Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-20
OPEN HOUSE KEPT
ON BATTLESHIPS
10000 PERSONS INSPECT THE
VESSELS
SAN PEDRO ENTERTAlNs GREAT
CROWDS
Sixteen Thousand Round Trip Tickets
to Warshlps Sold by Trans
portation Company DUR
Ing the Day

The Atlantic fleet vessels which an
chored at San Pedro, Long Beach, Re
dondo and Santa Monica kept open
house" for the citizens of Los Angeles
and vicinity for the first time in history
yesterday, and according to general es-
Inmates at the four beach towns their
guests numbered fully 10000 men. wo-
men and children of all ages and ma
tionalities, principally Americans.
At San Pedro, where the battlesh1ps
of the first division are anchored, COM
prising the flagship Connecticut, the
Kansas, Vermont and Louisiana, IL is
stated by the San Pedro Transportation
company, which yesterday had cnarge
of every available craft in that harpor,
that 10000 round trip tickets were SOLD
from San Pedro to the four battlesnlpS.
OF this number 1000 persons visited the
Connecticut, when it was closed to
visitors, and practically two-thirds OF
the remaining number went aboard the
Kansas, which seemed to be far the
most popular warship at San Pedro.
The San Pedro Transportation COM
pany agreed to take every one at least
to one of the warships, and it kept its
word, for everyone went aboard one or
more of the vessels, and none We're dis
appointed.
On the battleships everything was
wide open to the visitors excepting the
turrets and engine rooms The big
guns were freely inspected by thou
sands, and the officers and men of the
boats were particularly courteous and
patient in their welcome to the hosts OF
curious and enthusiastic but patriotic
sighteseers.
No Accidents Reported
No accidents marred the harmony
and happiness of the day, and San
Pedro enjoyed one of the most prosper
Gus afternoons and evenings which 1T
has ever experienced. Even street
fakirs prospered. Red lemonade and
lemonade that wasn't red, as well as
popcorn, peanuts, ice cream and navy
flags and souvenirs sold as rapidly as
the crowd of stentorian spielers could
hand them out. All kinds of beggars,
including some real old metropolitan
"dagos" with monkeys, and others af-
flicted with a dubious eye ailment, cal
culated to gather a harvest of sheckles,
frequented the main streets, but the
San Pedro officers of the law, of which
there are forty-Six deputy marshalS
and six Southern Pacific police, besides
Marshal Ben Bakeh, handled the sftua-
ton with the same success which
marked their efforts Saturday, when
the record breaking crowd of over 200,-
600 swarmed the port to witness the
arrival of the battleships.
With the exception of one pickpocket,
whom the officers scared out of town,
but whom they were unable to capture,
there We're no crooks so far as known in
the city. All saloon disturbances were
nipped in the bud, and the strenuous
little Liverpool of the Southwest made
manifest her determination to maintain
the even tenor of her way. and to rid
the town of all suspects, bad men and
others who a few years ago caused the
place to be noted for its rough-neck
elements.
Prices Are High
Prices in San Pedro yesterday on
most commodities were sky high-no
doubt due to the fact that such a tre-
mendous crowd as visited that port
Saturday was not anticipated, following
the record smashing i.lflux of the day
preceding.
1t is now expected the crowds will
continue, however, owing to the advan-
tage of visiting the warShips in small
boat, afforded by the calm of the break
water, SO that today San Pedro has laid
in supplies for an even greater gather
ing, and it is said the restaurants will
reduce prices to the normal.
Yesterday all eating places were run
at Top notch, except one or two which
continued to sell meals at their old
prices despite the excessive demand
which would have enabled them to get
the higher figures.
Rooms at San Pedro Saturday night