Show SPLENDID R OF OUR SHIPS AD D ME MEN I BY HB Him till B. Magdalena Ba Bay March 21 Aboard Aboard r U U. S S. S S S. Kansas Magdal Ia 1 dal a 1 Bay It Bay It ItIs r Is done We c h. h hate haVo c lIpped slipped anchors hi In hia a California bottom and the Ca California it balm Is Js on our brows brow But three 1 n ago ago or ol o or was It yesterday yesterday- r 0 we ve felt feJt th the shows oft of Hatteras and Hatteras-and and watched the Mayflower with Its Press President Pres Pres- s ident grow row dim upon the Virginia I I shore hore Then Into the soft smooth smooth th t can and the warm blow of or the South then tho the luscious N Neptune pausing upon ullon tho ii equator halted us till ho properly made of every r land lub lubber er one of or his u trust trusty then the southern temperate with Its IUt sweet sick br breaths from tho rho Savannahs l and again the anon Ino snow this his time fl from rl the glacier peaks pea Its 0 of Magellan and antI then the Pacific sunny serene serene and cool up which we crept for Cor six Ix weeks week straight from 1 the tip of or the Andes to the top lop then out tho the neck from the tp gulf of or t cc rounded the the gray sra I lee c hl of inn Han Lucas and swiftly du dug our sea sen- se t battered led noes CS Into the thc bay of oC Mag- Mag dalena i J III In I Perfect Condition f r And nd lure here we ar arp the arthe the the continent t x circumnavigated atc three zones and five climates ed the roll of ur South American republic complete on our 1 e visiting It n list not a out of illace not a 1 gun run not a boiler oller condemned sixteen battleships of tho the cla class quite ready and and willing to dart Tart all out this sunn sunny and cool forenoon or Cor for we have ha a Weeks Week's coal In our f bunkers a n months month's provisions pro in our holds and enough h ammunition in our f ma magazines a to put J I an any respectable navy navy I I. I out of business In an hour w hour we are ready to start out I say without na j noi noi noV no- no V i i tlc lice and amI o prove It It Which hl h ye wo are going to do This Y I minute r I can hear the ammunition joists foists bringing i ing b up the first round of I inch eight for fol tho the preliminary run at L target et practice f And And o on lime time to to be exact two days das ahead of time When hen they made up that schedule In Washington ashin ton some onel one c l was kind enough to forget that February Feb Feb- r in 1008 1908 has 29 days das so o we were us well wen oft off as 1 if we were sailing west vest f across across cro the international national date line Unc We e lost Jost a da day from rom Trinidad to Rio Ilio butK but ut K wo wo made it up from Rio to Punta Arenas and then we picked up w another an- an I an-I 4 other day from Crom Callao here here- Hence wu Ye are arc two days in front of the time timer I r table Can you mention a transcontinental trans con train after thirty years ears upon the run that can do that or to be bemore bemore bemore more fair Calt an ocean liner with that plea pleasant ant habit 1 I I trad the Thirteen thousand miles In three months sixt sixteen en battleships constantly In iii i tactical formation no one ever evermore more inure than hundred eight yards from Its nearest neighbor and most mot of tho the 4 tt time c but hut ut four out our h hundred hundred led yards tran trans trans- I t erring ferring the sea power power of f tho the nation lion l 1 I the second nav navy in n the world from worM from I the cart to the west coa coast t of or the United United Unit Unit- ed States through one of the most dangerous clu channels channel's kiwi to na tion without accident or delay and andon andon andon on a little better th than n schedule time time time- that Is II the record Since God made the world it has not been done Bono until now Nor anything like it it r rIf If you o 1 wish to bo be precise It was 12 miles in 89 39 days das but the thc 2 21 I hours wo we grew gray In Rio wondering If our months month's mall mail would arrive before we wo shoved oft off can canel safely el put on i another three days you can c can n even stretch it to three weeks while tho the tide rips we tte fought In PO Possession bay Y and the northeast t currents currents' wo we d bucki-d the theother theother theother other side Ide of or tile the tl Virgin passage will easily m make makr up the o odd id tJ miles Some one mOn may detect a boastful note In this plain record of a great grea event If so it must mint be her ascribed t to the Writer t. t and not to tho the officers o othis of this fleet f They hey scoffed at the poss of difficulty difficult the they quietly shrugged shrug shrug- ged their sh shoulders when pral praised cd fo for h hardihood In ur undertaking ln this cruise Today Tolla they look out upon this obscure re and straggling Mexican ham ham- Iam- Iam let lei with the same me indifference they th have 10 previously sI displayed ed ed for a hundred hundred hun hun hun- dred other ports The deck I is their home tween decks s their workshop and find the tat target ct range their melr annual pl proving prOvin vin ground I What It All 11 Menus t them c those thos v o have he been en enlOn j upon lOn the Pacific lI r te are arc glad to lo gel back bael the they Imo kivow what a Call California welcome