Show GREAT FLEET SAILStti I Admiral Evans Leads Atlantic Squadron from Its chorage at Hampton Roads Will Meet the Vessels of the Pacific Coast at San Francisco i < 1 Y Xu j E w + r ° tiwti r t 3 y i ° r sw al p r a r x f r 1 ° PicflL O141fJD L 16 o tAft t4 Yr l ° ° t 4 a d ffq t n i41fi 4 o zNr4 47 C1 1 t7TGC 2 b ° wfb do I Hampton Roads Va Dec 16The departure today of the great Atlantic squadron for the Pacific is only another an-other of the many great proofs of the nations marvelous growth and development devel-opment The Iron clad warship is only 45 years old yet passing through a process of swift evolution to its present pres-ent perfection this American discovery discov-ery has revolutionized the science of naval warfare throughout the whole world There are now 270 vessels In commission In the United States navy where at one time In Washingtons administration there was not one Of these there are 13 battleships of the first and second class carrying guns Into whose mouth this countrys first and only commander of the navy Esek Hopkins might easily have hidden his disgraced head when an outraged continental congress summarily sum-marily dismissed him It was in Hampton Roads that the first chapter In the worlds history of iron clads was written It was In Hampton Roads that the nation gathered 16 of her finest sea fighters ready for a trip of nearly 20000 miles Where the Merrlmac swung clumsily across the channel long ago and drove terror to the hearts of seamen who had never yet seen such a monster iron clads as graceful and as swift as greyhounds have come and gone all summer until they have become a familiar fa-miliar sight Among these Is the Minnesota the largest of Uncle Sams big battleships and next only In size to the Dreadnaught which King Edward Ed-ward of England launched with such ceremony a year or so ago and to the Satsuma Japans new monster of 1 Uitl uuep History of American Navy The first appropriation mado for a navy for this country was that of the continental congress In 1775 and the sum of 100000 was expected to purchase pur-chase equip and generally outfit 13 ships For the present year ending July 1908 the navy will havo needed 125 041 399 an Increase of 5000000 over lut year Nine million alone go for ordnance stores Tho last appropriation appro-priation of congress for tho building of ships was 20000000 to be expended on two big ships each of which Is to measure 610 feet In length 85 feet beam and make 21 knots an hour Three million dollars was appropriated appropri-ated for submarines of the Holland type and In September five torpedo boat destroyers wore contracted for Think of this in comparison with the 100000 that cost the continental congress con-gress so much thought and which was furnished by tho people of the colonies colo-nies after so much privation If we are to have a commerce we much have a navy to defend It wrote Col Humphreys from the Barbary States In 1793 after ho had been sent to BOO if there wore means of stopping stop-ping tho piracy of Algiers and Tripoli on American trading vessels For years the nation had endured the humiliation hu-miliation of paying tribute to these countries and after Washington had Incorporated this sentiment In his message of 1794 tho United States still l paid tribute because there was navy o n-avy to prove her Independence How ever that congress appropriated 700 000 with which to build six frigates Among these were the Constitution now the oldest ship afloat under any flag and a training ship for apprentices appren-tices at Portsmouth With this fleet and Its later auxiliaries Docatur taught the rulers of Algiers and Tripoli Trip-oli a stern lesson and America soon took her place among the naval powers pow-ers of the world a place which none disputed after her victories over Great Britain In 18121815 Quick Work of Preparation The president issued the orders for the sailing of this fleet on August 23 and since then coal mines railways provision dealers and manufacturers of heavy ordnance and ammunition have known the busiest season they have bad since the SpanishAmerican war Altogether 35 vessels go to San Francisco and when all have assembled as-sembled In the waters off tho coast of California Fighting Bob Evans will have under his command the largest most invincible the most perfectly equipped fleet that has ever mobilized In one place since the history of tho world began The aggregate displacement of tho vessels sailing Is nearly 42000 tons and tho aggregate power Is 664 guns of four Inch calibre and over The four divisions of this fleet will carry 581 of ficers and 11600 enlisted men as fine an array of Jackles as any