The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-20

The flagship Birmingham of the At
lantic torpedo hotilla, the tender Dixie
and twenty torpedo boat destroyerS OF
that fleet will leave Pensacola haFbor-
this morning for Tampicc, joining the
Atlantic battleship fleet In the gulf
The battleship Mississippi, the aero
plane corps and the six hundred ma
rines comprising the Second provision
al marine regiment will leave tomor-
row morning for Mexican waters.
These movements of war craft and
marines will conform to orders re-
ceived during yesterday and last night
from the navy department. The tor
pedo fleet possibly would have been
at sea by daylight this morning had
it been enabled to get into cumn1uni-
cation by wireless with the flagship
Arkansas. THIS was impossible apds
telling them what hour to depart. All
night long couriers from the flagship
Birmingham were stationed at the tel
egraph Offices and the latter had in-
structtohs to remain open throughout
the night to take any orders coming
from Washington.
Not since the Spanish-American
war have such war-hke preparation.
been witnessed in Pensacola. as those
of yesterday and last night The ac-
tivity commenced early in the after
noon when orders were received by
boat destroyers to prepare TO join Ad-
miral Badgers battleship feet In tha
gulf and proceed to Tanpfco. Later
came orders dispatching the battle
ship Mississippi, the aeroplane corps
and six hundred marines stationed at
the navy yard to the scene Of trouble
The fact that all of these vessels and
men had to prepare for active duty In
Mexican waters turned an otherwise
quiet Sunday into one OF unusual ac-s
latter was manifested more by citi-
zens OF Pensacola than the fighting
forces of Uncle Sam and from early in
the night until early this morning the
telephones at The Journal ONCE were
ringing almost continuously.
MEN HURRIED ABOARD.
When the orders from the navy deA
partment reached the torpedo feet 10
prepare to join the battleships, provost
guards were sent ashore with instrur-
tions TO send all blueJackets back to.
their respective ships at once and by
o'clock last night practically every
man was aboard. Supplies were or
dered I'm a hurry and I'm many cases
delivered alongside the ships last night. !
while the cruiser Birmingham coaledi
during the night.
Oficers aboard the torpedo fleet.
awaited orders from Admiral Radger
on board the Arkansas, but atmos
pheric conditions in the gulf during
the afternoon and night were bad and
while communication was had on sew
era1 occasions the messages could not
be read and the navy department was
advised of this fact last night, with
the result that the orders for the time
OF departure probably will come from
that source instead Of from Admiral
Badger.
Oficers ashore last night said they
expected to get away to sea some time
this morning, with the possible eT-
ception of the flagship Birmingham.
The destroyers even with the battle
ships far ahead OF them, can easily
oyertake the dreadnaughfs, for the
grey hounds of the navy can make
thirty knots an hour, while the bat
tIeships are travelling at a speed OF
about fifteen knots. The last heard
from the latter was that they had
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