The San Francisco call., 1908-04-27
SAILORS WELCOME
IS NEARLY READY
With Nine Days to Spare Vari-
Gus Committees Say Work
Is Practically Complete

-
with the fleet only nine days away,
San Francisco's preparations for the
entertainment Of the personnel are al
most complete. BY next Saturday the
work of getting ready will be prac-
tically at an end.
Completion of street decorat tions and
buildings to list invitations 10 the vac
rious functions and to- put finishing
touches on the thousands of small de-
tails are the remaining labors. That
the plans for the celebration may be
carried out without stint it is still
necessary to raise nearly $1,000. but II
money this week comes in as freely as
ii did during last week the purse will
be full before the sailors arrive. This
would give the committee about $4,000
So far as entertaining the enlisted
men directly is concerned little is left
to do. The sailors clubhouse at SO
Beale street, with its reading rooms,
billiard and pool tables, restaurant
dormitory and all sorts of conveniences
was opened Wednesday night and is
now being operated in charge of the
naval Young Mems Christian associa-
ton, of which +. A. McCarl is local sec
retary. The sailors Of the vessels OF
the Pacific squadron now in port have
already found out the rendezvous and
IL has become popular headquarters.
The navy pavilion, too, where the big
tent has been erected by the Market
street Improvement association at Mar
ket and Seventh streets, is all done but
the dedicating. This has been appro-
priately and beautifully fitted up with
about everything that the heart of the
most ardent jackie reasonably could
desire. The tent poles have been ar
ranged to represent battle masts of a
warship. with fighting tops and all
They present a striking appearance.
The pavilion has cost nearly $4,000
the whole amount having been gener-
ously donated by the Market street
merchants.
The complete schedule of athletic
events has been listed and champion
ship ma.ches in boxing, rowing. base
ball, basket ball, tugs OF war and field
day feats properly scheduled. The la
dies of the California club are busily at
work making their final arrangements
for the ball in honor of the tars at the
Auditorium the night of May IL, which
is TO be one of the main events of the
celebration.
MAKING MARKET STREET GAY
Raphael Weilrs committee on decora-
tions has the most work ahead of it.
Weill's men have finished setting up
poles at intervals of 100 feet along
both sides of Market street and Van
Ness avenue and are now stringing
long lines of incandescent light stream
ers. hanging them in festoons from pole
to pole. Twenty-Five thousand separate
lights are used in this decoration. Every
night at twilight they will be turned
on and will burn until O'Clock in the
morning. Each of the poles. too, will
be topped by a large American flag.
and down the length of each pole will
be plated stripes of red. white and
blue bunting. with trophies of flags of
all nations at intervals. This will be a
striking feature. Scores of workmen
are hurrying to complete the big "'Wel-
come sign on Telegraph hill. This
sign stands 40 feet high and 100 feet
long. and at night when the hundreds
of little. lights used to form the let
ers are burning the blazing words of
hospitality will be visible far out to
sea.
The harbor commissioners have con-
structed an American shield "a feet
high and 40 feet wide over the entrance
to the ferry building. 1t is visible from
many blocks up Market street. The
scheme of decoration outlined by the
commissioners calls for a welcome sign
on the bay side and for lines of flags
and bunting to be fitted into place on
the roof of the building.
AS for the other committees, they are
even further along. Parade plans are
all in the hands OF Grand Marshal Kos
ter, and Saturday the last of the invita-
tions for the series of banquets and
receptions were issued by the commit
tee on entertainment of officers. Allan
Pollok's publicity committee has caused
to be distributed all over California
and the Pacific coast states literature
pertaining to the coming of the battle
ships, with copies of the official poster
of welcome adopted by the fleet COM
naittee.
The committee which has its hands
completely full in anticipation, how
ever, is the California Promotion COM
mittee. 1t has undertaken the task of
providing for the thousands of visitors
who will come to the city. The problem
of housing $4,000 or 100000 persons In
rooms meant for only 10000 is the deli
cate problem 1t must solve.