The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-11-02


we're being done in n way they have in
the navy. MIR. Meyer himself was going
at racing speed, but he never failed to
tarry under the very fash Of the saluting
guns to size up with "A critical eye the per.
sonnel and appear rance of the ship he had
lust left From the Minnesota he went
to the Virginia of the fourth division
then diverged toward the Jersey shore
TO visit the little Dixie, tender of the de-
stroyer and torpedo boat division.
With Commander Eberle he tarricd
longer than usual. but in five minutes he
was spinning northward to the armored
cruiser division to call on Rear Admiral
Fiske aboard the Washington. His zenith
visit was paid TO Capt Benson ON board
the new superdreadnought Utah.
On leaving the Utah the Secretary sent
his motor boat around in u wide arc while
he Inspected the golfers that lay of Fort
Washington Point and on up to Spuyten
Duyvil Creek OF these. the Neptune with
her eight lofty cranes was the most CON
spicuous. Mr.. Meyer then returned to
the Mayflower. which had worked slowly
up to the head of the line to receive him.
II was then i. NJ, nut he was obliged TO
wait several minutes until the Congress
men had rounded up their calls with n
visit To the Utah. At 4:20 =. NJ. the May
flower began her return journey and the
Jersey Palisades and the Manhattan elm
of apartment houses began to reverberate
, thunderously with the noise of salute
crashing into salute.
SIX MILES OF sALrTEs.
The Utah began it just as the May
flower steamed lazily past her mighty
bulk. a three FOUNDER cut loose viciotsly
On the port side another let go. The star
board gun answered. Port harked back --
and so on until nineteen guns had been
! fired Before the Utah ended the Florida
began, and before the crash of the Florida s
guns had ceased the old Massachusetts
rang in. That's the way II was all down
the line. on West i37th street the May
flower steamed between a column of
hattleships and column of gunboats-
| the latter n tiny White Squadron. For n
| few minutes the white yacht was scarcely
visible to ships aft of her because of the
! clouds Of black smoke that obscurcd her
On both sides il was bang! bang! bang!
bang. an oratorio of small ordnance.
Every ship in the battleship. armored
cruiser and gunboat division OF the
| fleet saluted the Secretary as he passed
down the river. II was not required of the
destroyers and torpedo boats and auNil-
iaries like colliers and supply ships do not
carry guns. There were thirty-tve salut-
| ing ships which means that 685 guns were
| fired in honor of Mr. Meyer as he returned
southwark II you add TO that the original
salutes by the Mayfower and the flagship
Connecticut, and the salutes fired when
ever he went over the side on his journey
up-river the total Is s38 guns.
| Although the saluting guns were tiny
three Founders, they woke up the echoes
when they got tO crashing in unison
| IL was growing dusk as the Maytlower
headed down the Hudson and the rays
| from the setting sun glintcd redly on
| apartment houses along Riverside Drive
/ You could see the light reflection shiver
every time battleship let go on her por,
side. The echoes rolling up against the
! lofty buildings reverberated heavily
1t was very like long drawn odt pea
| of thunder.
! II was p NJ when the Secretary con.
/ cluded his inspection and passed the
/ flagship on the way 10 the Maytiower' :
anchorage of West Iwcnty-third street
As he sped down stream he had glimps,
Of the ships testing their electric light:
| for the last illumination. The Michigan
was in a hurry 10 light up her etficienc,
pennant, red with ii black ball. After
giving his opinion Of the inspection Mr.
Meyer went ashore to his rooms at the
Hotel Belmont He announced Just be.
fore leaving the Mayfower that there
had been modification ~ the programme
for the review Of the feet to-day by Presi
dent Taft.
Tho President will arrive in Jersey Cit,
at about 7.l5 A. Nj. He will go on boarc
, the Mayfower at 5 A VI. and breakfast
. tutTt. Al bsJD y. VI. lIlS llhR W III I've DIOhtl
out and the Mayfower will move up To the
flagship Connecticut. AT that time the
saluting will begin. n greater chorus OF
| guns than was ever heard in the Hudson
| River-twenty from every ship
wherever and whenever the President
appears. At about 10 A. NJ the Mayflower
will steam northward between the column
of battleships and the column Of destroy
ers and torpedo boats, will turn at Fort
Washington Point above the Utah anC
come southwark between the battleshir
column and the Manhattan shore.
Then the Mayflower will take the Presi.
dent TO position of the Statue of Liberty
where he will review the feet as it passes
out toward the Narrows at IL knot
speed. 1t was originally intended that
Mr.. Taft would review OF Tompkinsville
but Bedloes Island was chosen as the
reviewing point because it was much
nearer to the city. Mr.. Taft wants tc
save time. The fleet will get under way
at about p VI.