The San Francisco call., 1899-08-24
with its three blasts, and three times
the Sherman screeched in return, and
just as she did so the notes of taps
stole softly over the water. II was time
for the soldiers good night" and with
that ringing IN the ears OF its pas
sengers the tug sped toward the city.
leaving the great white vessel with her
decks still alive, chained fast 10 the
bottom, just in sight Of home.
LIKE BEDLAM LET LOOSE.
Streets ThT0l8ad With a Wildly En-
thUSiaStiG Multitude.
Booming Of The Calls Signal Gun Marks tie
Beginning Of 1 Remarkable Demon
strati0l Of joy.

.'Bangr'
The sharp report Of the cannon IN the
dome OF the Claus Spreckels building at
Just O'Clock last night. sounding loud
and clear above the noise Of the street,
siguaIed 70 the l1rrytug multitude below
the welcome information that CALIFORNIA; ;
brave soldier boys We're in sight Of their
native land simultaneously. with the
booming OF the cannon the following bull
Ietin was posted in the window OF The
Call business Office
Transport sighted six miles outside the
heads"
An instant later a cannon located on top
OF q building across Market street boom
ed forth a confirmation Of The Calls an
nOuncement. followed almost Immediately
by the earsp pIitting blast Of a steam siren.
the first sCreech Of which had hardly died
away when Tie refrain was taken up IN
a hundred places through the city. Every
whistle from the Union Iron Works 70
Fort Point and in fact everything ii San
Francisco that could be made % produce
noise was turned loose and the terrific
din startled the community into 4 spas
m0dic scramble for the open air, many
being unable for the moment 20 realize
what it was all about The effect pro-
duCed by booming cannon. ScreeChIug
whistles and Changing bells, Tor the 1rSC
quarter OF Al hour can hardly be deScrI5-
ed = riot call sounded through the
streets would not have produced half the
hurry and Excitement OF that brief space
Of time
II is true the announcement was made
over e week ago and mas been repeated
daily ever since that the first news Of the
approach Of the Sherman within. sight Of
the shores OF California would Dc Slgnaled
ii just SuCh manner, but the signal
came with such startling suddeuneSS that
the people were m6melrartly Gazed and
did net a. first realize what Il al meant
Those n the vicinity Of the newspaper
Offices were quickly Informed by the bull
I@tlrs that the volunteers in whose honor
they have prepared q magnificent reCep-
ton were cI0se AZ hand, and the informa-
ton was quickly disseminated throughout
the city
The srraetcars. loaded down with the
usual honeward-bouud crowds OF work
ing men and women. were half eupLIed n
z IFiCe. the erSEWEIle passengers swelling
the rapidly growing ranks or pedestrians,
! half crazed with JOY and adding 10 Lde
awful ain by venting their enthusiasm
through tinhorus, peddIers OF which
seemed 70 literally spring cut OF the side
walks
C-pou the first announcement OF the ar
rival OF the transport OF the entrance 10
3 the haTbOr the street railway companies
pIacarded all their cars with notices 70
that effect ard reaped an abundant har-
vest OF uicke-s for their foresight Every
body wanted u get downtown and TO get
taere in a hurry
What a crowd that was and how quickly
il gathered. Within thirty minutes from
the tine The Call cannon doomed forth
the welcome tfdiugs Market street was /
living stream OF humanity, with the water
front its objective point while every car
headsd for the ferry was packed with
men. women and children ali seemingly
imbued with the one idea that the Sher-
man with her precious freight was head
ing straight Tor the EolsOn-SrreeC wharf
OF course, they were mistaken but they
We're not taking any chances OF not being
among the first 70 greet the returned
heroes when they landed
Chief Wharhnger Percy Henderson was
seated in his office when he heard the first
shot fred in the battle OF noise. Before
he could get 10 the door q telephone mes
sage brought the information that the
racket had already conveyed 10 him Then
( he looked out along the wharf toward the
ferry building, and the sight that met his
gaze deprived him OF breath ana caused
sudden paIL0r 70 0verspread his features
The wharf was already black with people,
and they were charging down upon the
little wooden building in which the chief
whsrdnger's headquarters are located Ike
an avenglng army
What time does the parade Begin
''When viii the boys landg
4 score Of eager voices shouted these
and uumerouS other questions Or similar
nature al his devoted head in a chorus
After a hurried consultation with the tel
ephOue, while his assistants neId the door
against the swarmlug crowd, MI Hen
ders0n announced. LearIuIiy, tnaL lne SOL
dters would not land tonight and Inat the
bay parade would take place al u CLOCK
Al frsr the crowd was inclined 70 be
e
/ that the course decided upon was the only
sensible one. al things considered, ard
stepped aside 70 make room Tor me new
arrivals For three solid hours Mr. Hen
derso1 and MS assistants repeated tne
same answers 70 the same questions until
their heads began 70 droop and their
tongues could hardly wag-
At last IL reached this stage
Have a cigar, Percy
Ten O 'clock-Oh, thanks
Mr. Henderson. would Ike to"
4 parade begins 2T u
I T6eT1 the Chief Wharfingsr fed. His as
+ sfstants held out a while longer. but
I human nature could not stand the strain
/ and they were forced to capitulate-
Among those who besieged the whar-
fingers Office were many relatives OF the
soldiers, and they were naturally much
1fsapuofntet1 when informed that it would
Z be Impossible for them 70 greet their
loved ones last night
There will be q good many OF Us go
TO bed hungry tonight, said one young
woman, and we will not sleep much
either. Ny brother IS OF board that