THE WORLD CRUISE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1925, Page 1

THE WORLD CRUISE

REPORTS FROM THE E’J.EET, IXCTDEXTS IN' CROSSING THE IJNE. ( By radio from tin* battleship Seattle.) From the Special Representative of the Australian Press Association (delayed). .July 5. The first Sunday of the cruise was quietly celebrated, the .ships carrying chaplains having .services and the day being a holiday. This makes three holidays over the week-end. the other two being duly 4 and the crossing of the line to-morrow. I (in Friday an officer a hoard the Ludlow became suddenly ill with acute appendicitis. There was no surgeon on the destroyer, so the hospital ship. Belief was asked to stand by. The choppy sea was too great lor the destroyer's boat, but the Relief’s ainbllhtnsuccessfully transferred the olfiI cer for tin immediate operation. This thrilling incident speaks highly for naval medical efficiency and seamanship. It is interesting to note the vigour and agility of the command under the chief and his chief-of-staff in sports. Respite their years Admiral Csiontz. who is til. and Rear-Admiral Cole, who is f>7. hold their own with the younger men in deck games, especially tennis. I tea r-Admira 1 Cole altrihotes his fitness to life long practice of phylsical exercise, particularly a half-hour in setting up calisthenics every morning. \ Kl’Tl'XK COM F.H ABOARD. Mondav. didv G—.Joilv Roger Xen-

tune's Royal ensign was broken nm from tlie* peak when our position was on tlie line and Kid degrees tit; minutes west. II is Maiesty came aboard with liis retinae. One eotlld only see in a nightmare. His Majesty’s navigators took charge ef all vessels, after a fitting greeting from the commanding otlieers. Spirited mutinies broke out among the uninitiated junior officers. Imt these were harshly suppressed by the Itoyal Police whose batons blistered where they fell. The retinue then proceeded to the forecastle and the I a ltd lubbers were called up. The Roya' Prosecutor evinced an unnecessarily crabbed disposition and the tyrannical torturers showed no mercy. The Koval Physician was especially gleeful when administering bitter potions. MAX OVERBOARD. A man fell overboard from the Richmond, hut he was quickly rescued. Probably 20.000 otlieers ami men became citizens of Neptune's Domain amid flying grease paint and splashing water. The shellbacks claim they are csjieeially proud of the paddling administered wisely and well to each initiate. A little incident of peculiar interest occurred during the ceremonies on < Seattle. The ship's doctor. Reynolds Fay man. a middle-aged man. was the first to he initiated. Ihe doctor received vigorous punishment and came out of tlic- tank winded, hut turned to leap lia-k and pulled out a young lieutenant who had fainted from shock upon being eatapidted from the chair of torture into tla' water. The doctor carried the- lieutenant to a sick hay. where he quickly revived. Six seaplanes wen' catapulted from the light cruisers to-day for a practice Might and taking battle; formation they circled round the licet tent! Itttided on the water, tile' seas being smooth. Then tlime we're* hoisteal aboard by elerrie-ks. KINK WITH AUsTRAIJA. 'lues,lay. -lulv 7.—Close blood relationship between the people of Australia and I he l (Tided States i- indicated in an eld will in the possession of Captain William Merritt, of the Supply Corps, aboard the Seattle, which he.- is bringing with him. It. appears that |)r. William Balmain, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, came to Australia in the eighteenth century and obtained grants of I2ld acres in a suburb of Sydney. Members of his family emigrated to America, one of them serving on Genera! Washington's stall. I)r lialmaiu was a great-uncle of Captain Merritt's wife, ami this will would make her heir to his property, tint Captain Mei'r'jtt |joints out that such rights have long since expired, and this will and a picture ot Dr. Balmain, which lie has with him, are really onlv eloquent evidence of the true liaison of feeling between the two countries. I nontenant Williams has issued the following .statement concerning the rillo team which will compete at Melbourne and probably at Sydney: “The United States Fleet, rille team being a composite' out', selected from all the ships of the licet, is now quartered on the l’onnys!vania. Tile team was selected through eliminations at J(!() yards on a small bull's eye. designed to test each man’s marksmanship and steadiness. Two weeks’ additional time was then devoted to training the squad at dOO and fiOO yards, thus teaching them shooting judgment.'' KXT K X,s 1V K A! AXOKI 'VR E. The fleet engaged in an extensive manoeuvre to-day. various vessels falling out of formation and drawing closer to the Seattle, making possible a fairly clo.-e inspection of virtually all the misits. The fleet was an impressive sight under the brilliant sun and the pleasant seas. The cruiser Omaha and the Seattle engaged in gun-pointing practice. The fleet, despite; the slow speed, had been getting ahead of schedule, and in order to avoid arrival at Paga Indore dawn an order was issued reducing the rate from eleven to nine and a half knots. 'I lie position of the fleet is Bdog tOmin south and lf!7deg Siuitt west. Wednesday. July S.- -Admiral Coontz and liis staff have received an invitation to a farewell dinner from Captain IT. F. Bryan. Governor of American Samoa, on the evening before their departure from the last outpiost cd American territory on route to Australia. The position of the fleet is 7dcg .TOmin couth. IfiSdeg TOmin west. SONG GREETINGS. Song greetings from the L nited States Fleet to Australia have been written by Mr C. Boiler, leader oi the Admiral’s orchestra, and Lieutenant Shoe ley, and already the song has gained considerable popularity throughout the fleet. In nineteen eight the Yankee Fleet Af : ule a cruise around the world. She went to ports of wide renown. And had a merry whirl. But one place holds our memory— On this we all agree. You can’t beat old Australia For hospitality. Chorus : Fair Australia, we're for you. And we’re for New Zealand too. Once again we’re glad to he Shaking hands across the western sea. Eagle and kangaroo Will stand together through and through. United States Nary and her hoys in blue, ising “Australia, here’s to you. The song is entitled “Australia, Ye’re for You.”

