The Washington times., 1911-10-29
Throng Lines Hudson
As Fleet Goes Into
: Position for Review

NEW YORK, Oct. 2e-Tens of thou
sands of admiring citizens crowded all
vantage points along the Hudson all
day to get a glimpse of the greatest fleet
ever assembled under the Stars and
Stripes. Excursion boats passing up
and down the lines of formation were
jammed to the rails, and the dingy.
leaky, unreliable motor boats used by
enterprising New York boatmen are
crowded as they speed out to the battle
ships. The river front, not only OF
New York, but also of New Jersey,
was virtually a line of admiring hu-
manity.
Only a few minutes after the great
Connecticut dropped from her temporary
anchorage at the foot Of Eighty-second
street to her permanent one at the foot
Of Seventy-fifth street, torpedo boats,
torpedo boat destroyers, a few battle
ships, and other fighting craft made
their appearance and joined the fleet.
The torpedo fiotilla went up the river
like speed boats. Quite fleet Of them
made fast to the pier at the foot of
Seventy-nlnth street. They will take
their places in the line later in the day.
Nearly all the battleships have been
put in tip-top shape.
Sailors on Shore Leave.
Thousands Of sailors are ashore today,
but their leave expires Tuesday at noon.
From that time on verybody must be
on duty. dressed in their finest.
The twelve-oared crews Of the battle
ships that are to participate in the
three-mile cutter race tomorrow MORN
ing took their last practice spins today.
They went over the course in excellent
time. Twelve crews will start tomorrow.
That of the battleship Georgia Is ia
torite, by virtue of the fact that 1t is
the champion rowing crew Of the navy.
II every one of the 102 ships in the
great mobilization here had It's full
complement there would be 30,S0l Of
ficers and men, including the officers
and men of the marine guards. AS 1t is,
G. Won L. Meyer, Secretary Of the Navy,
from the records Of the Navy Depart
ment, expects to find on his inspection
only 25,5o0 men and l. 100 officers. which.
marines, will brir~ the total number of
officers and men up to zo,212. The esti-
mated number or officers and men IN
the mobilization on the Pacific coast
will be 250 officers and 6,0Uu men. This
makes a grand total of "a, 462 officers and
men In the two mobilizations.
Purpose of Assembly.
>
mobilization was for the purpose prin-
cipally of ascertaining the possibility of
getting the navy together on short or
der.
1t is expected the mobilization will
demonstrate that in order to maintain
second place against Germany among
the leading naval powers an increase in
ships as well as men is necessary.
At New York, for the first time the
feet will be seen as a composite whole
And II Is understood on the strength
of the fleet as a composite organization
rather on the excellence of any one
group Of vessels our sea power depends
To develop that organized strength to
purpose Of the mobilization, and it is
due to the nation that it be shown
what the navy really Is.
Taft Review Thursday.
President Taft will review the i'm.
mense naval pageant Thursday after.
noon as 1t steams out to sea. The
Mayfiower, with President Taft, Mr.
Meyer, Secretary of the Navy, and
guests, including members of the Sen.
ate and House Naval Committees
representatives and Government Of,
ficials and others, will anchor off Tomp.
kinsville, Staten Island. The 1O2 yes
sells, in their order of Importance will
steam by in review.
One Of the spectacular features toda!
will be hydroplane flight by c: c
Wilmer, from the Columbia Yacht Club
at the foot Of West Eighty-sixth street
The hydroplane to be used Is that O
Glenn H. Curtiss, who sent it from
Hammondsport for the occasion. Othe
flights will be made Monday and Tues
day.