With the Battle Fleet

reetings for All His Men-Fine Display of Seamanship on South American Vessels-Picturesque Incidents of the Voyage From Rio to the Most So

Louisiana, U.

nas, Chil

e navy came out hundreds of miles to greet our ships, and probably for the first time in the history of navies national salutes were fired upon the high seas. Squadrons and fleets have passed one another before time and

eep it up, each one giving the Rear Admiral more and more guns, he will soon be an Admiral of the fleet in the thundered judgment of other nations, no matter what action Congress may take-he ordered the

enty-one guns, to which the Argentine flagship responded at once. In addition to those honors the crews of the various ships cheered

ne man who will soon have the right to hoist a two-starred Rear Admiral's

diness to do the proper and handsome thing for this unusual occasion. Saturday, January 25, was almost a wonder day at sea. The air, which had been accumulating a chill under cloudy skies and an eastern wind, became balmy and the sea was as smooth as a pond. The sky remained overcast and the fleet had been running for three days practically by dead reckoning. Late

er bre

h. The ships with quarter decks cut down were smothered with spray and solid water from time to time. The ships rolled very little-never in the strongest gale have the ships of the Connecticut class at least had their tables racks in place-but they yawed and dipped, as all ships in heavy w

d nothing was heard fr

latitude, right off the Plata, just before noon. We were also in the proper longitude, but all was thick, and the general supposition

ere also given and some error was made in transmission. It was figured that they were something like 110 miles to the south and a little to the west of us. The weather began to moderate and then the opinion was that if they steered straight f

h the Culgoa this message of greeting from Adm

, 1908,

Admira

vans, his officers and men, and transmits to him the position of the Argentine divisi

ito O

Admiral Evans s

1908, 2

Admira

courtesy and begs that he will transmit to the Argentine Government hi

an

he Argentine ships were steaming at the rate of fourt

arch browed comment. "Wonder how long they can keep tha

twilight of the high latitude in midsummer followed, but just after 8 o'clock the Connecticut sent a signal to the fleet and immediately shot its after searchlight high in the heavens. It caught the clouds miles and miles back, a brilliant beam. Then came another signal to the fleet and instantly t

nd us. We're only going ten knots an hour. You'll so

te for that now. Shortly before 9 o'clock, well astern, the faint light of a ship could be made out with the naked eye. The quartermaster on the bridge said there were four lights. Word was sent to the Captain-the usual rule when any vessel is sighted-and the news spread about

e miles astern of us. Shortly before 7 o'clock Admiral Evans ordered a double evolution. The fleet was in four divisions abreast, an Admiral leading each division. The second and fourth divisions were slowed down, and then by an

e ships kept creeping up, and when the first passed the Kentucky, the last ship in our column, to starboard, it was seen that her rails were manned. The Argentine sh

honors. Marine guards were drawn up, the crews were at attention, the bands on our ships

s made them out correctly. They were two armored cruisers of the Cristobal Colon class and two protected cruisers. They were the San Martin, Buenos Ayres, Pueyrredon and 9 de Julio, and they made a smart show, each having a bone in h

en up went the American ensign. It was a beautiful new flag, and the bright sun lit up its folds gloriously. The ensign could scarcely have looked better upon Ol

ilians' example and give Admiral Evans a

boom. Then there was another and then they stopped. W

not an officer or sailor or marine on this fleet who, if he had his way, would not make Admiral Evans not only a vice but a full Admiral. It is the honest opinion of this fleet that he des

w other navies have ever seen. The San Martin crept up beside the Connecticut, forged ahead and then the Connecticut with the Argentine ensign at the main fired the usual salute to the flag of another country upon the high seas. It made the men familiar with the etiquette of sal

1908, 8

Admira

vernment, I am about to part company for Buenos Ayres, and it would

iv

ans sent t

1908, 8

Admira

nor done his fleet. He will thank you to transmit to Washington upon your arrival in port that w

an

f good wishes for pl

n 300 miles to the rear, they turned a right oblique, the movement being done in a way that excited the

ast they went, and not until they were nearly hull down did they turn about and hea

said the Americans,

et from Rio amid gloom and other depressing surroundings, it warmed up the hearts of those on the

e. The sea lumped itself a little, the wind changed and on the following morning, Wednesday, January 29, there came the first experience with fog on this voyage. The ships had been man?uvred into a different formation from that on the way to Rio. The four vessels of the first division were abre

but a blanket of mist hung over the water. There was no time, even had there been any inclination to do so on the flagship, to order the

s near by, gleaming through the mist, when the outlines of a ship only 400 yards away could not be made out. You could keep your distance easily in this way. You knew where your nearest neighbor was, and often you could make out the position of two or three of your neighbors. The lights looked like reflections of the sun in a mirror, only s

d in the same way. Then would come another thick bank and you would be shut out from the rest of the world, and then you would take particular notice of th

