CRUISERS NOW EN ROUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 10

CRUISERS NOW EN ROUTE.

MEN WHO MISSED SHIPS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Ilecd. 6.5 p.m.) SYDNEY", Aug. 9. A wireless message from .Admiral Robison, on the flagship California, now en route to Auckland,. states that. 43 sailors failed to rejoin their ships ir. Sydney.

Two stragglers reported to tho American who sent them forward as passengers by the Ulimaroa, which left for Auckland at noon yesterday. Tho destroyer Chase, having completed her engine repairs, sailed for New Zealand on Saturdav.

Mr. Norman, the United States Consul, said ho thought it would bo an excellent idea for Australia to return tho call just mado by America. Ho suggested that tho vessel of tho Australian Fleet should cross the Pacific and visit Seatth. San Francisco and other West ('past ports, then pass through the Panama Canal and visit such places as New Orleans, Now York and Boston. The advertisement which would thus bo gained would far outweigh the expenditure involved. This is giving concreto expression to an idea which was a favourite theme with the American officers whilo they were in Melbourne.

A message from Hobart savs: Tho light cruiser division left for New Zealand on Saturday' amid scenes of unprecedented enthusiasm.

ihe Larl of Stradbroke, Governor of Victoria, was a passenger aboard tho Richmond for Wellington.

FLEET INSPECTIONS. ENORMOUS SYDNEY CROWD. So great was the throng of visitors to tho battleships California, New Mexico and Idaho, at Sydney, on Sunday, July 26, that before four o'clock an urgent request had to bo made to the officials of the Sydney Ferries, Limited, not to convey uny further people (o the ships as tho accommodation was then taxed to its full capacity. At the time tho message was received, there were seve-al crowded ferry boats on their way to tho ships, and an effort was mado to get all their passengers on board ono or other of tiie battleships, but of the last boatload of people, somo hundreds had to be refused admission, owing to tho tremendous crush aboard the warships. At Port Melbourne on tho Saturday following tho arrival of tho fleet the crowd was too dense for comfortablo inspection of tho two ships that wcro open, the Seattle and the Oklahoma. The public was not admitted to tho Oklahoma until half-past two o'clock. At that hour a tight, swaying crowd of hundreds of peple was packed around tho base of tho wooden gangway that led to the Seattle, all struggling to go on board, and the efforts of four perspiring policemen to control them were of littlo avail. Tho Seattle, however, is a large ship, and there was ample room in which to niovo about once one did get aboard. On ■ tho following day, Sunday, there was ample room on board the warships, and visitors were able to mako detailed inspections of ■ the ships in "comfort. About 60,000 people wcro carried from Flinders Street station to Port Melbourne between half-past. one and half-past four that afternoon, and all were taken back to Flinders Street by six o'clock. When the Renown was open for inspection during t-lie visit of tho Princo of Wales in 1920 the number of people carried was 50.000, so that tiie traffic on this occasion eclipsed that record by 10,000. KANGAKQO AS MASCOT. GIFT TO THE TENNESSEE, Mr. L. A. Baker took two sailors from tho battleship Tennessee to D.ubbo, New South Wales, on July 27. Tho Mayor and aldermen presented the Qaiior.s. with a young kangaroo from the park enclosure. They aro taking it with them as a mascot for tlfiT ship Tennessee.