Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-03

string of fluttering bunting, stretching
| from waterline to waterline across tbs
mastheads, had appeared as if by
magic The Connecticut's dressing
probably was the most gorgeous in the
| fleet. the usual single line of pennants
being supplemented by others that
arose athwartship to the yardarms.
The exchange of calls completed, the
| Maytiower picked up her anchors and
started down the water lane formed
| by the battleshipS on her starboard
quarter and the slender little Destroy
ers TO port. With the Presidential
flag again on the move. the saiutins
began anew. This time it was not in
chorus, however. As the Mayfiower's
bridge cleared the Connecticut, the
flagship let so with 81 guns. Next i'll
line was the Michigan. As the May
flower cleared her after Gangway. the
Michigan took up the tribute of the
speaking cannon. So it was with the
Delaware, the North Dakota and the
other ships down the line. Each in its
turn paid compliment to the President.
Mr.. Taft stood on the bridge ana mt
ed his hat as he passed the coiors OF
the various vessels.
On board each battleship and on
board the destroyers, the sides were
manned with bluejackets. giving Nv
ing outline to the steel belted nuns.
On the quarterdecks the officers IN the
gold and lace of special fun dress
uniforms were assembled and at at
tention. The marine guards alse were
drawn up on the quarterback and the
ship bands. uniformed in scarlet stood
out bright patch of color in the
grouping of the after decks. As the
Presidents yacht passed the battle
ships close aboard, there were trum-
pet flourishes, and drum ruffles from
each of the ships Just before the bands
crashed out with the national an
them. The Star Spangled Banner"
After making a round trip of the
naval columns. the Mayfiower drew
clear of the fleet and steamed down
the bay to her anchorage and there
was a brief respite. The President
lunched on board his yacht. Mean
time. aboard the fleet the most seri-
Gus work of the day was to be per-
formed. The ships, with the turning
of the tide. were to lift anchors and
get under way. To untansle the mass
of fighting material was a matter of
no mean seamanship. The turn of the
tide to an inflow had helped solve the
problem TO large extent and the yes
sells had swung naturally to down.
stream position. After passing in re-
view of the President at II knots an
hour and reaching for the open sea.
the fleet was TO be disbanded, the
ships going to Their several home
stations to prepare for the winter ma
noeuyres in the south
While the fleet reviewed by the
President today was the most power
ful ever gathered in one American
command, it was not such a homo
geneous fighting force as that COM
posed of 16 battieships that sailed
around the world three years ago. 1t
reflected rather the transitory stage
of the American navy, the passing
from the old battleships to the mod
ern super dreadnought, or all big gun
type. The review may be said TO have
officially established the all big gum
ship as the future fighting unit of the
American navy, for under the "A bat
tleships in the imposing eolman. six
belonged to the new class of floating
fortresses. Even among the dread
noughts in the line today there was
evidence of the mad pace the naval
architects of the world are setting.
President Taft was much interest
cd in the details of the various ships
and kept Secretary Meyer answering
e frr.u / Ia l1astfsF Nrd
that the Dreadnoughts South Carolina
and Michigan, with their batteries of
eight 12-inch rifles. had quickly been
surpassed by The Delaware and North
Dakota class, with 10 Pinch guns il;
five turrets. The % 3-inch guns on
the Michigan type had been replaced
by II 5-nch guns on the North Dako-
IA and the Delaware. The Utah and
Florida, representing the third step in
American Dreadnought building, re-
main at standstill so far as the main
battery of 10 12-inch rifles is con
cerned, but have IS 5-inch rifles in the
secondary or torpedo repulsing bat
terry.
The fourth step represented by TIN
Arkansas and Wyoming, now on tl9
ways liitt lHt loIillde5t 1AiNt| c'SNN -
%, 400 and the main battery to II II
inch guns in six turrets. The second
airy battery takes a jump from 10 D
inch guns to % of the same bore. The
fifth step, represented by the New
York and Texas. just begun, finds th'
most radical change ever introduced
in the navies of the world, in that IA
inch rifles are Installed in the main
battery-10 of them in five turrets
Finally comes the improved Texas
type" authorized but not Vet laio
down. with a tonnage estimated at be-
tween $4,000 and 10000. and main
battery of l. 14-inch rifles. These 1.
guns will be accommodated IN five
turrets, three rifles each being placed
in the furthest forward and farthes
aft of these.
There were only seven battleships o
the navy, missing from today's splen
did pagent six of these were amons
the 16 in the world girdling feat. Th'
seventh was the Oregon.
Three of the ships in the line, today
had taken the shot and shell OF Ger
vera's fleet at Santiago-the Indiana
the Massachusetts and the Iowa. Blu
in their rebuilt form. their baske
mos ts and generally reiuVenated con