Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-09
COUNTLESS THOUSANDS JOIN
in PAYING TRIBUTE TO NAVY
Battleships Pick Up Their Anchors, Turn in
Teeth of Gale and Sweep Proudly Out to
Sea-Vivid Word Picture of the
Splendid Scene

New York Nov. 2.-Fresh from his
cross continent tour of 1900 miles. during
which he received senatorial pledges
which seem to indicate the early ratifca-
ton of the treaties of peace and arbitra-
ton with Great Britain and France.
President Taft to-day, from the wind
swept bridge Of the historic cruiser yacht
Mayfower reviewed the mightiest line of
lighting craft ever assembled under the
American flag.
The President had indicated in all Of
his speeches in advocacy Of the treaties
Of peace that he entertained no fond
delusion that war. by convention, could
Immediately be made a thing of the past.
He declared that the treaties We're a
step In the right direction; that the armed
camps of Europe We're looking to the
United States to lead in what might
prove to be great world movement
toward the goal of peace. but that for a
long time to come the suggestion OF dis
armament would have no force
To-day Mr.. Taft let II be known that he
would continue to urge upon Congress the
necessity of building at least two great
supcrdreadnoughts year until the
Panama canal Is in actual operation. The
canal, he declared. would double the
NV 'tHNE vi lilt navy anu from tndt 1l1ne
on one battleship a year might suffice TO
keep the American navy in the forefront
Of the worlds military powers
DESCRIPTION OF FLEET.
Countless thousands of persons joined
Nith the President in paying tribute to
ihe five score vessels which lay at
anchor In the Hudson. Twenty-four first
?lass battleships We're in the line grimly
tn, tln;,
Nith ammunition rooms fairly bursting
under the weight of millions of pounds
Of powder and shell. Surrounding this
ourly column, sullen in its self reliance,
Mere armored cruisers, yielding but little
IN power and weight to their more
formidable sisters OF the battle class:
.cout cruisers. slender but fast. meteor
ike destroyers, green wasps of the sea:
1.-THE torpedo boats that seemed spider
like in their stealth, submarines. barely
visible above the water line and the rank
and file Of auxiliary vessels that serve
as lenders to the fleet There were 70 in
all.
As II the exhibition of preparedness
md power, pictured in the anchored
armada. was not all sufficient. O. Of the
bat tleships toward the close of the day
picked up their anchors. turned in the
teeth Of the gale and swept proudly out
70 sea. Inc President watched the ,lss-
Ing pageant in impressed silence As
the big fighting ships steamed by on
Melr home stations they spoke with
:rashing guns the last Of a long series OF
salu les to the President. which had be-
gun with the early morning.
SPLENDID STAGE SETTING
The setting for the review was a splen-
did natural marine amphitheatre The
iect lay on the broad bosom of the Hud-
son walled in on either side by the tow
erng buildings Of Riverside drive and the
PERCEPTIONS cliffs of the New Jersey pail
sades
The day was one of sunshine and shad-
ow. out of the northwest there blew n
yale which at times attained maximum
# - miles an hour. and brought with It
the chill Of winter. The ships az eight
o'clock under cloudy skies had decked
themselves in the rainbow flags OF full
dress and the harlequin pennants hut-
tered lazily in an eight-mile breeze With
In an hour and a half the gale had swept
n with all It's force and sent the clouds
scurryne before it, In the dazzling sun
shine that followed the feet flags were
whipped into a riotous fury. From this
''''I' WI NIllll lllt udN WIS tnItu, great
new cloud banks, caught in the north
"oro driven Internationally across the
skies, adding their share 70 the kaleido-
tcopiC picturesqueness. the flashing beau
= of the scene one Of the cloudbanks
rought furry of snow with il, the first
- the season here, hut neither the chill
nlaets nor tn" constantly recurring threat
Of storm deferred the spectators who
.g1 for miles along ha r. bu ptfu
and crowded the decks of the excursion
steamers crcllng about the warship an
:horaCc.
ONE SEAMAN LOST LIFE.
There was one fatality during the
Say Gustav Frey. a seaman on the
inttleship New Jersey fell overheard
from that ship and drowned before as
distance could be rendered The news
ad not reached the President when
he left Tonight for Hot Springs. Va.
70 spend four days in recreation be-
fore resuming the final stage of his
long trip to Ohio, Kentucky and Ten
ncssee.
The President arrived from the
West shortly after seven o'cioc; this
morning and went at once aboard the
Mayfower, where later he was joined
Wy the secretary OF the navy, MT, Mty-
or, and the latter's staff from the navy
department, Rear Admirals Vain
wright. Potter and Vreeland, Captains
Fletcher and Potts and Commander
rhlip Andrews The President was
attended by Mai, Archibald W, Butt,
END By two Of his naval aids Lieuten-
rnt Commander l.. G. Palmer, and
Lieut.. A. l.. Bristol Secretary Hilles
! also was included in the party and at
the last minute there was n slight re-
laxation in the Official character of the
review which permitted Mr. Taft "a
entertain on board his brother, Henry
W Taft ana the latter's wife.
sAIUTES BEGAN EARLY,
The ceremonies of the day formally
began AT $3.50 o'clock when the Presidents
nag, amid a roar Of guns from every
vessel In the fleet was broken from tn,
main truck of the May1ower. The zach