Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-20
AUSTRALIANS
WELCOME
FLEET
AMERICAN ARMADA DROPS
ANCHOR IN BAY OF SYDNEY
Hundred Thousand EnthuSiaS-
tic CoIoniStS on Hand to
Greet Yankee TarS on World
CirCIing Voyage,

CirCling Voyage,
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wirel
Sydney, n $. W., Aug. 2O.--Early
this morning a thin veil Of smoke on
the horizon signaled to the watchers
on the coast the approach of the Am
erican warships and at 5:35 official no.
tification was sent out that the fleet
had been sighted. 1t was yet twenty
miles outside of Sydney harbor, but
this word which had been awaited
eagerly by tens of thousands stirred
the Australians like a call to arms
and almost instaltly those who had
not left the city to take up points of
vantage along the bays were moving in
other places on the harbor front to
watch the coming of the great ships
from the new world. The day broke
bright and clear and so intense was
the interest in the American ships of
war that half the populace remained
awake the entire night and thousands
upon thousands of them long before
the night was over were on their way
to the hills to pass outside of the city
limits whore they congregated SEEM
ingly in unbroken lines along the coast
from Bondi beach to Manly
1t is estimated that hardly less than
half a million people assembled to
give the visitors a royal welcome.
Sydney harbor with its innumerable
bays and coves, never looked more
beautiful nor did the American sailors
ever witness a more inspiring sight
than that which met their eyes as the
white ships came through the channel
past the great headlands into Port
Jackson.
a hundred thousand peop!G, tbs
greatest single assemblage of all,
gathered on the south heads where a
magnificent view of the whole sceh2
was to be had. Hundreds of craft of
all kinds moved up and down even at
that early hour, all the waters with
the exception of the fairway and the
anchorages, being dotted with little
and big vessels decorated in every con-
ceivable manner with flags and bunt-
ing
The fleet left Auckland at S:l5 Sat
urday morning and with the eXcep-
ton of one day had fair weather all
the way to Sydney. On Tuesday the
warships encountered heavy winds
which threw up a stiff head sea, great
ly retarding their progress. Through
out Tuesday night the high seas caus-
ed the larger of the ships to roll at
least twenty degrees while the auXil-
iaries suffered even more severely
There was considerable discomfort for
all the men and the intervals between
the vessels were increased to 600
yards The formation, however, was
not changed. No cvolutions were in
dulged on account of the heavy wealth
er during this period but this abated
the following day when the ships were
about 100 miles from port
Speed was then increased to twelve
knots and although the hospital ship
Relief was left behind, the others
reached the coast on schedule time,
the Americans as anxious as the Aus
tralians to participate in the reception
and the fetes which the latter have
prepared for them.
In perfect alignment the flagshlp
Connecticut leading, with Rear Ad-
miral Sperry on the bridgeii the war
- No a
little smoke showing and then the
hulls, low down in the distance.
Passing in through the Sydney
heads in double column, at intervals
of 400 yards the ships looked to have
world of speed and power under their
glistening sides The fleet was attend
, ed by convoy steamers and was greet
! cd with roar of salutes from the
! forts as II steamed slowly along. The
thousands ashore and ailoat added
their cheers to swell the noisy vel
come and countless British and Amerl-
can flags were flung TO the breeze and
were still waving long after the an
chors had been swung from the sides
The American ships doomed forth q
salute 10 the port as soon as they were
safely moored at their anchorage and
official visits were exchanged.
For a portion Of the latter part OF
the voyage when within only a few
miles OF sydney a thick haze set in
which, although 1t lifted at times, nec-
essltated slow speed in coming up to
the heads. About ten o'clock, how
ever, the fleet majestically glided out
OF the gloom and the south station
head sent up a signal OF welcome. The
lConnecticut led the fleet which nov
stretched out In single file a distance
OF about ten miles. The warships
stood up in the bright sunshine and
turning seaward completed a magnlf-
icent curve at speed of about siS
knots. When the flagship entered ths
heads at 11:45 the last ship was foul
miles away.
Officers on board the battleship'
were enthusiastic In their praise of the
magnificent welcome and the wonder
ful scenes along the coast and in the
harbor. The cheer OF the greeting re-
minded them OF their reception al
San Francisco but they declared tha'
II was even heartier.
The Connecticut anchored of Ad