The Alaska daily empire., 1915-09-01
DESTROYER
 FLOTILLA
 IN HARBOR

lll V 44 A4 0OVao o
 Five torpedo boat destroyers of the United States navy. representing the first torpedo division of the Pacific fleet. are at anchor in Juneau har- Dor. Four of the notilla. the flag shin Paul Jones. and the WhipDle. Perry and Preble. arrived here at 9 o'clock last evening from Sitka. The Stewart arrived today. after having started toward the sinking steamship Edith. when she picked up her wire less calls for help Monday evening" When the Stewart learned that the steamship 8lariposa had gone to the Edith's and. she returned to Sitlra, and when her companions steamed to Juneau. the Stewart remained be- hind. to take coal from the govern ment reserve on Yaponslxy Island, near Sitka.
 Four Arrived Last Evening
 The notilla is in command of Lieu tenant Alexander Sharpe Jr- division commander of the first torpedo di- vision. who is aboard the Paul Jones. The other officers on the Paul Jones are Ensigns Hall. Womble. and Daug- tory. The Whippie is in command of Lieutenant Francis D. Pryor. En- sign S. B. Robinson being next in rank. The Stewart is in command of Lieut.. Bradley. with Lieutenants Un- derwood and Mitscher next in rank. On the Perry Lieutenant Gillette is in command. with Lieutenants Hill and Taylor next in rank. Lieutenant Vance D. Chapline is in command of the Preble. with Lieutenants J. B. Ware and R. T. SSelton next fin rank
 The destroyers steamed into the harbor in single formation and nest ed at the city dock last evening. With in an hour after the destroyers were in their positions. the three hundred blueiackets that make up the crews of the Paul Jones, Perry. Preble and Whipple were given shore liberty and the capital city's streets were alive with seamen.
 Captain Martin Taafe. wellknown merchant navigator. came over from Sitka on the Paul Jones. which led the nodlia here. as pilot. and win pi- lot the desroyers through the ln-. side passage on their return Go Brem- erton Captain Hobey Is pilot on the Stewart.
 Four Of the notilla. the Paul Jones, Perry. Preble. and Stewart. have just completed a cruise to the Far West ward. and the storm that swept the Southern Alaska coast left its mark on the lattle warships. Two Of the desroyers lost their motordories when the waves swept the decks. and damage was done to each of the four boats. The desroyers cruised as far west at Kislla harbor. 720 miles west of Dutch Harbor. and only 700 miles from the Siberian coast A stop of two days was made at Seward and the entire cruise lasted 30 days. The Whipple. which had put into Brem- erton for minor repairs last month. while on her way North with the flo- tllla. cruised Southeastern 9laska wa ters. including a visit to Juneau, while her four sisters made the voyage to| the Westward All of the vessels coaied at Yaponsky Island. taking on 180 tons each. which is expected to last them for an lS00-mile trip.
 Here Until Friday.
 The destroyers will be in the hor- bor until Friday morning. orders having been given by Lieutenant Sharpe last night to leave at a. m., on that day Meanwhile visitors are welcome on the boats. A large crowd of capital city folks visited them last evening. while they were at the City Dock. and were callers on the destroy CTS all day today The flotilla moved out into the stream this morning.
 The destroyers are exactly alike. as to speed. armament. and construc- tion Their maximum speed is 2S knots. under forced draft. although they have been cruising on on aver age speed of % knots since they reached Alaska waters When the Stewart left Sitka for the scene of. the Edith wreck. she proceeded at a speed of 25 knots.
 The desroyers will stop at Ketchi- kan. Prince Rupert. Alert Bay, Van couver and Bremerton. on their re- utrn Co Puget Sound. From Bremer- ton they will proceed to their base. at San Diego, Calf. They are due at San Diego late this month. They left on the Northern cruise on July 2nd.
 Yesterday Lieutenant Sharpe receivI ed word that the first division, of which he is commander. had receiv- ed high honors in the United States navy's engineering competition for 1914. a coveted honor among the sev- enty desroyers in the service. As the standings were announced, tho Perry ranks ]. the Preble 9. the Paul Jones. 5. the Whipple g and the Stew art 19. The standings are measured on economy in coal. light. and on en- ginee ring efficiency and navigation.
 GOAL STRIKE SETTLED.
 H|F F.H.