Wonderfully illustrated volume, with the sixteen white battleships with gold trimmed bows, shown in formation. Not much about conditions aboard ship or amusements for the crew. Here is an example of the patriotic intent of the trip:
p. 28: The Navy sought solid, patriotic young men who possessed or could develop technical proficiencies. To attract these types of recruits, the Navy purposely improved living conditions, sponsoring such activities as organized sports and establishing a system of ship libraries. At the same time, with the victories of the Spanish-American War, and the increasingly powerful battle fleet, the Navy came in national consciousness to embody the country’s might. Pro-Navy sentiment benefited recruiting across the United States.