The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-20
Half a Million People Gather On Shore To Welcome
 The Americans
CANNON ROAR SALUTE
 10 VISITORS AT SYDNEY
Great Fleet Arrives at Australian Sea- Iort at Daylight, After a Rather Stormy Trip From Auckland,
 New Zealand.

Sydney, New South Wales, August 20- Early this morning thin veil of smoke on the horizon signalled to the watchers on the coast the approach or the Amer ican warships and at 5:35 official notn- cation was sent out that the fleet had been sighted. It was yet 20 miles out side of Sydney harbor, but this word' which had been awaited eagerly py tens of thousands, stirred Australians Ike call to arms and almost instantly those who had not left the city to take up noints of vantage along the bays, were moving in droves to the quays, roof tops and other places on the harbor front to watch the coming of the battleships from the new world.
 The day broke bright and clear, and. so intense was the interest in the Amer ican ships of war, that half the populace remained awake the entire night and thousands upon thousands of them, long before the night was over, were on their way to the hilltops outside of the city limits, where they congregated seeming ly in unbroken lines along the coast from Bondi Beach to Manly.
 It is estimated that hardly less than half million people assembled to give the visitors a royal welcome. Sydney harbor with it's innumerable bays and coves, never looked more beautiful nor ! did the American sailors ever witness more inspiring sight than that which met their eyes as the white ships came through the channel, past the great head lands into Port Jackson.
 A hundred thousand people, the greatest single assemblage of all, gathered on the south heads where magnificent view of the whole scene was to be had. Hun dreds of craft of all kinds moved up and down even at that early hour, all the waters with the exception of the fairway and the anchorage being dotted with little and big vessels, decorated in every conceivable manner with flags and bunt- ing.
 The fleet left Auckland at S:15 Saturday morning, and, with the exception of one day, had fair weather all the way to Sydney. On Tuesday the warships en- countered heavy winds which threw up a stiff, hard sea, greatly retarding their progress. Throughout Tuesday night the high seas caused the larger of the ships to roll at least 20 degrees, while the auxil-
 
 was considerable discomfort for all the men, and the intervals between the ves- sels was increased to 500 yards. The formation, however, was not changed. No evolutions were indulged in on account of the heavy weather during this period, but this abated the following day, when the ships were about 160 miles from port.
 Speed was then increased to 12 knots, and, although the hospital ship Relief was left behind the others, reached the coast on schedule time. The Americans are as anxious as the Australians to par ticipate in the receptions and the fetes, which the latter have prepared for them.
 In perfect alignment, the flagship Con- necticut leading, with Rear Admiral Sperry on the bridge, the warships came out of the horizon, first a little smoke showing and then the hulls low down in the distance.
 Passing in through the Sydney heads in double columns at intervals of 400 yards, the ships looked to have a world of speed and power under their glisten- ing sides. The fleet was attended by convoy steamers and was greeted with a roar of salutes from the forts as it steamed slowly along. The thousands ashore and afloat added their. cheers to swell the noisy welcome and countless British and American flags were flung to sthe breeze and were still waving long after the anchors had been swung from the sides
 The American ships boomed forth sa- lute to the port, and as soon as they were safely moored at their anchorage official visits were exchanged