The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-14
MARINE

Captain Peter Johnson of the Matson
Navigation 5. 5 Hilonian, and every
body aboard, for the matter of that,
has witnessed sight one seldom has
the good fortune to observe at sea, and
under exceptional circumstances. 1t
was nothing more nor less than the
great American armada approaching
San Francisco in long string OF
armipotence and presenting magnif-
cent spectacle.
The Hilonian had left San Francisco
at 10 0 clock in the morning of May
q and she was not far out when the
big fleet came churning along, the
sixteen battleships of the Atlantic feet
and about twenty cruisers, torpedo
boats and auxiliaries streaming in their
wake
"Here's where we heave to- said
Captain johnson. 1t was like chats
off, in cathedral: there was no
speaking when the king spoke, nor any
steaming while the fleet went by. So
the Hilonian hove to and her crew and
passengers lined the deck to witness
the great spectacle.
As the flagship passed the Hilonian,
within a hundred fathoms, the Hilonian
dipped her flag and, behold, the Stars
and Stripes floating from the great bat
tleship was also dipped, in responsive
salute, as is the courtesy of the ocean,
and as each ship of the imposing and
inspiring line passed before the I'M
official reviewers aboard the Hilonian
there was a graceful dip of the flag
aboard the Matson boat which was in
each ease responded to by the war
ship saluted.
Meanwhile, as may have been guess
ed, the sonorous whistle of the Hilonlan
was footing greetings enthusiastically.
HILoNIAN SENDS WIRELESS.
Early yesterday morning the S. S.
Hilonian got into wireless touch with
Honolulu. She was 10 miles out when
the first message was sent and she
talked right along until she was off
the harbOr.
One of the messages was to the
agents. Castle & Cooke, to notify the
L. s. Depot Quartermaster s office that
she had aboard 200 tons of ordnance
for the Diamond Head Notifications,
and would the people ashore in charge
of the drawing. the Honolulu Censtruc-
ton and Drawing Company, please be
ready to receive the goods.
Evidently it was thought aboard the
Hilonian that the big guns. their car
riages and equipment would be dis
charged at the Matson wharf, at the
foot of Nuuanu avenue, the Hilon'an S
regular docking place.
A message was also sent announcing
the fact that the vessel would be
alongside the wharf at 4:30 P. m.
Mr.. Switzer, who was aboard the
Hilonian a trip or two ago, is again
wireless operator on the boat.
HEARD FLEET FOR THREE DAYS.
wireless Operator Switzer of the
!. Hilonian reports hearing the warships
of the Atlantic fleet and the Pacific
souadrons talking to each other and to
different wireless stations along ths
coast. for as much as three days out
of san Francisco.
1--WE could not get a message through
TO any coast station ourselves, SAID
Switzer yesterday, for the fleet had
them all engaged. We could take the
messages of the fleet. many of them,
but most were in cipher and OF course
we could not read them"
HILoNIAN's INTERESTING CARGO
Docking at the foot of Nuuanu avenue
before 4:30 p. m. yesterday, little
over seven days from San Francisco,
the Hilonian at once commenced the
discharge of a deck cargo of live stock.
She landed in Al condition, thirty-hVe
mules, three horses, eight rams, ana
a lot of pigeons. The birds, horses ana
mules are for Gus Schuman and the
rams for Paul Isenberg. Altogether
she brought about 2200 tons of cargo
200 of which consists of material Tor
the Diamond Head Notifications. The
latter will be discharged at the rail-
road wharf on cars and the five guns
and their accessories will be taken to
the great crane in the railway yard and
lifted on to drays. The H1lonlan