ONE THOUSAND ATHLETES. Lieutenant Shelly, the fleet athletic officer and the American member of the Grand Meet Athletic Commission Turin" the war, estimates that tnoro than 10H0 athletes from the fleet will l» ready to participate in the competitions with Australians and New Zealanders. These include 52d baseball players, ICO boxers. 100 wrestlers, 50 track runners. 50 swimmers. 27 rifle shots. No Association football will l>c played, as the game is unknown. There is only one soccer team. The fleet takes a special pride in its boxers, particularly Richie King, of the .Maryland. All the Navy light-weight champions are 134-140H>. The Navy boxers are all trained for six-round bouts, two-minute rounds, with an extra three j minutes in the event of a draw. I E N IM.E A S.\ NT WEATHER. Thursday, duly !).—We ran into a heavy rain squall yesterday afternoon, hut before evening the ships ran into a clearing horizon, and the sun set in a sky flecked with many tints. Since leaving Honolulu this wa.s the first unple asant weather. The days hitherto ] have been brilliant and hot. The rain postponed all deck sports and boxing matches which had I ecu scheduled for after luncheon. The ships despile the rain, carried out a lengthy programme of manoeuvres. We are now passing around the eastern end of Tutuila and arc scheduled to arrive in the harbour entrance at six o’clock 10-morrow morning. The battleships and cruisers engaged in gun-pointing drills this morning. The position this evening is 11 deg 2'hnin south and 1 Ofldeg 31min west. AT I’AGO PAGO.

