THE PACIFIC FLEET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13699, 16 March 1908, Page 5

THE PACIFIC FLEET.

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA,

THE INVITATION ACCEPTED. CALLS AT SAMOA AND HAWAII Ky Telegraph.—Press Copyright. (Received March 15, 5.30 p.m.) London, March M. Official advices from Washington state that Admiral Evans' fleet will leave San Francisco on July 6 and will in turn visit Hawaii, Samoa, Melbourne, and Sydney. From Sydney the fleet will proceed to the Philippine Islands for autumn gunnery practice, after which it will return to the Atlantic, via Suez. Mr. Deakin's invitation to the fleet to visit Australia was supported by the British Ambassador. NO VISIT TO CANADA. Vancouver, March 13. A meeting at Vancouver Recommended the extending of an invitation to Admiral Evans' fleet to visit Vancouver. Ottawa, March 13. Sir Wilfrid Laurier (the Canadian Prime Minister) has been advised from a very influential quarter not to invite the American Pacific Squadron to visit Canada. The flecl consists of 16 battleships, nearly as many cruisers and gunboats, several torpedoers and colliers, 52 vessels in all, and represents a money value of £25,000,000. . Rear-Admiral Evans, who has charge of the fleet, has : n his keeping the lives of 15,300 men, and on his flagship alone he has £600,000 in actual money for salaries. Each battleship carries 3000 tons of ammunition, ranging from " blanks," used in firing official salutes, to two-ton combinations of guncotton and lignite. The warships are equipped with 1 wireless telegraph apparatus, and carry a number of official recorders of the tour, who send their messages .to approved agencies in New York, and are debarred from contributing magazine articles on the progress of the fleet. The list of battleships is as follows: — Tons. Guns. Speed.* Connecticut ... 16,000 24 18 Maine ... ... 12,500 20 18 Louisiana ... 16.000 - 24 18 Missouri ... 12,500 20. 18 Virginia .. 14,948 24 19 (Georgia ... 14,948 24 19 New Jersey ... 14,948 24 19 Rhode Island... 14,948 24 19 Alabama ... 11,525 - - is • 17 Illinois 11,525 18 17 Kearsarge ... 11,525 22 16 Kentucky ... 11,525 22 16 Ohio 12,500 \ 20 18 Minnesota ... 17,650 24 18 Vermont ' ... 17,650 24 ' 18 Kansas ... ... 14,650 24 18 PROTECTED CRUISERS. Charleston ... 9,700 14 <- 22 Chicago ... 4,500 18 18 Milwaukee ... 9,700 16 22 St. Louis ... 9,700 - IV '22 pftour.