The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-08-29
INTERESTING STORY OF PACIFIC
FLEETS CRUISE.

lay at anchor in California ports, and
two and one-half days at Balboa,
Panama.
We left Norfolk, Va, on July II,
at 9 a. M, passing the Pacific Fleet
which was at anchor in the harbor
just off from Old Point Comfort. 1t
was certainly sight to see all the
different types of our Man-o-War
together; all classes of battle ships,
cruisers and destroyers covered the
whole harbor. ! did not think all
the ships in our whole navy would
make such a showing, yet the Pacific
Fleet is considerable less than half
of them, and, too, it is about 100
per cent. greater than the mighty
armada that circled the globe in 1908.
The total displacement of the fleet
is over five thousand tons.
On account Of the Montana going
into the yards for general overhaul
ing after her strenuous work through
out the war and carrying troops home
again we made the trip to our West
ern home alone, having sailed three
days before the fleet. We were pass
ing the Bahama Islands when wire
less message was received stating
that the mighty Pacific Fleet was
getting under way.
1t was on the morning of July 20,
when we sighted the islands, San Sal
vador, or Wathings Island, being the
first one to come into view. San Sal
vador being established land fall of
Columbus in October, 1892.
Next come Bird Rock, which is
seventy-seven miles distance from
San Salvador, it taking US about six
hours to reach this island; stretch
of about one mile of water separated
Bird Rock from Crooked Island, and
two and one-half miles of water
separated Crooked Island from Ach-
lin Island, the largest of the Bahama
group, though low tide the water
between these two islands is so low
that it may be waded.
Then at the Southern extremity of
the Bahama group comes Castle
Island. Castle Rock, which is only a
little distance off, is very remark.
able, resembling an old castle and
giving the name to the island.
During the day of the twenty-first
we passed Cape Maysi, which is the
eastern extremity of Cuba, and is a
distance of 10S miles from Castle
Island; and next was Haiti the last
land to be seen until we reached
Panama.
About eleven o'clock on the morn.
ing of the twenty-third we approach.
ed the Atlantic entrance of the Pana.
ma Canal, passing the end of the
man-made peninsula, which extends
eleven thousand feet into the bay
and is known at Toro Breakwater
1t was built to protect the entrance
of thet canal from the violent storm:
which sweep down from the north.
We steamed directly into the At
lantic sea-level part of the cana
which is huge ditch 500 feet wide
Al feet deep and extends inland dis
lance of five miles to the Gatur
Locks, which is wonderful piece Of
engineering.
Just outside of the first lock is :
giant chain made of three inch irol
that is guaranteed to bring a ten
thousand-ton ship going at the rate o:
five knots per hour to a dead stand
} still in seventy feet. This chain il
, needed in case of emergency to pre-
vent ships from ramming the loci
gates. Though we had no use TO,
the chain as our ship was brought t.
stop with plenty of space to spare
Here before entering the loci
four powerful locomotives, run b,
electricity, took charge of the ship
two of them in front to pull an,
two behind to hold back. The chair
was lowered and at one o'clock w
entered the first of the Gatun Locks
Here we passed through three gigan
cit locks, raising US a height o:
eighty-five feet above the sea level
into Gatun Lake, which is the larges
artificial lake in the world. Tn
Gatun Dam, which impounds tn
waters of the Chagres River, floodin
the lowlands is the formation of tn
the Culebra Cut we steamed thirty
r one miles under our own power, t
, the Pedro Miguel Locks. The Guile
, bra Cut is another wonderful piec
of engineering and is over six mile
: long and three hundred feet wide a
. the bottom.
, At the Pedro Miguel Locks we wer
lowered one step into Miraflore
Lake, another artificial body of waite
about one mile long and fifty-fiv
feet above sea-level. Then out O
. this lake is the Miraflores Lock
through which we were lowered tw
\ steps down into the Pacific sea-leve
| 'ort of the canal, which is seven mile
long and extends past Balboa an
out into the Pacific Ocean.
| At Balboa we stopped for coal, re
naming there for two days, libert
| being given all the crew; as the cit
of Balboa is a small place, everyon
took the "jitney" to Panama City
which is only a distance of tw
miles, and everyone had a grand tim
there. Three shipmates and l hire
taxi for two hours. We were a
over the city and viewed many of tn
historic buildings and places.
The Republic of Panama as
whole is the smallest republic in tn
/ world If heinr ahoI1t the size of tn