The San Francisco call., 1908-05-22
BATTLESHIPS REST
IN BELLINGHAM BAY
Admiral Sperry and First DiviS=
ion of Atlantic Fleet Greeted
by Thousands

BELLINGHAM. Wash. May 2l--
With its incandescent bulbs cleaning z
and IT'S sesrchlights playing across the
heavens. the first division OF the At
lantic bsttIeship feet rests tonight on
the bosom OF the spacious harbor OF
Bellingham bay
The feet has been officially vel
coined by the municipal authorities and
officers and shore leave men are being
entertained ashore. On account Of =
very heavy tide the vessels did not ar
rive until shortly after noon. being one
hour behind the scheduled time.
The entrance into the harbor was
viewed by thousands OF people from
Beilinghem and the surrounding coun-
try, who stood on the commanding
heights OF Beilingham. Sehome bill
and the wharves along the water front
Shortly after midnight the feet
rounded Cape Flattery and entered the
strait OF Juan de Fuca- Sailing east
ward, Il passed between the fir lined
shores OF America and British Colum-
bis, under a clouded sky, guided by
Pilot Herbert F. Beecher. son OF the
famous preacher. Henry Ward Beecher.
20 Port Angeles. where, on a signal
from the flagship, the Louisiana, Nir-
ginis- Missouri and Ohio left the line
and turned into Port Angeles.
SHIPS GO TO NAVY YARD
Continuing on 10 a point opposite
Port Townsend. the Illinois. Kearsarge.
turned southwark past the land fOrti-
fcations at Fort Worden. The Illi-
nois and Kearsarge entered and an
chored in the harbor OF Port Townsend.
while the Wisconsin, Nebraska and
Kentucky sailed on toward the Brem-
erton navy yard
The first division Of seven ships fol-
lowed Rear Admiral Sperrys blue pen
nant toward the north and threaded
it's way among the many wooded
islands OF the San Juan archipelago.
where the smuggler in the days that
are passed had his concealment
Going up Rosario strait, the division
passed between Cypress and Guemes
Islands into Beilingham channel, skirt
cd the southern shores of Lummi
island. passed Commercial point in sin
ale line and drew near the water front
Of Beilingham.
SALUTEs FOR ADMIRAL
The division then changed its forma-
ton from single to double lines, the
Connecticut at the head of the line on
the right and the Georgia on the left.
When the auchoring ground was
reached and anchors Were down sa-
lutte Of 8 dynamite cartridges was fired
bv the blowing Of whistles and the
cheers Of the thousands on land
novel feature Of the greeting was
the discharge Of fireworks by the local
Jspanese society
3ust as the Connecticut acknowledged
the salute from land bomb hurtled
through the air and exploded in the
sky. and large silk American flag at
rached 70 a red. white and blue para
chute burst forth and foated away TO
the east.
few minutes afterward a launch
containing Mayor James p. de Mattos
and the executive committee put out
and boarded the flagship. where a for
NAL welcome was extended and ac-
cepted by Rear Admiral Sperry in be-
half Of his officers and men.
sPERRY RESPONDS TO MAYOR
In his formal address of welcome
Mayor De Mattos commented on the
fact that the feet was now at the
most northwesterly county seat in the
United States and that il was on San
Juan island. near here, that Captain
George Z. Pickett OF Gettysburg, fame
was stationed during the time that the
San Juan question was the bone OF
contention between the United States
and Great Britain.
IN bis response Rear Admiral Sperry
said that the navy was a creation OF