The Penn's Grove record., 1908-04-17
FLEET SAFE IN A HOME PORT
Hysteria of Welcome as Ships
Arrive at San Diego, Cal.
Big War Dogs Steam in, Making
Greatest Marine Picture Ever
Seen on Pacific Coast.

San Diego, Cal.-Gleaming white
under a high sun the sixteen battle
ships of the Atlantic fleet, after the
most remarkable cruise in naval his
tory, steamed slowly into a home port
a few minutes after 1 o'clock p. m.
and cast anchor off Coronado Beach.
Flying the flag of Admiral Thomas
the Connecticut led the long line OF
vessels and as the guns of Fort Rose
Grams doomed out a welcome the fleet
separated into divisions of four. each
squadron anchoring together with its
flagship nearest shore. The beach
was lined with a solid mass OF people
gathered from all parts of the State
and the blue harbor was dotted with
gayly decorated launches. A hoarse
frenzy of cheering that tried to emu
late the roar that echoed out of the
white puffs of smoke from the guns
of the fighting ships shook the eX-
cited assemblage.
After the grand receptions at Rio
and Callao it remained for an Ameri-
can city to surpass both in warmth of
greeting, and in return the Califor-
mans viewed the greatest marine
spectacle ever seen on the Western
coast.
To the feet it was a homecoming.
1t was getting back to Gods country.
To California it was an opportunity.
This opportunity was many sided.
One of the sides related to patriotism,
the cordially of welcome bordering
on a condition of frenzy.
This city of $4,000 Inhabitants,
augmented probably by 10000 visit
ors, has gradually been going mad
for a month. 1t reached a stage of
,hysteria as SOC as the long pennant
of blended outputs from many smoke
stacks showed thatthe feet was really
approaching. When the fleet actually
did arrive the people locked at it in a
sort of awe and stupefaction.
Yet it would be hard to describe
which was the more inspiring specta-
Gle, the sixteer, great ships coming
into the bay in perfect alignment like
well trained soldiers OF the great
crowd that lined the shores watching
them. In the first was epic poetry;
in the other lyrics, p~astorals and SON
nets. 1t was Il matter for individual
choice.
One hour after the battleships had
come to rest San Diego's reception
committee, the official hosts Of the
town, boarded the flagship Connect
cut and extended the greeting and
welcome of a people bUbbn1g over
with hospitality. A little while later
Governor Gillette, still pale and weak
from recent illness, boarded the Con-
necticut and spoke to Rear-Admiral
Thomas and the other Rear-Admirals
and commanding officers the welcome
of the State of California. That for
mality over, the people of San Diego
threw wide their arms and asked the
men of the fleet to come within the
gates of the city, make themselves at
home and help themselves to anything
they saw in sight.
Ca~lifornia's welcome was uttered
by Governor Gillette in words which
portrayed the Pacific as the inevitable
theatre OF the greatest naval war in
history and which. formed an m
phatic Endorsement of President
R~oosevelt's plea to Congress for more
baitleships.
The splendid condition of the ships
was manifested in every way. Out
wardly they were the same white and
buff units of a powerful aggregation
of fighting force that sailed from
Hampton Roads, with the President
showing the way on the May1ower.
Internally the ships were in better
condition than when they started, en-
gines working with the smooth
thrust and throw of perfect bearings
and careful handling, and boilers pre-
ducing steam with less consumption
OF coal because of the increased
efficiency in the firing rooms. The
wash of the raves along the water
line displayed from two to three feet
of red armor belts, and showed COM
paratively little sea growth, despite
the long stay in temperate and trop-
ical waters.
A feature of the arrival of the fleet
was the trip of a boat carrying $1,000
oranges, which were given to the men
on the battleships by the San Diego
people. The tars greeted the boat
with loud cheers, and the oranges
with eager mouths. Another boat,
filled with pretty girls. carried loads
of flowers to the bluejackets, and
there were loud cheers.
The beauty of the days spectacle
when the ships were brought to an
Choir were rivalled at night, when for
three hours every vessel was outlined
in fire. Thousands of i~ncandescent
bulbs were strung along declines, up
masts, far out on the signal yard
arms, up and down the huge tunnels
and down to the waters edge at stem
and stern. The name of each vessel
was spelled in letters six feet high
across its forward bridge. During
half an hour of the period of illumin-
alton a searchlight display added to
the effect. On shore scores of red sig
nal fires were maintained throughout
n evening as a welcome.
At night Admirals Thomas, Sperry
and Emery and the commanding
officers and members of the various
STATS were entertained at an elab-
crate dinner at the Hotel Del Coro-
nado. The absence of Rear-Adnliral
Evans, who is i'll at Paso Robes. is
deeply regretted on all sides. Ad-
mlral Thomas, at the dinner, referred
to the subject with much feeling.
On the day after arrival about
$500 b~luejackets paraded and there
was q presentation of q sword for