The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1919-01-02
AMERICAN BATTLE
FLEET At ANCHOR
Twenty-one of the Grim Guardians
Of the Nation Gathered at New
York Harbor-Second Naval
Power in the World.


anchor in the Hudson tonight were
21 superdreadnaughts, dreadnaughts'
ships Of the line, cruisers, destroy
ers and a host Of smaller craft, the
mightiest American Armada ever
assembled. Ten Of the floating fort
resses steamed into the harbor to-
day after months service overseas,
with Beatty's grand fleet The 9TH
ers are the flower of the North At
lantic fleet Grim guardians of
great nation they symbolic that the
United States has become the sec
ond power Of the world.
In the teeth Of northwestern
wind and in the chill of driving
snow storm. millions waited hours
until the ten battleships Of the home
coming Armada appeared. This was
New York's and the nations tribute
to the ships. far more eloquent than
the greatest din of whistles. bells
and human voices. The vocal welcome
came later when the rugged wealth
er-beaten tars, who manned the ships
debarked and with Secretary Dam
ieIs and Admiral Mayo at their head
marched down Fifth avenue in the
c0uatry's first great victory parade
Leading civilians in the cheering
were wounded soldiers returned from
France.
With the memory Of their own first
anxious voyage still fresh in their
minds, they paid untsinted tribute to
brothers in arms who had guarded
them across the Atlantic
Passing in review before the sec
rotary of the navy, before the Stat
ue of Liberty, the home coming ships
doomed suddenly out of the mist and
as rapidly disappeared They seemed
almost like phantom/ craft, grim,
gray. majestic in their silent might.
But as they dropped anchor the
skies cleared and they stood revealed
ir holiday attire abiaze from stem
to stern with multi-colored pennants.
Moving at only ten knots an hour,
the Arizona was the first dread
naught to pass the presidential yacht
Mayflower, on whose bride stood Mr..
Daniels and Secretary of War Baker.
With flags masted, steamers and ma
rines manning rails, the Arizona
swept by stripped for action. AS she
came abreast the Mayflower she
Numbered the salute Of 10 guns for
the secretary of the navy and her
band struck up "The Star Spangled
Banner A moment and she had
faded again into mist, leaving only
an impression of great gray sides and
massive gun turrets crested with
snow.
The Arizona's guns had not fin
ished their salute when the Oklaho-
ma began firing and from then on
the cannonading was continuous. In
swift succession followed the Nevada
and the Utah, flagship of Rear Nd
miral Thomas S. Rodgers, and then
the superdreadnaught Pennsylvania,
bearing Admiral Henry I. Mayo
commander in chief of the Atlantic
fleet At two minute intervals came
the New York, flying the flag of
Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman. and the
Texas, Arkansas, Wyoming and Fler-
ida, with two kite balloons towed by
ASetlo9 StSt NpiHPtSthiS VIC RiVNSos-
ion.
The New York was the first Of the
battleships to display from her main
mast the homeward bound "pennant,"
a long slender strand of red, white
and blue, foot for every day out
from her home base All the ships
which followed her carried the pen
nants and it seemed as if each were
longer than the others.
A deep silence followed the last
salute and so accustomed had those
on the Mayflower become to the roar
of the guns, that it seemed hardly
possible that the review had lasted
less than twenty minutes.
When the last dreadnaught had
steamed from sight, Secretaries Dam
iels and Baker decended from the
: bridge, but only for moment. While
the Mayflower remained at anchor
to give the incoming warships time
to reach their berths in the Hudson
before Secretary Daniels inspected
the entire fleet at their anchorages,
the British transport Saxonia, loaded
with sick and wounded American
troops, hove alongside. The heads
the navy and war departments again
ascended to the bridge and DATED
their hats to the fighting men,
Then getting under way, the May
flower moved along with the trans
port and after a steamer had wig
wagged to the larger vessel the
compliments Of both secretaries, the
yachts band played 1.-THE Stor
. Spangled Banner"
Instantly those aboard the Saxonia
who We're able to stand, came to at
tention and then at the end of the
anthem, broke into prolonged cheer.
Another Daddy. Made Happy.