Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-31


Aboard the Flagship L. S. S. New Mex
leo, Saturday. July 26. by Wireless to
the Associated Press. The Pacific feet
under the command of Admiral Rodman
is tonight floating in Pacific waters.
Six drGadnaughs, led by the flagship
TO-DAY successfully negotiated the Pan
anna cahal--the largest ships that ever
have passed through this waterway. The
average time of passage for each warship
from Colon to Balboa was ten hours, elm
mating anchorage time in Gatun lake.
This Is the biggest event in the history
of The canal, said Governor Chester
Harding of the canal zone, after the feat
had been accomplished. These dread
naughts are the largest ships and this is
the largest feet ever to pass through the
canal"
This afternoon Admiral Rodman visited
President Porras of Panama, who con-
graduated tho naval officer on his sue
ess in negotiating the canal. Approx
mately $500 sailors were given shore leave
at Panama and the city tonight Is cele-
brating the arrival OF the fleet. which de-
parts tomorrow for San Diego.
Tho fleet left it's ancorage in Gatun lake
at dawn this morning proceedings in
pairs two hours apart. The New Mexico
and Wyoming led the way, followed by
the New York and Texas and the
Mississippi and Arkansas. Each pair
steamed ahead mile apart with the
New Mexico leading.
To Admiral Rodman, who planned the
operative organization of the canal. was
given the honor of directing the course
of the first dreadnaught to make the
trip Through the reaches of Gatun lake
the dreadnaughts steamed at thirteen
Knots an hour. on nearing the narrow
confines of the Bias Obispo reach, how
ever, John Constantine, canal pilot, who
eschews navigating charts to the wonder
of naval officers, reduced the speed to
five knots an hour.
The flagship accepted guidance from a
tug to keep her nose out Of the high banks
of the Culebra cut. The giant craft
threated her way slowly through this
section for If she had proceeded at any
great speed, she would have sucked in
the banks on either side developing slides,
Three hours from Gatun Lake, the
flagship passed under the ominous
shadow of Gold Hill, the backbone of
the continent, where many slides have
occurred. In passing Gold Hill, the
warship from whose rails the proven
bal biscuit could have been tossed
ashore entered the locks at Pedro Mig
uel, where 500 sailors, given liberty.
took a special train for Panama.
Governor Harding and Rear-Admiral
Marbury Johnston of the Panama naval
division, came aboard as the flagship
was being locked down 30 feet to the
level of 'Miraflores Lake. The operation
of locking down the dreadnaughts pro-
ceeded with the same speed and preci-
cion as the locking up at Gatun.
AS the New Mexico eased her way
into Mirafores Lake, a great crowd
collected on the concrete locks, cheered
and a salute Of II guns was fred on
the flagship in honor of Governor Hard
ing.
Miranores is a lake in name more
than in fact and the flagship was low
cred down the two locks depth of 50
feet in as many minutes Meanwhile,
the Wyoming entered the parallel set
of Mirahores locks as the New Mexico
was leaving, so that each dreadnaught
was the first warshp of this class
to complete passage Of the canal.
at was no more trouble than put
ting through the canal a fleet of Great
Lakes tug boats" said Admiral Rod
man, who was visited by Rear Admiral
william r. Shoemaker, of the battle
ship Rhode Island. and other naval Off
GERS, when the drcadnaughts anchored
in Panama Bay.