navy has ever known and an earnest and eager set too for as soon as the news of tho cruise was noised abroad enlistments enlist-ments Increased rapidly throughout the navy and desertions became prac ticaiiy unknown The moaern wife who puzzles for days over tho packing of her hus bands grips and lunch basket when ho Is oft for a weeks hunting trip r can never begin to appreciate the enormity of Columbias task In fitting out her 11500 sons for an outing of 115 days in which they are not ex pected to set foot on land at all Be sides all the stores that each ship can carry when her capacity Is taxed to Its fullest there will bo two ships that carry supplies alone tho Glacier and Culgoa and they will carry many novel foodstuffs that have never yet been carried by any navy of tho world Immense Supply of Coal Tho item of coal alone Is not In considerable On October 12 contracts wero let for 133000 tons to be deity ered at tho six seaport towns where the fleet will stop Trinidad Rio Janerlo Punta Arenas Callao Mag dalcna bay and San Francisco It Is mined in West Virginia shipped by rail to four tide water cities of the Atlantic and whom there Is handled by flvo American companies in 30 for eign steamers to the ports named whore It Is piled nn tho piers for tho ready battleships Fifteen of these steamers go all tho way to San Fran cisco with their cargoes Tho cost of tho coal will bo about 3 a ton and tho cost of transportation will COmo t over 755000 to Eight colliers accompany the Tho fleet Marcollus Hannibal Leonldas and possibly tho Sterling e tho fleet accompany to Trinidad and then re he turn for more coal Others will go has h-as far as Rio and return to join the hi fleet again at Magdalena bay and all I that have free space tween decks will pI carry general supplies for the Mar Island navy yard The Connecticut v carries 160 tons of briquettes made of slack coal and pitch to test them it as a suitable fuel for use In the navy m Tho cost of coaling exclusive of the amount of coal carried by the shlpi t from Norfolk to Trinidad will be 1220280 a sum more than equal to tc the bonded debt of the state of Idaho w or the state of Washington It Provisions In Plenty c As to provisions Columbia must u pack enough In tho giant hampers to a feed her sons for the long 115 day and have enough extra goodies for s Christmas New Years and Washington II Washing-ton birthday dinners and the Hit II i shows she has not been niggardly id 0 her selection Five million pounds of provisions are carried on boardthu n 16 ships battleships and the supply u n I tho supplies from the attending yes t sols being transferred to the battleships battle-ships when they stop at the ports for t coal There are 10000 to 15000 pounds i of fresh meat In the refrigerators of each ship and for tho first time there will be a widely varied bill of fare I where the meats aro concerned There are a variety of foodstuffs la eluding tons of cereals salt meats dried fruits and canned goods and 503300 pounds of flour for making fresh bread In lieu of long anathematized anathe-matized hard tack There aro tons of dessicated foodstuffs that have already al-ready been tested and found good and the more recent additions dried egg and dehydrated vegetables There are 9000 pounds of dried eggs an equivalent equiv-alent of 36000 dozen fresh eggs and when the Christmas baking Is on and tho 30000 fresh eggs also carried are not available tho mixer of cakes will find that tho dried product when mixed with water will froth as easllr as tho fresh New methods of communication between be-tween tho ships have been installed and now methods of controlling the Ore from tho guns So now is this system of fire control that a retired naval officer of-ficer was heard to remark when the news camo to him That is a good Idea a good idea I am glad to hear It Indeed for flro Is a most dangerous thing aboard a ship The Coloradc was first In this experiment Wireless telegraphy has been a part of a battleships bat-tleships equipment for so many yearll now that It is quite an old story but the fleet decided it must havo wireless wire-less telephony too so the past fee weeks havo witnessed busy scene In Hampton Roads and Fn New York and Brooklyn harbors where experts have boon busy putting in the appliance Connecticut Is Flagship Admiral Evans chose tho Connecticut Connec-ticut as his flagship Copt Ingersoll i4 her commander and chief of staff of the Atlantic fleet Upon tho shoulder of RearAdmlrni Brownlow at Wasb Ingtou much of the work of preparation prepara-tion fell Tho splendid condition of the fleet when it loft Ito anchorage hued today shows how well ho has done It i i I |