Friday. July 10.- -The fleet arrived at. Pago Pago on schedule lime. Tlie Seattle and California entered Hie liarliour for tlie* purposes of taking in fuel. The lloot leaves at six toniarrow morning. Admiral Count/, and Ucar-Admiral Cole went ashore for breakfast with the (uivernor and the Australian represeutalive to examine the programme ahead on arrival in Australia. Lieutenants MacDonald and Farncomb. of the British Navy, eonferred with Admirals Count/. Cole and ltobison and other memher.s of the. staff this morning, when the entertainment programme I was presented, hut only briefly dismissed. The Australians pointed out the facilities for earing for sailors ashore wore considerably limited, and Admiral Count/, therefore decided to curtail shore liberty from ten o’clock in the morning to one next morning, the chief petty officers having all night leave. Satisfaction was expressed that vessels of the Melbourne division will-have dockage, and that the battleship California will berth at the pier at Sydney. The admirals wore the guests of honour at a great competitive siva dance, which brought out- the chieftains, tribesmen and tribeswomen of the five Samoan Islands. Coder a blazing .sun tln-y danced through the afternoon. Then the leading chief, wearing a high I collar and cravat,-pith helmet, silk j puggaree and cloth coat, finally execuf- ; ing intricate steps, speeches of welcome were made, Icava was drunk and Admiral Coonl/. briefly expressed his thanks. i.oxc nrsTAXCK wikklkss. Sunday. July 12 -Our higli-frequeiiv radio expert. IBioufenaul Sell noli, last night exchanged a message with Ccith Heriiand. an amateur at Hiloun, Chile. AIOO miles away. Mcrnand reported an excellent reeepiien of the Seattle’s .signals. The Seattle before leaving Honolulu received a letter from Johannesburg (South Africa) from :tn amateur who reported hearing the Seattle 11.000 miles away. While flic Chile communication is not a record, it is a considerable performance, since if has two-way com in n a iea lion. ft is, moreover, an indication of the importance of tin' work being done by amateurs with high-freriuenry plants. A thirty-nine metre wave length was Used. PLANS FOR ACSTIIAIJA. Monday. July l.’S-—The final details are being worked out to-day for the arrival of the fleet divisions in Sydney and Melbourne. The Calilornia and Seattle will lead their respective divisions. The formation for entering the ports is not yet determii ed, hut will probably he as follows:—Melbourne, Seattle, battleships, cruisers, destroyers. and train; Sydney. California, battleships, train. At Melbourne the division will arrive off Port Phillips Heads at ten in the morning and at Sydney the decision will arrive off the harbour at eleven in the morning. The Seattle and California will break Hie British ensign at the main and tho former lire a twenty-one gun salute off the saluting fort, probably Fort (lellihrand, AVilliamstown. and the latter off the South Heads. Some confusion has arisen concerning the sailors’ shore liberty, ft was first believed that liberty in both 'Sydney and Melbourne would he restricted due to limited facilities in both cities to care for the bluejackets, but it now appears that this will affect only Sydney. The position is 20deg -11 minutes south. 177 deg. west. [Australia * X./. Cable Association.] TUTTLKSHIP SKATTLK. July l->. The special representative ot the Australian Press Association reports: To-day (Wednesday. July loth.) there is cooler weather. A general order has been issued that the officers and men ;ito (rhams** tlie*ir blue uniforms lor white. Northerly winds prevailed this morning, tho barometer tailing. Ihe meteorological reports brought, news of a. cvclone. centering in Tasman Pen. and a. tvphoim in the Formosa Channel, hut the weather here has continued clear and pleasant. The Fleet’s position is 2A degrees gJ minutes south. 17!) degrees, (i minutes east. Wo are approximately 2.00(1 miles Irom Port Phillip's entrance. The crossing ol the international date line was an important one to 20.0i>0 men, who expel ieuted tho loss of a day ell masse, and for the first time. A lost of the bluejackets did not understand the meaning of the process hereof, hut there was considerable celebration when it was learned that they were receiving two days’ pay. for one day's work. The joy thereof quickly disappeared when more experienced bluejackets pointed out that they would regain the day lost upon their return voyage, and moreover that there was a likelihood that two field days would follow each other as the result. Since a field day involves the holystoning ot the deck, the cleaning ot ship raid other unpleasant duties, the joy of the event completely evaporated. until it was explained that a ship is cleaned once a week, and there would only he one field dav.