Page:America Fallen!.djvu/101

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Indemnity or Bombardment
89

night for the wireless message, telling him that the capture of the defences of New York had opened a safe passage for his fleet into the upper bay. The message came, as he knew it must, in due course; and immediately signal was made for the fleet to steam at full speed for the harbor entrance.

Following the flagship, in single column, were the dreadnoughts of the Koenig and Kaiser classes, making, with the Koenig, nine in all; a division of armored cruisers, headed by the Roon; and a division of light cruisers.

Thrown out fanwise in the van of the fleet and flanking it on each side in two parallel columns were the destroyer flotillas.

When that stately line had swept through the Narrows, signal was made for half speed; and after hugging the easterly side of the Channel, the flagship