaming radius of a big |
fleet can be materially increased.
During the cruise number of wire |
less records were established.
LONG DISTANCE MESSAGE
While on the way from Honolulu to |
Admiralty island, messages were copied |
from the transport Sheridan 1887 miles
away and the same night the feet list
ened to Cape Blanco, 1857 miles distant /
The fleet worked with the station at
Kuhuku. 2.7S0 miles away, and January |
81 had quite an official powwow with |
Mare island through 2400 miles of |
ether. The fleet was also in commune /
cation with Mare island in the daytime, /
when wireless is least effective, at a |
distance of 460 miles.
The ships will remain at anchor in
man of war row for about two weeks.
when they will go south, either to the
Santa Barbara channel or Magdalena
bay for record target practice
Lame Ducks" Limp In
AS prelude to the arrival yester-
day of the Pacific fleet there crept into
the harbor at daylight three '1ame
ducks two of them. the cruisers Den
Yer and Galveston. from the Asiatic
station, and the navy tug Iroquois.
from Honolulu The Galveston. Can
tain J. \. Hoogewerff, will leave in a
few days for Brcmerton. The Denver.
Captain Edward f. Capehart and the
Iroquois of which Ensign James of
the Denver was placed in command at
Honolulu. viii go up to Mare island
today.
The Galveston and Denver will be
taken out of commission The Iroouois
win be given an extensive general
overhauling. new boilers and few
other necessities and viii be sent back
to Honolulu. where it represents the
United States navy for the greater part
of the time.
The lame ducks were 10 days MAX
ing the run. or limp. from Honolulu
They were sent ahead Of the big rcri1is-
-.