Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-07-28 | Page 1 | Battle Fleet in Pacific Waters

BATTLE FLEET Ii POTTERS Dreadnoughts, Led by the New Mexico, Negotiate Panama Canal Passage. ABOARD THE FLAGSHIP U. S. S. NEW MEXICO. Saturday, July 26. (By Wireless to the Associated Press.) The Pacific fleet under the command of Admiral Ad-miral Rodman tonight is floating in Pacific Pa-cific waters. Six dreadnoughts, led by the flagship New Mexico, today successfully negotiated nego-tiated the Panama canal 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. "This is the biggest event in the history his-tory of the canal," said Governor Chester Harding of the canal zone. This afternoon Admiral Rodman visited President Porras of Panama, who congratulated con-gratulated the naval officer on his success suc-cess in negotiating the canal. Approxi-. mately 3600 sailors were given shore leave at Panama, and the city tonight is celebrating the arrival of the fleet, which departs tomorrow for San Diego. The fleet left its anchorage in Gatun lake at dawn this morning, proceeding in pairs two hours apart. The New Mexico and Wyoming led the way, followed fol-lowed by the New York and Texas and the Mississippi and Arkansas. To Admiral Rodman was given the honor of directing the course of the first dreadnought to make the trip. Through the reaches of Gatun lake the dreadnoughts dread-noughts steamed at 13 knots an hour, i On nearing the narrow confines of the Pas Obispo reach the speed was reduced to 5 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 threaded her way slowly through this section. Three hours from Gatun lake the flagship flag-ship passed under the ominous shadow of Gold hill, the backbone of the continent, where many slides have occurred. The warship then entered the locks at Tedro Miguel, where 6o0 sa ilors, given liberty, took a specia 1 train for Panama. Governor TTa rding and Heir Admiral Marbury Johnston of the Panama na val division came a hoard as the flagship was beinc locked down thirty feet lo the level of Miraflores lake. As the New Mexico eased her way Into Miraflorrs lake, a creat croud colh'ded on the concrete locks cheered and a salute I of seventeen guns was tired on the llag-' llag-' ship in honor of Governor Harding.