-Toot, toot-toot, to

-Toot, toot-t-o

R-Toot, toot-

-T-o-o-t-t-o-o-t-t

ng special pains to steer the exact course that had been set. You saw how nicely it all worked out when the fog lifted, and there would be the leading ships almost exactly in line, ploughing their ways to the southwest, just as if there had been no interception of vision. One glimpse of this really fine work reassured you at once and

became bracing. Gradually all white was eliminated from the uniforms. You put on your overcoat and sweater when you went on the bridge to stay. You slept under a blanket at night. Then

od, as the saying is. We had gone from the beginning of winter at home, with the snowstorms, into the oppressive heat of the equator, and now we were back in the w

the north, although it is almost directly overhead at meridian. You see new stars-such bright ones!-with the beautiful Southern Cross as the most conspicuous constellation, just now in such a position that it has its top turned toward th

gh the eastern part of the strait to Punta Arenas, about 120 miles, with the first and second narrows, that day, and so we anchored for the night in Possession Bay, a great open sheet of water, wit

as if an overwrought woman had been keeping a smiling face up to the last moment before the parting with some one close to her heart whom she might never see again and then givin

who took off the last missives. By 10 o'clock the seams in the decks of the ships were exuding pitch. President Penna of Brazil was expected to come down the bay soon after noon to call upon

d was passed that the Presidential yacht was approaching. At a signal from the flagship the long lines of flags used to dress ship were swayed aloft and all the American battleships, the Brazilian ships,

posite from Rio. The Louisiana was the first ship to be passed. The rail was manned with men with locked arms, the band played the Brazilian national air, the officers stood at salute. Then the Virginia was passed and the s

stant, which, with the rest of the Brazilian ships, sixteen in number, was to escort the American fleet out of the harbor. By that time the clouds had begun to descend from the hills, the wind to blow in gu

fleet was given precisely at 3 o'clock. Anchors were aweigh on the minute. The harbor was so thick and black that one could scarcely see 1,000 yards. With the black smoke of the funnels

d could see him. Rio was wiped out. The thunder peals from Sugar Loaf and Corcovado at times outroared those of the guns. Nature was saluting in angry tones. She seemed indignant th

soot from smoke of funnels and powder blasts being the ashes. Half the ships had passed Villegagnon when the rain became a patter suddenly and the veil was lift

oon the entire American fleet could be made out in the murky atmosphere. At last the line became clear. Directly behind it came the line of Br

d about while their occupants waved and shouted good-bys. Some of the little craft ran close to the ships in the hope of saying a frantic last good-by to the American friends they had made at private dinner part

wenty times as many people on shore. Nature smiled at Hampton Roads; nature not only sulked but made a pitiable exhibition of her uncontrolled anger and grief at Rio. The fresh bre

the fleet. Close at hand she began a great tooting of the whistle. She was one of the ocean-going vessels that had been chartered for the good-by, and she had run nearly twenty-five miles in the thick weather for a final glimpse and farewell shri

ng with the memory of those back in the States freshened by the missives that had come-well, naval officers don't show it when they are blue, but that night you couldn't find three men in the Louisiana's wardroom-the same was probably true of the other ships-and if you ma

December 21, but it was seen that it meant that the mail from New York would probably be missed by one day. The fleet was all agog as to whether Admiral Evans would remain o

mail!" was on e

, 9 and 10 o'clock, and no steamship had been reported passing in. Long faces were everywhere. Just before 6 o'clock the next morning the lookout reported the Byron passing in. Word was passed around and many an

The mail has come!

. Then came a race for her with launches. More than twenty of these boats, counting those from auxiliaries as well as battleships, began a race to reach her. The enginee

after it. We'll soon be

g them down. There was an average of twenty bags to each ship. As fast as each launch got its load it dashed back at full speed to its ship. The bags were hurried up the sides and fairly ripped open.

had a pleasant Christmas. Your people all right, too? That's good. 'Twa

ked on board of a man-o'-war. In

e we'll catc

ce the chief o

re we'll ge

e length of the cruise, as to the routine or even unusual work to be accomplished-all these seem to be of minor importance to the question as to when the mail will come. The American man-o'-wars

where the Indians could not find it. Letters and papers were left there to be mailed and reading matter was dropped behind for ano

irregular, for they still depend for their despatch more or less on the irregular calls of steamers. Of course there are certain vessels which make r

ce here there is one thing you do find,

llywaws? No? Well, you see 'em

goblin. Neither is it anything like a willy-boy. Any one who k

hat for another article. You see there