Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-11-11
CRUISERS SAIL TODAY.
Admiral Knight Of Annapolis in Com
mand Of Warships.

With steam up. bunkers filed
with coal and decks piled high with
provisions and other stores. the ar
mored cruisers Montana aud Tenues-
/ see are in readiness TO sail today to
protect American interests in the
Balkan war zone and lend assistance
to refugees.
The cruisers are sister ships, and
regarded as two of the fastest vessels
in the Navy. The largest crowd that
ever visited the Philadelphia navy
yard, yesterday viewed the two war
vessels and watched the final prepara-
tions for their departure.
-Four hundred sailors from Norfolk
Yesterday completed the complement
of the two vessels, detachments hav-
ing already arrived from other naval
stations on the Atlantic Coast. Rear
Admiral Knight will command the
expedition from his flagship, the Ten
nessee, of which Capt. Harry A.
Field is the commander. Capt. w.
b. Fletcher will command the Mon
tana.
In addition to the usual provisions,
which are sufficient for a forty-day
voyage, additional stores are being
carried, maiy Of them being put on
board today. The work of storing
them in che holds will be completed
while the ships are proceeding down
the Delaware river today. The Off
GERS who are going to Turkish waters
in command of the armored cruisers
Montana and Tennessee are among
the ablest in the service.
In command will be Rear Admiral
Austin NJ Knight, Commander in
Chief of the United States Atlantic
Reserve Fleet, whose starred pehnant
will fly on the Tennessee. He was
born in Massachusetts, but was ap-
pointed to the Naval Academy from
Florida. He was graduated in 1878,
and since his entry into the service
has had much foreign duty. This as
signment in his third in European wa
ters. He is an authority. on ordnance
and formerly was president of the
| Special Naval Board, having to do
| with that equipment. He left that
post to become the first commander in
chief of the recently created reserve
feet. During the recent naval review
in New York his entire command
was there, and passed in review be-
| fore the President, with the two ar
mored cruisers that sailed for Turkey
today leading. Admiral Knight :
home is in this city.
Capt. Harry Ashby Field, who will
command the Tennessee, is native
Of Virginia, and is one of the young
est captains in the navy. He, too.
has seen service in all parts of the
world. Capt. William B. Fletcher
has been taken from the War College
| in Newport to command the Montana.
Lieut.. Commander w bur G.
Briggs, who will be the second in
command Of the Montana, is native
OF New York. while Lieut.. -Comman-
der Chauncey Shackford, who will be
next 10 rank to Captain Field on the
flagship Tennessee, is from New
Hampshire. They are both consider
cd among the most efficient office RS
of their rank in the service. Lieut..
| Commander G. ID. Karns and Lieut..
Walter L. Pryor will be on Admiral
knights staff.
| The marines who will go, and who
yesterday were boarding the Montana
and Tennessee, will be commanded
by Capt Frederic NJ. Wise, who is
also New Yorker; Capt. William
NJ. Small, who is a Marylander, and
Lieuts. John Quincy Adams of Indi.
ana, and Allen +. Simon, Of Pennsyl.
| vania.