Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-10-19
SECRETARY MEYER
REVIEWS FLEET IN
NEW YORK HARBOR
THE FLEET LARGEST EVER
ASSEMBLED IN OUR WATERS

American Fighting Vessels Pass Be-
fore Secretary Of the Navy In Gen.
eral Review and Tomorrow VIII Be
Seen BY President Taft and other
officials.
NEW YORK, October 14-An hon.
or never before accorded the official
head of the United States navy fell
to the lot of Secretary George Won L.
Meyer today. He reviewed the biggest
sEAmerican fleet ever gath<gS BIN any
hsrbor of It'd asss'zz@
There waseDB delay in getting the
ceremonies under way, for Secretary
Meyer and his aides on the Dolphin
were all ready shortly after O'Clock
for the beginning of the days official
events.
While the Dolphin was getting un-
der way for the Connecticut. the flag
ship of Rear Admiral Hugo Osterhaus
commander-in-chief of the fleet, the
Nashville with more than $50 repre-
sentatives of the press was making
her way up the Hudson from Forty
second street to Eighty-first street
where the flagship rode at anchor
In the meantime between 5 and 8
O'Clock, the various division command
ers were assembling on the flagship
Connecticut for the official visit of Mr..
Meyer.
The commanders of the four divi-
sions of the fleet, who gathered upon
the flagship were: Rear Admiral B.
A. Fiske, of the First Division; Rear
Admiral N. R. Usher, of the Second
Division; Rear Admiral S. Mex Win
slow, of the Third Division and Rear
Admiral F. F. Fletcher, of the Fourth
Division. Others on board were Cap
tain Frank X. Hill, chief of the staff
al A. NJ knight, commander Of the
Atlantic reserve fleet.
Although nothing of the ceremonies
could be seen from the shore save the
salutes, Riverside Drive was lined
with thousands of persons feasting
their eyes on the unrivalled war dis
play in the Hudson. There was much
waving of signal flags and tapping of
conversation" pennons from the
masts of the great battleships.
1t was close to the hour of when
Secretary Meyers flag was broken
from the foremost of the Dolphin as
the yacht steamed abreast of the Con-
necticut. AS she did SO the guns of
the flagship Numbered their salute of
10 guns.
Before the smoke had lifted above
the SHELTON masts Admiral Osterhaus
followed by his fellow officers were
putting off in small boats to pay their
respects to Secretary Meyer on the
Dolphin which had come to anchor
nearby.
While Admiral Osterhaus and the
division commanders were going on
board the Dolphin launches bearing
members of the House and Senate ma.
val committees were steaming up
from Seventy-ninth street. The mem.
bers of both these committees had
been invited on the Dolphin to take
part IN the ceremonies.
After the brief and formal visit OF
the commanding officer was over Sec
rotary Meyer put off in launch and
paid his respects to Admiral Oster-
haus on board the Connecticut
And now came the most interesting
part of the program, so far as Mr.
Meyer was ncerned-inspection OF
the two new vast superdreadnoughts
Arkansas and Wyoming.
These two monsters were the most
powerful ships in line, representing
the last word on sea fighting mater
ial in the United States navy They
carry such powerful armament that
they could anchor on the ocean side
of Long Island and pour their fire
over Long Island into New York
They could anchor in the harbor and
drop 500 pound projectiles into inland
towns in New Jersey, dozen miles
off the coast.
Mr.. Meyer looked with interest al
the great batteries of 12-inch guns
which cost fortune to fire.
The division commanders returned
to their ships. Rear Admiral Fiske
went TO the Florida Rear Admiral
Usher to the Louisiana; Rear Admir-
al Winslow to the New Jersey and
Rear Admiral Fletcher to the Ohio.
Up to this time the ceremonies hat
been of preliminary character The
review of the 12-mile fleet now began
The Dolphin with Mr. Meyer, Real
Admiral Osterhaus, and the officia
guests began its cruise past the guns
of the great men-of-war Following
in the wake of the Dolphin steamed
the steamer Hendrix Hudson with the
members of the citizens committee or
board.
No sooner was the review over thar
the Presidential yacht Mayfiower
upon which President Taft is to re
view the fleet tomorrow as 1t passes