Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-05-15

Million Persons See Evans Lead
Biggest Modern Squadron
Into Port.
SEC. EETCALF REVIEWS CRAFT
Combined Atlantic and Pacific Ves-
sells Enter as Guns Boom and
Carnival Begins.

olllIti Ny tiiS guns vi VIC iiCSlNAlSS
cLeered by scores of thousands of men
and greeted by the blasts of
countless whistles, the Atlantic fleet
swept into the harbor of San Francisco
shortly after noon Wednesday. -Four
months and twenty days out from
Hampton Roads. the fleet thus success
fully completed the first leg Of the
round-the-world cruise.
The demonstration with which the
fleet was welcomed was one of the most
noteworthy which has ever occurred on
the Pacific coast. Every hill, tall build
ing, army reservation, park space,
coastal rrecipice and wharf surround
ing the Golden Gate and the shores
of the spacious bay was massed black
with people whose voices rose liz roar
after roar of cheering. 1t is estimated
that at least a million onlookers were
gathered to watch the fleets entry.
The harbor itself was jammed with
excursion steamers, sailing vessels,
yachts, rowboats and miscellaneous
craft, all gay with flags and each CIV
ing yociferous greeting by whistle or
by the hurrahipg of it's crew.
From the city proper came the Chin
ing of all San Francisco's bells, while
above the whole outburst Of acclaim
the cannon of the Preside doomed
slowly the salute of che American navy
to the American navy. The navy mean
while officially welcomed the navy
through Secretary Metcalf, whose
white-anchored, four-starred blue flag
futtered from the gunboat Yorktown.
The marine picture afforded by he
ships was one beautiful in the extreme.
In all there were forty-six vessels in
the line which threaded its way up the
harbor. The Atlantic fleet of sixteen
battleships and six ~destroyers, which
had made the voyage from Hampton
Roads, held, of course, the place Of
honor. With them were the eight sup
ply boats and tenders which had also
made the 14,CC0-nile cruise. As an es-
cort for these thirty ships steamed he
nine armored cruisers and five Destroy
ers of the Pacific feet, as well as the
battleships Wisconsin and Nebraska,
which joined the Atlantic feet there
sor the remainder of the cruise around
the world.
Evans Leads Procession.
At the head OF this formidable fleet
steamed Admiral Evans flagship, the
Connecticut. The admiral stood on the
after bridge Of that famous flagship as
she led the way through h harbor
gate.
After the flagship there followed at
equal distances and in single column
the seven other vessels of the first
squadron. the Kansas, Vermont, Loui-
siana, Georgia, New Jersey, Rhode Is
land and Virginia, with the new recruit
to the Atlantic fleet, the Nebraska.
After the first squadron sailed the two
divisions Of the second, the flagship
Minnesota, with Rear Admiral Thomas
on the bridge, and the Ohio, Missouri,
Maine, Alabama, Illinois, Kearsarge
and Kentucky, with the other new
conner, the Wisconsin.
After these eighties battleships came
the six destroyers of the Atlantic fleet,
the vessels of the Pacific fleet and the
.fN
supply boats and tenders of Admiral
Evans command. The ships as they
sailed. into the bay were dressed only
at the mastheads, big American flags
flying at fore and after trucks and at
the peak of the gaffs.
The blue flag Of Admiral Evans on
the Connecticut was followed by the
red flags of six subordinate real adj
mirals, even Admiral Dayton himself
pulling down his blue flag as commando
err in chief of the Pacific fleet and sub
shutting the red ensign.
Pressing to anchor, the ships steamed
in review before Secretary Metcalf, the
Connecticut firing a salute of seven
teen guns. When the last of the ships
had swung into four long anchorage
columns a signal from the flagship
sent the f1uttering lines Of multi-hued
flags flying to the mastheads, and the
ships were at full dress during the re-
mainder of the afternoon.
$3.50 4EH@ e