Mower County transcript., 1908-05-27
AT THE
GOLDEN GATE.
Former Citizen of Brownsville
Writes of the Reception of the
Big War Ship Feet at, San
Francisco.
1925 10Th St., San Francisco, Cal

1925 18th St., San Francisco, CAL,
May II, 1908.
Mr.. L. L. Quimby,
Brownsville, MINI.
Dear Sir:
1t has come and gone. /
The great Armada heralded in /
amid the booming Of cannon, futter- t
ing flags, and wild huzzas from a
million throats, has left us, as in a
dream, awestricken and wondering
at the great spectacle we have seen
and enjoyed for ten days.
The day of the arrival of the Ar.
mada dawned a cloudy, foggy, cold
day and at times it rained, but in
spite of this the good people of San
Francisco were not to be held back
from witnessing a sight that will
likely never be surpassed. Early in
the morning the great crowds began
to: gather. on ell hills, high places
and along the beach, cliffs, ETC., but:
the largest crowd, estimated some !
200, 900, gathered at the government
reservation, and several hundred
thousand at other points, making
total of some 100000 people that
watched the fleet enter through the
Golden Gate. At II o'clock that
morning way out on the horizon we.
could see the smoke from the in
coming fleet and cry went up ALI
about 'There they come," and
gradually we were able to distin--
guish the white border of the ships. !.
We waited. They grew larger and
larger and the column longer and
longer until it stretched ou to- the
length of four miles, with 400 yards
between each snip. Then as the
Connecticut the flagship passed
through the gate, something hap
pened. Above us roared the cannon,
around us the crowd yelled in wild
| frenzy and below us in perfect coll
umn passed, majestically, serene and
beautiful, the greatest navy in the
| world. After the first impulse of
tn crowd had passed away with thes
echos, the people fell into spirit
of awe and reverence and not until
the last Of the twenty-four ships had
passed through the gate was that
same spirit of awe and reverence
laid aside among the throngs that
turned away with sober faces, hav-
| ing seen the greatest spectacle that
ever was witnessed in the world, of
| the largest number of battleships
torpedo boats and cruisers gathered
| together at one time in time of
peace.
First day was the fighting ships,
parade. 1t all stood for a peaceful
| nations power to srnite. The Pa
cific fleet joined them when they
anchored, and with three hundred
men on board each, two-thirds of
which Joined in the parade, made
grand showing of the power of the
| 'tmen behind the guns To see some
1000 to 5000 sailor boys coming up
the street in perfect companies,
straight and erect, in their leggings,
blue uniforms and white hats, at an
easy going swinging deck gate, is a
sight that will linger long in ones
memory. Each and every company
from the different ships representing
certain states received their share of
cheers from the people whose native
state was the one represented, and
don't you forget it we sent up few
cheers for good old Minnesota, which
certainly carried as fine bunch of
sailor boys as ever donned one Of
Uncle Sans uniforms. 1t took three
| hours to pass.
There were some 81 man-of-war
| vessels anchored in our harbor and
at night when each ship was illum-
mated with millions of incandescents
from Prov to stern, from mast tip to
deck, outlining the fighting tops
smokestacks, deck, etc, and with the
name OF each vessels written also in
lights, and the powerful searchlights
from each ship playing on the heav-
ems, it was a sight that would make
one think he was dreaming or in
fairyland. All summed up it was be-
yond description, anyway it.. would
take one better versed than I to do
| it Justice
| The city in itself cannot be sur
passed in illuminations. The main
street is one mass of electric light
for the distance of two miles. On
large hill overlooking the city, bay
and nelghboring country stands an
electric sign 900 feet long, so feet
high with s'WELCOME'' flashing
out to the sailors and officers. The
ferry building, city hall, large hotels
and Office buildings are all outlined.
in one mass of light. Altogether
where one stands on one of the sur
rounding hills it reminds you that
it is asfairy city, with the ships il.
luminated in the bay, forming a most
beautiful background. On every
square are bands playing patriotic
and amartial airs
After the first two days the rest
OF the week was spent in showing
and entertaining the officers and
men OF the fleet, and now they are
gone. often thought of Sir Walter
Scott's poem beginning, sBreathes
there a man with soul 50 dead that
mere to himself has said this is my
own, my native day z You can help;
being proud Of Uncle Sam with his
lmeh-0-War and brave. fiRhtin4 bows.