The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-07
FLEET NOSES
 INTO FRISCO A Brilliant Spectacle is
 Presented. MILLION PERSONS SEE IT Secretary Metealf Welcomes Home
 coming Vessels. Admiral Evans on Bridge of His Flag ship When the Psrades Files
 Through the Golden
 Gate.

oah Ffdhclsco, May 6-Through the towering rocky portals of the Golden Gate-heavy laden with the romance of centuries-into the harbor of the city of hundred hills; into a new San Francisco, risen from the ruins of two years ago. the Atlantic battleship fleet steamed today in revIew of a multi tude unnumbered.
 1t was the same imposing pageant of immaculate white ships that sailed from Hampton Roads nearly i've months ago in the wake of the Presi- dents flag, but with tLe splendid ac- complishments of cord-hreaking cruise of more than 14.00o miles and three weeks of wonderful target work behind 1t.
 Today the white anchored. four star red blue flag of the Secretary of the Navy. flying from the mainmast of the gunboat Yorktown, fiuttered the welcome of the navy. while the Cow ernor of California. the Mayor of San Francisco and the people of hundred towns and cities. voiced the greetings of the enthusiastic West.
 San Francisco, Oakland and other cities nearby all took'a holiday to wit ness the coming of the fleet. There was a complete cessation of business and the streets downtown were abso- lutely deserted. Mole people came i'm to the city last night and this morning than left during the earthquake.
 4 welcome sign spelled in letters fifty feet high topped the heights ot Telegraph Hill. Tho sun. which all morning long had been obscured Dy heavy gray clouds, broke through just as the ships were passing through the Golden Gate.
 Gay with MerrymaliaG.
 Tonight the city is gay with merry making and the long program of enc tertainments in honor of the neet IS under way Streets and buildings are illuminated. many of tue giant sky acrapers thRt have risen upon the sites of less imposing buildings destroNed. being outlined in Ire af electric bulbs. In the anchorage Erounds. th inuminaHons af the heay' ess asseia Ted
 liant the ws9efs Jf lns
 ofFicial dinners, band eVncertth a reception and ball at the FairnS Hotel are features of the first ing of the fleets stay.
 The fleet threaded it's way through the crowded harbor. past the Islands and ferry lanes and reaching far out to the Oakland shore. turned nt last when opposite Huntar's Point and pointing back toward ssSfdsn Gate to
 
 anchorage formation
 The sixteen vessels of the Atlantic cruise, augmented by two battleshtpa recruited here for enc remainder or the trip around the world-the He- braslxa and Wisconstn-ocupy tns i've inside lines of the four columns cx ships now in the harbGr. The arm ored cruisers of the Pacific fleet have the lines nearest the Oakland shore. while the little black destroyers ox both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets are berthed close in toward the san Fran cisco water front.
 The excursion fleet was kept out or the warships pathway by patrol or revenue cutters and ali ferry service ,yaa suspended during the parade
 Evans on the Bridge.
 Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans .+ood nm the after bridge Of the Con- nectic,it as the flagship led the way through the harbor gate
 fog was lowering over the snlps = they got under way at Il oc,oSH S,s.,s,,'. sn.s mornfnp ofY Sau Francisco mGhtships when four miles away the ships came into fulI view of the th~usands lining the shores. ..., Mount ra amalpafs! raising its peak 2'Soo tseS above the sea, was crowded Wl'h sh~ early risers. , ,,as alao
 
 4h rongad with sightseers. Near the entrance the sloping shores, all tne nav from the heights down 70 Iinhe Point. marking the north point or .no inner gate. were fairly covered With thousands. . s~o,,, the Preside to the site or the Ia,heus sl. Siter House. the Seal Rocks and Tor r,lIes along the beaches. the division of the crowd that made up the esti- r1ated total of a million onlookerss were gathered in great black patches.
 The cannon of the Preside and or Fort Baker boomed a salute or twenty one guns as the Connecticut passed within the headIands of the gate. The oo,aniimeut was returned by the Con- necticut amid loud cheers from th@ people on shore.
 Review by Metcalf.
 Tba shins as they steamed Into the bav were dressed only at the mast heads. big American flags flying at fore and aft trucks and at the peaks of the gaffs. .. tr review before Secretary Metcalf and the Connecticut fired a salute Of sew enteen guns. into the four long anchorage lines signal from the flagship sent the hut tering lines Of rainbow haks hylhs v the masth heads and the ships were at full dress for the day.
 No class of citizens in the city was more interested in the coming of the fleet than the Chinese. The Japanese residents also gathered in large num- bers on the hlllsides to see the page ant. L,
 After the fleet had anchored. the Government launch put on from Nits- sion street wharf bearing Mayor Taylor and the reception committee to pay the city officials greetings and proclaim formal welcome to Rear Admiral Evans and the steamers. The launch reached the flagship at 3 o'clock and the Mayor and the committee were received by the Admiral. Hearty greetings were ex- changed between the Admiral, Mayor and members of the reception commit tee.
 Following the official call, Admiral Evans came ashore and was taken to the St. Francis Hotel to meet his wife