Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-11-02
NEW YORK HARBoR is FILLED
WITH THE BEST FIGHTING
SHIPS IN AMERICAN NAVY
APRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION
ToDAY's MANEUvERs SHOWED
THE PREPAREDNESS OF THE
UNITED STATES FOR WAR

bridge of the Mayflower, where Theo
dore Roosevelt had stood to bid God
speed to the departing, and joyou!
welcome to the homecoming battle
ship fleet that circled the globe thre,
years ago, President Taft today re
viewed the most notable assemblage
of warships in the history of the
American navy.
There was not the thrill of adven
ture attached to today's splendid
spectacle that there was at the de-
parture of the fleet on its perilous
journey around the horn" and to
unknown dangers, but from the
standpoint of fighting power, the
number of ships of the line and spec,
tacular setting, the review presented
a marine picture of unsurpassed beau
ty and impressiveness.
In three long columns, stretching
as far as the eye could see up the
Hudson river, the grim, grey ships
ninety-nine in all-had awaited the
presidents coming. In his honor
they were dressed from stem to sternt
with fluttering flags, as If attempting |
for this gala occasion to conceal the
muzzles of the death dealing guns.
The gay bunting lent color to the
scene, but the meaning Of the dull
gray hulls and the polished rifles that
protruded from turret mouths could
not be masked.
There were "a battleships in the
line, representing every type OF that
class OF fighting vessel in the navy
from the Indiana, Massachusetts and
Iowa, of Spanish war fame, down to
the last work in completed super
dreadnoughts, the majestic Florida
which today lifted the voice of hel
guns in their first salute. From the
Indiana to the Florida it was a fal
cry. the big dreadnought with hel
high free board and five big turret'
looking as though she could gobbl'
un the little veterans of the line il
just one CUP. Armored cruisers
scout cruisers, destroyers, torpedo
boats and auxiliaries made up tn
grand total.
New York, which has been nav.
mad for nearly a week, turned ou
hv the hundreds of thousands to wit
ness the review from Riverside drive
from the towering heights OF the NeN
Jersey palisades, and from the deck
OF excursion and pleasure craft VII
which the unrestricted sections of tn
river were choked.
The day was favored by perfee
weather, an unclouded sky and
brisk wind that added to the pictures
ouesness of the scene by roughnes
the harbor with white caps and Will
ming the flags that made the shiI
above decks riot of color.
The significance of the mobillz'
tion and review of the fleet at tn
time was simply to demonstrate I'll
nrenaredness of the American nav
for any emergency. To further IN
press this fact on the president an
the nation, to say nothing of the wor
at large, the naval authorities wei
not content with the usual plan
holding review of the fleet at ancho
This part of the program was soI
through with today following the Gu
tom of years. but in addition the Q
ders provided that after the Ma
flower had steamed through the Sc
eral columns the fleet should get u
der way and pass out to sea- In
double spectacle made the reVie
unique in the annals of the naval d
plays throughout the world and
traeted to New York the military a