Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-04-20


leaving Hampton Roads, the battle
ships are separated. In home har-
bors, a few miles apart, they lie at
anchor in divisions of four, and these
positions they will maintain until
next Saturday morning, when the Is
fighting craft, again united under
the flag of Rear Admiral Thomas,
will get under way for Santa Bar
bara, the next port of welcome.
For the ships, for the officers and
the men and for the people of Los
Angeles this has been busy Easter
Sunday.
The division of the feet was ac-
complished during the morning,
but even at this early hour the
shores of San Pedro were well COW
cred with spectators eager to witness
the maneuvers of the warships.
While the crowds ashore watched.
suddenly the signals began to fly and
with few minutes the second divi-
sion, led by its flagship, the Georgia,
steamed slowly out of line and pro-
ceeded three miles across the harbor
to point opposite Long Beach. The
third and fourth divisions rounded
Point Firmin for a longer cruise, the
four ships led by the flagship Maine
proceeding to anchorage in the most
sheltered portion of Santa Monica
bay, and the fourth division, with the
Alabama leading, dropping out of the
column to anchor a few hundred
yards OFF the pier at Redondo.
Thousands Visit Fleet.
At an early hour the steam and
electric roads were transporting
thousands of visitors to all four
ports, and as the day advanced the
overcrowded beach cities sent their
surplus thousands of people along
the stretches of sandy beach out
along the docks and piers, and up
along the hills that commanded the
best view of the vessels at anchor.
Not until this afternoon were Wis
itors received on board, and after
that time the people surged aboard
the boat landings and the bays were
dotted with tiny craft, laden to the
limit of safety with men, women and
children who struggled to be first
aboard the big, white, clean fighting
ships.
Churches Welcome Sailors.
A striking feature of the service in
each of the big churches of Los An
geles was the presence of squads OF
sailors in uniform, who were without
exception given places in the front
pews and to whom, in nearly every
instance, the clergymen addressed a
portion of the Easter sermons. The
Church squad" composed of first
class liberty men, were brought
ashore early in the morning, and
after attending deyotions were given
until today to see the city.
Patrols were landed at the beach
cities and sent into Los Angeles, but
up to a late hour there had not been
a single instance of disorder.
Round of Entertainments.
Throughout the next Ave days
while officers and men of the fleet
are participating in the round of ban
quets, balls and other forms of enter
tainment devised by various commit
tees, the people of all southern Call
fornia will be welcomed aboard the
battleships, and each night there
will be a repetition of Saturday
nights illumination. Judging from
yesterdays record, it is safe to say
that a quarter of a million people
will make the effort to inspect the big
guns at close range and learn no"
Jack" lives aboard ship.
The formal welcome to the officers
will be rendered by the city of Los
angeles tonight in a banquet at the
Hotel Alexandria, to which 25O lnFl-
ations have been issued. The al
lair will be one of the most notable
the history of the city. and the
decorations, which have been days Ia
Preparation. are said TO be nnsur-
assed at any function that has taken
lace in California in late years
General Adna r. Chaffee, L. 5. A.,
tired. will be chairman. and Joseph
ott. president of the board of edu-
ton, will be POSTMASTER, ana