The San Francisco call., 1899-08-25
. ALIFORNIA'S Volunteers are
home from the wars. Heralded
by the deafening boom of can

Y y by the deafening boom of can
~ non, greeted by a myriad of
boats, cheered again and
again, it seemed in never-endtng enthu-
siasm and glad welcome, the heroes of
the State sailed yesterday afternoon
1t was triumphal procession such as
the city IN all its history had never
seen before. It was a welcome without
parallel or precedent on the western
shore Of the American Continent. The
Sherman, great monster of the sea,
steamed from out of the fog curtain
that hung heavily over the heads.
Slowly the ship moved within the gate.
Thousands Of whistles were sounding
their shrill blasts from the city, the
wharves and the hundreds of vessels in
the bay. The mammoth guns of the
forts roared greeting that was
echoed and re-echoed among the hills
in bewildering reverberation. From the
hill tops of the city came the hoarse
acclaim Of glad cheers. The soldiers of
the Golden State We're home again,
their debt of patriotism paid to the ma
ton.
The day came haze-laden and gloomy.
A heavy fog hung over the Golden
Gate and obscured the northern shore
Of the bay. Masked behind it, as if
hidden by a great curtain, lay the Sher-
man nearly three miles out at sea-
Within the city all was hustle and con-
fusion, the babel of sounds and the
maze of exciting scenes. Men, women
and children were Fastening to the hill
tops and to the wharves. The streets
were thronged with people inspired by
eager, nervous energy and a common
impulse TO honor the men who had
passed through the stress and storm Of
battle in a triumphant cause.
Along the wharves were gay,y
adorned ships Of every kind. big and |
little. from The ocear transport to the /
tiny tug. From all waved the flags of
greeting, the symbols of what the city
felt and had enLeavored in persistent
purpose to express. AS the hour nearAd
noon the ships left their moorings and
their docks. Music, patriotic and ex-
hilarating, floated over the waters of
the bay; cheers born of the contagion
of excitement and enthusiasm sounded
from the wharves. Now and again came
the boom Of signal gun and the an
swer Of waving flags and loud hurrahs.
Down the bay the vessels steamed to-
ward the Golden Gate. The hour for
the home coming Of the Californians
was approaching.
Slowly the procession on the bay was
formed. Gradually a broad avenue was
opened by the tugs and yachts. Nearer
and nearer the procession drew to the
gate and then froL.- one of the shore
batteries came the sullen boom of a
gun. The Sherman had received its |
signal to enter 1t harbor Slowly, as
If by some mystic power of magic. the |
great ship 0ok form on the horizon
1t seemed as if the fog curtain of the
sea slowly Used and revealed the |
transport a shadowy ship on the ocean
Blast upon blast assaulted the ears
from the ships. Ships crowded in one |
great medley Of light and color and |
action. Guns shook the decks in
Tesounding vibrations The forts
added in tremendous volume to the
tumult and from the city. across ,ha
waters, came the deadened babel IF
welcome.
Like a giant ship the Sherman
steamed through the Golden Gate, and
then from her deck flame and smoke
shot high into the air. bomb burst
far above the masts of the welcoming
ships, and the incoming soldiers had
heralded in tn II own way their return
home Down the avenue of vessels the
mammoth transport steamed. Soldier
forms were clinging to her yards; her
decks were black with moving figures.
Cheer upon cheer echoed in the air, and
with punctuating precision came the
roar Of the guns from the forts.
The liliputian boats Of the escort cir
cled like pigmies behind the leviathan.
and in such manner the Sherman was
brought home. There were greetings
TO give, and in turn the vessels of the
escort steamed to the side of the trans
port. The returning soldiers showed
the marks Of their stern apprenticeship