is Ig they know the thc Golden Vest res the thc free tJi the ia gay the happy life Others whoso lib hone loni me and md fi lends friends are arc all upon the Atlantic ica ica- board ask c eagerly when the fleet isto Is Isto isto to return rn Why hr th they ask did we come we knew o we could do this easy and we c could have had target practice just justas as well at Guanta Guantanamo Yes They knew it it Bui nut nut- They knew It and w we wc c knew it it but lie He didn't know it ft Now Xo who Is I He Japan He Japan or OJ German Germany or England Eng Eng- ng- ng land land land-didn't didn't know it So fie here hele helee Weare we e eare are an and right we c arc are and read ready we arc It H is said an and with a certain authority author authur- ity which is auth authentic enough but which I am not at liberty to disclose that a certain strenuous gentleman man when asked wh why the thc fleet was sent sentI on this crul cruise C made reply with vivid I gestures an and a snap of the front teeth Those little beggars want to ice pe e what hat weve we've got and andere were we're going to show it to them And nd here we arc are Look See Count them Sixteen first class battleships battleships battle battle- ships smiling at the end of or the 13 miles and ready to light fight or frolic frolic frolic frol frol- ic at a n minutes minute's notice and in better belter condition than when we left Hampton Hamp Hamp- ton Roads three months ago o What n a sh shame unc there is iH nothing to salute upon t the tho west co- co coast cot t so you yoP cant can't lt see sec seethe pretty city cirrus about the ni froth pla about our But Hut How flow do we we- we mole look you ou ask Right HIght there is the Connecticut with her nose pointed Inland anchored half haIr a mile from shore From her stern lazily floats the stars and stripes If the breeze reeze would only lift that little lIttIe little lit lIt- tle tIe blue flag that wil wilts s against the top of fier ter in mainmast you ou Would see the thc two white stars star s on a blue field that spells the pennant of a rear admiral l who is in commander in of this fleet Pel Perhaps haps you OU have heard of him b before before be be- fore Core one Robley D. D Evans Once they called him Fi Fighting Bo Bob and he hc has haswell well vell defended his title lulu this trip 11 He lie has stu stubbornly and successfully fought the demon Physical Suffering lIe He Isen Isa Isa is isa a very en sick man From Trinidad lo to Magdalena he ho has not left eft his ship nor I has he ire T received ed an official visitor He lIe has been cen dl distracted with rheumatism that has gathered in the Fort Vort Fisher wound and given en him intense pain Thc They carried him to tile life tuo after aner bridge bl and there he has been heen da day after day watching tho the fleet his neot his fleet fleet fleet- climb its Us ponderous implacable le and majestic wa way aro around nd the continent Their l Dutie- Dutie Admiral Thomas the second in command command com com- mand attended the banquets and antI made mado the speeches Captain Ingersoll Ingersoll In- In the chief of or staff attended to the details of S supply and maintenance e. e i Commando fh the fl secre- secre n g tart lary wrote rote the letters letters and warded off orr 1 the thc impetuous callers But there has ha been een and md Is only one In commander I chief of or the fleet neet and his name Is Ro Robley Robley Rob Rob- ley Icy D D. Evans rear admiral U. U S. S KIf N K If It you OU have an any doubt on the subJect subject sub sub- Just mention It to him next time lime j I I you ou meet him or ask the captains an any one of thorn thom if they were a able le to lo to- get get getaway awn away with an any w weak ak maneU without a a. vigorous and prompt call call- down from the after bridge of tho the flag flag- ship Or Ot get the telegrams that have ha been een sent to the department at atash Wash ash Inston or 01 get that dispatch of congratulation congratulation that was sent to the Meet after aCter the he run-In run at nt Valparaiso The commander In cons n lates the time officers and men on the way the they turned the tho trick today Fro Front From in where did that come but from the gnarled face the game leg log the piercing piercing pierc pierc- ing eye the impetuous brain and the condors condor's soul of that cruelly cruell punished man In the tho wicker chair chail on the after bridge The way they turned the trick there thele there are ale headlines in that Four hundred yards ards apart the other 15 giants of Uncle Sam all trim and ready for anything are arc swaying in the Iaz lazy breeze of or this Lower Low Californian port read ready for fOI their mouths mouth's practice This is s s a dolorous place In which to spend a month and the are arc anxious to h be on their wa way towards the welcomes which await them up the thc California coa coast t. t How Haw about the armor armOl belt Does It N t mt very orv show ho It shows You can toc se plainly on all th the whips ships On this ship It I Is about u u. foot root above the water ter on some Bom it raises to three feet on no none nono no lower than six Inches You lou can call easily tell because the thc main belt is painted white while from rota the tho protective deck which meets meet It upwards the paint Is white