Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-10-18
PRESIDENT TAFT REVIEWS
FIFTEEN MILES OF WARSHiPS


NEW YORK, Oct. 15.-Neyer be-
fore has such an armada been brought
together for review in American wa
I ters as that represented by the Is
mile-long string of war vessels that
! filed past President Taft and Secre-
tary of the Navy Meyer on this, the
GROWING day of the great mobilization
of the great Atlantic feet. The aggre-
gate tonnage of the craft exceeded
100000 as compard with 576,634 tons
represented in the naval mobilization
here last year.
Dressed from stem to stern in a riot
of bunting, the gray lines of the war
ships, with a background formed by
the high shores of Manhattan on one
sides and the New Jersey Palisades
on the other, made magnificent spec
tacle. Scores of thousands of specta-
tors viewed the scene from both
shores and from the docks of beflag-
ged excursion craft that swarmed as
close to the ships as the police boats
would permit. The excursion craft
gave the patrol boats plenty of work.
/ They added many touches of color to
the scene. however, and afforded thou
sands of people an opportunity for
close view of the great naval spec
tacle.
1t was nearly noon when the little
white Mayfiower with the Presidents
blue-crested flag at the maintruck,
took up her position in the upper bay
close by the Statue of Liberty. Aboard
the yacht we're President Taft and his
/ family, Secretary of the Navy Meyer
and large party of invited guests.
the latter including senators, repre-
sentatives and foreign military and
naval attaches from Washington. An
other official party was aboard the
dispatch boat Dolphin, which took up
a position near the Mayfower,
Several hours were consumed in the
/ exchange of official visits and in the
| final arrangements for the great par
ade of the gray armada that for near
ly week had swung at anchor in the
Hudson Finally the booming of
gun announced to the thousands of
waiting spectators that the great ma
val spectacle was about to begin.
The battleship Connecticut flagship
of Rear Admiral Osterhaus, comman-
der-in-chief of the feet led the line
down the river and out into the har-
Dor. Following the Connecticut came
the latest and greatest battleships of
| the United States Navy, the now SUI
! perdreadnoughts Arkansas and Wyo-
I ming. The dreadnoughts Utah, North
[ Dakota, Delaware, Michigan and South
| Carolina looked fully as formidable to
| the lay spectator as the Arkansas AMI
/ wyoming. The older type of battle
| ship was represented by the Missouri,
Maine, Illinois. Wisconsin, Alabama,
( Louisiana, Kansas Vermont, New
4 Hampshire, Virginia, Nebraska, Rhode
Island, New Jersey, Georgia. Mime
4 sofa, Ohio, Idaho, Indiana, Massachu-
sets, Iowa, Kearsarge and Kentucky.
! In addition to the mighty array OF
battleships the line included armored
cruisers, scout cruisers, gunboats,
mine-laying ships, torpedo boats, tor
pedo boat destroyers, water tenders
naval tenders, golfers, repair boats,
despatch boats and submarines,
Three OF the ships in line-the Mas
| sachusetts, the Indiana and the Iowa
had taken the shot and shell OF
Cervera's feet at Santiago, while an
other historic vessel, battle SCARED
one, was the old cruiser Baltimore,
which saw active service with Ad-
miral Dewey at Manila.
AS the ships filed past the May
flower they kept up constant roar OF
salutes. The bugles sounded four
ruffles," the signal for the bluejackets
to man the rails, while the quarter
decks were black with officers ana
marine guards. Relocated bands on
/ the five fagships of the fleet played
the national anthem, while "be'suns
whistles" piped out the order OF the
day.
After passing in review of the Presl-
dent at IL knots an hour and reaching
/ for the open sea, the feet was 10 De
disbanded, some of the ships return
I ing to Southern waters while others
are to depart for their several home
stations to prepare for the winter
maneuvers in the South.
The fleet reviewed by the President
was not only the most powerful ever
gathered in one American command,
but was also equally remarkable as
homogeneous fighting force. In com
parison with the similar event OF last
year todays mobilization demonstrat-
ed, to all appearances, a considerably