The San Francisco call., 1899-07-13

rived in port yesterday on the army
transports Newport and Ohio, after an
uneventful voyage of twenty-seven
days on summer seas, all fairly well
on board. The reception they received
could not have been warmer had they
been the best beloved sons of Califor-
mia.
The transports were sighted at 2
o'clock in the afternoon off Point Reyes
and reported to the city by telephone.
In less than half an hour afterward,
the water front from Meiggs Wharf to
the Folsom-street pier was alive with
humanity, awaiting the chance to yell
itself hoarse,- to cheer and to wave its
myriad handkerchiefs in greeting to
the homecoming boys In brown. Flags
were shot out on the city's poles and
bunting was spread on every craft on
the bay; whistles footed and footed in
the hope that some echo of their inhar-
monious concert might reach the home
ward bound; small craft and large craft,
whitehalls. yachts. tugs, launches and
ferry boats, crowded with people, be-
gan moving to and fro in the vicinity
of the ferry depot, impatient for the
meeting. Crowds upon crowds lined the
edge of the water front thronged the
piers and swarmed all over the gaiiy
decorated ships moored alongside. The
wooden boundaries of the bay were OBJ
scured by walls of people eager to tes-
tify their JOY at the return of the Ore
gonians and to add to the welcome the
Governor of the northern State and his
party had come to give their soldier
boys.
Governor Geer and his staff. in full
uniform, were at the Preside with
Major General Shafter and staff.
lunching with Colonel Freeman. the
commandant of the post, when they
learned the news. They hastened at
once to the berth of the State tug, Gov
ernor Irwin next to the transport dock
al Howard street. They were compell-
ed TO push their way through a big
crowd. on the dock they were met by
Adjutant General Seamans, n. G. c.,
and staff. Harbor Commissioners Har-
ney and Hercld and officers of the
naval militia.
At O'Clock, it's whistle footing and
flags and bunting flying, the Governor
Irwin steamed out into the stream,
amid shrieking of whistles, turning
eastward by direction of the adjutant
general, to pass the Marion at Folsom
street Wharf. The party on the Irwin
consisted of:
Governor Geer, Adjutant General
Tuttle and wife, Colonel Davige NJ.
Dunn and wife, Major A. B. Gillis, Mrs.
Jorgensen, Colonel S. C. Spencer and
Wife, Major j. Mel Wood, Captain E.
c. Mears, Mrs. NJ. B. jackson, Misses
Nellie and Katie FIavel.
General Shafter, accompanied by
Lieutenant Colonel Plummer of the
Thirty fifth Infantry, Major R. H.
Noble, Captain William H. McKittrick,
L. S. a, and r. D. Clark of New York.
With Adjutant General w H Sea-
mans We're Colonel J. F. Bergin, Lieu
tenant Colonels F. E. Beck, J. r. How
ell, ]. S. Young, ". B. Sanborn, Assist
ant Adjutant General Thomas Cluff,
Major L. F. Schmidt Lieutenant
Colonel and Engineer officer of Di-
vision Charles L. Muir ply and Captain
Hewes of the Signal Corps
Captain Lewis H. Turner, Lieutenant
Commander Nierney and Lieutenant
Harlow of the Naval Battalion.
Colonel Jackson. retired, of the Sec
ond United States Cavalry, now in
spector general of Governor Geer's
staff. Surgeon General Greenleaf, U. S.
A. DIR. Rethers and DR.. O'Brien were
also on board.
AS the bow of the Irwin shot into
view of the watchers the first shot of
seventeen-gun salute was fired in honor
Of Governor Geer, shot after shot fol-
lowing until the tug had passed the
Naval Battalion boat and was turning
westward again TO meet the incoming
transports. The footing of the whistles
of the Irwin was notice to the other
vessels in the harbor that the chorus
could come in, and for the space Of two
minutes one could not hear oneself
think so great was the din. The walls
Of humanity along the front became
wildly animated and waved hats, hands
and handkerchiefs in the effort to con-
vert themselves into human sema-
phores to wigwag a godspeed to the
Gubernatoriei party.
From every pier there darted out to
follow in the wake of the Oregonian
party gayly decorated craft laden with
sightseers, and long before the Irwin
had puffed abreast of Meiggs wharf
there was a beautiful naval parade.
The day was ideal for such a purpose.
The breeze was blowing in stiff1y from
the ocean, fluttering out the flags, the
salty bay water was spraying in the
sunlight and the parading boats were
laden with beautiful women and Off
GERS in full regimentals
Meiggs wharf. marking the end of the
cty's water front, presented a beauti-
full sight. Several thousand people
waving flags and headwear and white
kerchiefs, cheered as the welcoming
party passed, and the many flags on
the barge office caught just then an
extra blast Of the breeze that dipped
them as if in salute
Every eye was strained ahead for a
first glimpse of the transports. Gov
ernor Geer and the members of his
party took the stern of the boat for it,
with General Shafter and his staff,
where the spray could not reach them.