Under tho the white paint the tho arm armor armer r Is seven teven inches thick under tho the red nine Right here we come to that big bugbear bugbear bug- bug bear benr criticism of or the navy It centers in the armor belt It also centers In Inthe Inthe inthe the free board and In tho the ammunition tion hoists and In tt the thi l of the hc turrets But nut It Is more moie plau plausible In Inthe Inthe inthe the belt licit in which the style n now now Is like I that In women's belts and supposed not to show But nut if ir we wc pause to consider consider con con- sider this proposition of or tho the armor belts for fot a while we may maj s set geta t a a glimpse of or what all nB this storm of criticism means menns i pinion t Yet I doubt if IC I can present it here because it would re require volumes I Ima Imay Imay ma may only sa say that for rOI three months month'S I I have b open en diligently trying to find Out ut from om the various vailous experts on this fleet fleet- we have c three naval na constructors and well trained whether officers whether the armor belt elt should be above the water Part of them sa say th that t It should an and part of them say that ft It should not and Whenever cr you OU get n a wardroom conversation on the subject you jou start tart a free light ht At t an any rate there Is that sl seven Inch I It armor plenty high enough and at dt least some of the tho nine A battleship is isa Is Isa isa a compromise It was inspiring to ruun round lound up those Americans to lo pass the time of day daj with our sisters of or lh the nether zone to sweep Ji like e a n trail of stars lars from Crom nation to nation and IC leave as lc Jc legacy acy with I each cach the pollen of or innumerable fraternities fraternities fra fra- like Biro a a. big brother at al Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas time lime to lo reach leach forth fortis an and call the thc flock fiock to a gorgeous tree Iree And AntI they the liked JIlted It It too tho alien Latin peoples pricked with slum slumbering fire and split with the fervor of or an unredeemed prosperity Why h It Was as as Worth While 1 For Fot a number of or reasons it was worth orth hi while 10 There was Corcovado Corcovado ado Is a a. high mountain at the thc entrance to Guanabara ba bay and in a smooth careful hollow of Guanabara bay nestled confidingly under vado lies the city of Rio Uio De Janeiro just as a child nestles In the the sweet sweet hollow of or Us Its mothers mother's arms It n is said that the harbor of S Sydney is is' ism ismore more m re beautiful than the harbor harbot of Rio Hio I have seen Naples and I ha c seen seEm San Francisco and I have soon seen Yokohama Neither of these Is comparable The minister of foreign affairs dined us In state on the thew water front the thc minister of marine breakfasted us ua on the lop top o of Corcovado whence We S e saw sau the fleet lying like a dream picture be- be be be- low The president came Ol O l hd saw us off and sent his navy 30 along for escort BC ri But BUl the navy na Jot ol lost st WOr We WO r never Ct found oun out out wl what it beci became became of c. c of ot tl that t Brazilian n navy nY Y and th the ni wasso WAS WASso so good soot abo about t tIt It it it ot too too o He lie did show them o every courtesy courtes He lIt oven even slowed down a bit so th they could get gel a good hood start starl in the narrows Then a fog foS came cam for fOl several se hours horns and und when w e we edrew drew out of it at a a. regular t ten knot gait sait pointed lot for the south the Brazilian Brazilian Brazilian Bra Bra- na navy had just simply rolled rolle Up p pan an and evaporated c in the mist They In Intended Intended in- in tended to escort scort us for fOI a day daj ay but the they must have melted like sugar sUs-al' In an oven O out there In the open ocean Left A It Out Olt Pour Four nights later vo wo got sot a. a a flash clash that thai something was creeping on from frum behind behind be be- hind In the dark darIt and ever everybody body smiled smil- smil cd ed for we thought perhaps we had lo located located located lo- lo the Brazilians ns But no It was wasI the Argentines E Every effort had been I made by 11 their foreign to have o us stop in at Buenos lyres Ayres but ut It would have been impossible for fOI the neet to lo toI I get set within l 12 miles oC of the the city due duc to the lute Jow ow draught of ur the tho Plata PInta rivet river Moreover the run from Rio Ro to Sandy Point was little enough ten enough ten days days days- and there was no plausible no-plausible excuse to stop slop c even I 1 f l It was as to sec see the largest eft city south of the equator Later l tho torpedo boats went in and In trying to carry off the welcome intended fot for a battleship were nearly cap cali- sized So the na navy came camu out to call on us They rhe had mi miscalculated and fell In behind We te n never nel el channel changed the tite ten- ten knot stride but they capped on lm steam up to 16 10 and along about S 8 o'clock In Inthe Inthe I I the morning overtook overlook us rising riding a mile on off on our starboard and saluted each shin o. o as the they pas pa passed ed When they reached the na flagship ship hil an un I unU unu Inci incident ent occurred O Our r ships down th the tho Jin |