Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-11-02

again down the river.
Late this afternoon the entire fleet,
ninetynine vessels In all. will get
under way and pass in review of the
President while the Mayf1ower lies at
anchor off the Statue of Liberty.
President Boards Mayhower.
President Taft planned to spend the
entire day upon the water, and not
once during his visit to the fleet was
he to touch Manhattan Island His
train arrived in Jersey City from
Washington shortly after I o'clock. and
few minutes later he was being
transferred to the Mayfiower.
The party aboard the presidential
yacht was strictly official Secretary
of the Navy Meyer, the Presidents g
aide and Secretary Hilles went aboard
with Mr.. Taft. A large party of in
vited guests. including senators, repre-
sentatives and foreign military and
naval attaches from Washington, were
aboard the dispatch boat Dolphin,
which followed In the wake of the
Mayflower
When President Taft had taken his
place on the bridge the May1ower got
under way and headed up the Hudson.
It was quite a sail to the foot OF Fifty
ninth street, where the head of the bat
tleship column rested. AS soon as the
presidential flag was made out in the
distance the flagship Connecticut let
go with her saluting guns.
The white puff from the first gun had
hardly cleared the muzZle, when the
other vessels in the line following the
motions of their leader, had begun the
firing of the presidential salute of
twenty-one rounds.
AdmiraIs Pay Respects.
The last dying echoes of the salute
were drifting down the river from the
far end of the line, as the Mayflower
crept to an anchorage place near the
Connecticut. Her engines had scarcely
stopped turning when half a score of
sturdy little steam barges were headed
for her starboard gangway The admi-
rails of the fleet were on their way per-
sonally to pay their respects to the
President.
Rear-Admiral Hugo Osterhaus, COM
mander- in chief of the fleet, sailing
from the Connecticut. was first to board
the Mayf Ier. He was attended by. his
aids, and as he passed up the gangway
there was a flourish of trumpets a
ruffie of drums and a strain or two of a
lively march by the marine band.
Admiral Osterhaus soon. was followed
by the other flag officers of the fleet,
who went aboard In accord with their
divisional rank. The President and
Secretary Meyer stood on the quarter
deck. Mr.. Taft had a cordial express
sion of greeting for each of the officers.
When the reception had ended and
the admirals had sailed away in their
waiting barges the President prepared
to return oourtesies with a call on
board the Connecticut. The guns of
the flagship thundered a salute a he
came aboard and again when he left.
1t was from the Connecticut that the
President got his best view of the an
chored fleet. With the sounding of col
ors at a. m. a great transformation
had come over the dull gray vessels
Their gaunt yardarms and skeleton
masts. which had stood out bare and
ungraceful against the sky line, sud
denly bloomed with the Vari- cOlored
flags of fun dress. the long strings of
f1uttering bunting. stretching from
waterline to waterline across the mast
heads, had appeared as if by magic.
The Connecticut's dressing probably
was the most gorgeous in the fleet. the
usua; single line of pennants being sup
plemented by others that arose
athwartship to the yardarms.
The exchange of calls completed. the
Mayflower picked up her anchors and
started down the waterline formed by
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