Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1908-04-16
NOW READY TO
WELCOME FLEET.
A Voyage Unprecedented in
Naval Annals.
Within the Next TWenty-four Hours the
United States Battleship Fleet
will Drop achor in the
Beautiful Bay OF
San Diego.
fBy Special Wire to the ARaUs.)

(Rv Special Wire to the ARGUs.)
San Diego, Cal, April 13-With1n
the next twenty-four hours the United
States battleship feet will drop anchor
in the beautiful bay of San Diego, latter
a voyage unprecedented in naval an
mails. The ships will rest in the United
States waters for the first time in four
months, during which time they trav-
eled a distance of approximately 16,
400 miles.
The hip are to remain here until
Saturday, according to the plans map
ped out by the navy department at
Washington. Tho people atSan Diego
have completed ella borate
ments for the entertainment of the
officers and men. The main streets
are CAV with bunting, and the indica-
tions are that the decorations tomor-
row will be among the most elaborate
ever seen on the Pacific coast. Thous-
ands of visitors are expected here to
view the fleet.
Coronsdo, 'the gem of the Pacific
COa6Gg Ill JOAA "AO" oN
furnishing entertainment for the naval
visitors. It is intended to give the
officers and men the time of their lives,
and there will doubtless be such an
outpouring of genuine California hos
pitality as has never before been seen.
When the ships enter the landlocked
bay Of Sau Diego, a magnificent piano.
rama hundreds of miles in extent will
unroll before the eyes of the men. A
high range of mountains forms the
eastern horizon. In the foreground In
the city Of San Diego, with its beauti-
full environs, it's semi-trop1oal vegeta-
ton. Situated on a plain but little
raised above the level OF b sea,nearly
the whole OF the city may be seen from
the decks of the vessels. Tall build
ings, spires of churches and, overtop-
ping all, the Bennington monument,
are the features of b scene.
The, bay or harbor of San Diego is 13
miles long and has enough deep an
chorage to float all the navies OF the
world at one time. The harbor is &C.
knowledged to be one of the best in
the world.
To the west is the high promontory
of Point Iona, the top of which is
nearly 500 feet above the level of the
sea. From the harbor entrance, contin.
uing to the south and forming the west
ern boundary of San Diego bay, is the
long and narrow Coronado peninsula,
with it's famous hotel and city of tents.
The bar at the entrance to the harbor
has been dredged to a depth of 80 feet
at mean low tide, SO that the largest
ships can enter at all times, and there
are no reefs, no sunken rocks, no
treacherous currents. 1t is a matter of
record that no vessel has ever been
wrecked in San Diego bay. Nc mat
ter how severe O storm may be raging
on the ocean outside, the waters OF the
bay are hardly more thar ruf1ed.
One reason why San Diego bay Is
q tavorite resort with the officers OF
the Pacific feet is because OF the fine
opportunities it affords to the men for
drills both on water n on land. For
this purpose there is said to be no
place 10 we'll adapted On the whole
American coast. east or west, as San
Diego bay. Both in summer and in
winter the weather is ideal, and there
is never a day throughout the year
when the men cannot practice on the
water with comfort. So many advan-
tages does San Diego bay offer in this
respect that many of the highest of
fcers of the navy have expressed
themselves stongly in favor or the. es-
tablishment of a naval training station
here.
hi city OF San Diego is laid out with
fine broad streets and and be-
side there are magnificent boulevards
OK extending into the country. A coast
road from San Diego to Los Angeles is
very popular with autolnobilists. With
in the heart of the, city is the Plaza,
lined on all sides by tall palms. At
the eastern end of the city is a beaut1-
full park of 400 acres. planted with
trees and shrubs and intersected with
drives and walks.