Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1899-09-05
CALTFORNIANS HOME
THE FIRST REGIMENT REACHES SAN
FRANCISCO.
The City Gives It's Soldiers a Glorious
Welcome. - A Bay Parade A Day
Parade and a Night Parade. Some
History.

Inc transport Onermdn redcneu odu
Francisco Thursday night with the First
California volunteer infantry regiment
and the California heavy artillery from
the Philippines. As soon as the vessel
was sighted the city was in an uproar.
Thousands Of people rushed for the
water front and high points where
good view of the bay could be secured.
The vessel was anchored outside for the
night and disappointment was their
lot.
Friday at 1 o'clock a great thing
happened. On the horizon appeared a
blur of smoke, no larger at first than a
mans hand. Slowly is rose and thick
ened, then was blown into rags by the
fresh breeze. A smokestack appeared.
then a dim and dirty hull and finally
there grew, like the apotheosis at the end
of the play, the SCARED white hull OF
the Sherman-the Sherman with a
heavy list to starboard TO show how
every one Of her 1900 men wanted to be
on the side toward home and shore.
Very slowly and sedately the Sherman
came in from the fog to the bright sum
light. As the transport advanced at a
pace not faster than a man could walk
the tugs and yachts flung thmselves in
parallel rows and spread out like gor-
gious fan tail in her wake, while like a
band of crusaders the people ashore
took up the march and pored along,
down from the hills, along the wharves,
q mighty multitude with eyes fixed on
the ship
Never have the waters of San Fran
cisco harbor reflected such an armada.
From the great white Iowa hurrying
down the bay to the meanest fishing
smack, bending under its brown sail,
everything with steam or sail was called
out to add to the luster of this Roman
holiday. Every man woman and child
gave himself up to blind, idolatrous
hero worship.
Everywhere the noise was deafening,
Rapid fire guns on the Sherman gave
back salutes and at the firing men who
have stood the shock Of q dozen battles
coverd their ears.
The procession finally reached the an.
Choir ground of the Sherman and dis
banded.
The evening was given over to fire.
works. The heavens glowed and sput-
tered deepest crimson from three i'm
proyised volcanic islets belching forth
hundreds of pounds of red fire. Off
toward Goat island, where passed the
hurrying ferries, hulk laden with in
tar barrels burned like
doomed ship at sea. Rockets rushed
high up into the veil of thin fog and
then drowsly popped and loosened all
the beauties of variegated colors in fam
tastic sprays of slowly dropping fire.
Curious things shot into the heavens as
a streak of light and came down as
dripping stalactites of creamy yellow,
slowly sitting down through space.
Small cannon blasted the atmosphere
and threw charges far aloft that burst
into perpendicular strings of red, white
and blue balls of fire that looked like
toy balloons suspended by invisible wires
from the glowing vault. Pistol shots
in rapid succession from populous NOV
ing vessels sounded childlike even at
close range, so overwhelming was the
yolumne of sound.
Saturday the regiment disembarlked
and were given breakfast by the citi-
zens' committee at the ferry building.
Relatives Of the soldiers were allowed
to see them, and hours were spent in
greetings.
About noon the regiment formed for
the march to the Preside. Business
houses along the entire line of march
were decked in the gayest OF colors; the
streets were tined with palms and ever
greens. Everywhere were signs OF well
come for the returning soldiers.
When the march was begun great
trouble was experienced in keeping the
crowd from the soldiers everyone seemed
to know some one in the ranks and
wanted to greet him. The roofs of
houses along the line of march were
covered with people and each had some
instrument for making noise and it was
used industriously. The cheering was
one continuous roar.
The regiment went into camp at the
presidio where it will remain until mus.
tered out-in about two weeks.
Saturday night saw the last of San
Francisco's wonderous welcome to her
soldiers. The ferry building had been
fitted up with long strings OF electric
lights from top to bottom; along Market
street out to the city hall wires laden
with incandescent lights were strung
from side to side. The city hall dome
was a mass of lamps, and when all these
were lighted they made the district
more beautiful than fairyland.
A parade took place at night in which
the native sons, civil and secret societies
all turned out and escorted the volun
teers to a banquet at the ferry building
The parade was the grandest ever seeI
in San Francisco, and took hours to pass
The citizens had contributed ovel
seO 600 to fund to give the First Cali
fornia fitting reception, and feel tina
the money has been well spent,
The final public act will be the pre-
santation to the members Of medals o
honor. which takes place this week,
The First California volunteer regi
ment was mustered into the service 0
the limited States May 4. 1t went int
camp at the Presidio Immediately an
,ras the first volunteer regiment to reac
tho Ground and the second voluntee
rag;ment in the Union to be enlisted
the service Of the United States.