Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-16
THOUSANDS CHEER
MEN FROM FLEET
PARADE AT SAN DIEGO IS BRIL-
LIANT SCENE
ADMIRAL AND GOVERNOR Ex-
CHANGE CoMPLlME ENTS
Absence of Commander-in-chief of
Armada Lamented-Key to City
to Be Forwarded to
Him
BY Associated Press.


fighting men fresh from a cruise of
more than $1,000 miles, marked the day
of the ceremonies of official welcome TO
the state of California.
The sixty-four companies of sailor
men, In their togs of the sea and with
wide flaring trousers reefed down in
canvas legglngs, and sixteen COM
panies OF marines, soldierly and
straight, formed this most notable of
the navy's land displays
The landing party. equipped as in
fantry, armed with Krags, in light
marching order and with canteens
filled, equaled an army corps. The
procession the men of the navy formed
was more than two miles long. They
marched from the water front to the
city park over three miles Of streets
canopied with decorations which COM
bined the red, white and blue of the
nation and the gold and white OF the
state.
San Diego took holiday to see the
martial pageant, and the sidewalks
paralleling the asphalted roadways
were crowded with a typical holiday
| throng. Their enthusiasm was explo-
| sive, the appearance of the bluejackets
and marines calling forth long sus-
| tained cheering.
At the city park the sailors passed in
review before Rear Admirals Thomas,
| Sperry and Emory and Governor Gil
| lett and his staff A crowd of many
| thousands of people surrounded the
| grand stands. Three thousand school
children, waving flags and banners,
| were massed directly in front of the
| reviewing stand and their songs and
cheers were one of the prettiest feat
| ures of the days celebrations.
Governor Gillett in a brief speech
supplemented his words of welcome
spoken yesterday on the quarter deck
of the flagship Connecticut, and Rear
Admiral Charles M. Thomas made for
NAL response in behalf of the fleet. He
declared the celebration without the
presence of Rear Admiral Evans was
very much like Hamlet with Ham
let out of the picture. He regretted the
absence of the commander In chief of
the fleet and then graciously accepted
in his behalf golden key symbolical
of the freedom of the city.
Gifts for Officers
The token will be forwarded by Ad-
mfral Thomas to Admiral Evans at
Paso Robles Hot Springs. There will
go with 1t a gold-mounted and jeweled
naval sword, presented today to Ad-
miral Evans through Admiral Thomas
by the patriotic fraternities of the city,
including the Grand Army of the Re-
public, the Confederate veterans and
Spanish war veterans.
To Admirals Thomas, Sperry and
Emory gold medals commemorative of
their visit were presented, and there
also was a medal for Capt. r. r. In
gersoll. who served as chief of staff to
Admiral Evans from Hampton Roads
to Magdalena bay. This medal will be
sent to Capt. Ingersoll at Norfolk.
Tonight a ball was rendered to the
officers Of the fleet at Hotel Coronado.
The immense circular ball room was
decorated In elaborate fashion with
flags and bunting. Twin electric stars
blazed white from background of
blue, the ensign of rear admirals. The
younger officers of the ships came
ashore in great numbers, their little
steam launches dancing over the ocean
to the long Coronado pier, their red and
green lights darting like fairy Ian
terms in the moonlight shimmering on
the placid semi-tropical sea.
More brilliantly planned functions
marked the stay of the fleet in South
American waters, but tonight the Of
ficers from rear admirals down to mid
shipmen were dancing with home peo-
pie and their enjoyment of their even
ing was plain to see and understand.
The long march of the afternoon and
the two trips from ships to shore in
the morning and back again in the late
afternoon was not too fatiguing to in
terfere with the dance tonight
The day was brilliant with sunshine
and touched with the warmth of mid
summer. Tonight a splendid moon
shone over the sea and again the ships
were Illuminated in the full radiance
of their electric dressings. The city
still is crowded with sightseers and the
stay of the fleet in the spectacular
beauty of the land and water displays
is surprising the expectations even of
the most exuberant and enthusiastic
people of Southern California.
The sailors and marines on parade
today were escorted by a number of
civic and veteran organizations of San
Diego, by battalion of coast artillery
from the army post at Fort Rosecrans
and by detachments of the California
national guard and naval reserves.
At the head of the column the flag
and commanding officers of the fleet,
other than those designated to march
with their men, rode in automobiles
dressed with flags and flowers. Rear
Admiral Thomas and Governor Gillett
were in the first car, accompanied by
u. S. Grant, jr., chairman of the local
reception committee, and John D.
Spreckels, Admirals Sperry and Emory
following with their staffs.
Five big bands. recruited from the
various ships, were with the blue
jackets on parade. Their stirring
marches awoke quick response from
the excited crowds. The flash of colors,
including the flag of the nation and of
the various ships companies, the trim
appearance of the sailors in their blue
blouses and jaunty little upturned
white canvas caps, the steady stride
of the stalwart marines, drilled in
splendid fashion despite their long stay
aboard ship, the cheering throngs and
the perfect day made the picture of the
ceremonies of welcome another notable
memory in the history Of the famous
cruise.
The stand erected for the ceremonies
in the city park rested on the crest of
the tallest hill surrounding San Diego.
From the heights the view led away
to the western seas, to the far-reaching
coastal ranges of Mexico and to the
peaks of the mountains about Los An
geles Eight miles across the city the
bay and the island of Coronado lay the
sixteen vessels of the fleet at anchor.
1t was a picture in miniature of the
splendid pageant of yesterday. But
the interest of the people was nearer at
hand today and they gave attention to
the ceremonies of the hour. A medley
of national airs brought the crowd to
its feet and renewed cheering which
hod NJ rlxad tha paSSinR of the sailors