Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
SAN PEDRO GREETS
THE BATTLESHEPS
ENORMOUS CROWD GREETS
THEIR APPROACH
CITY cAYLY DECORATED IN
PATRIOTIC coLoRS
Official Parties Leave City to Extend
Welcome to Fighting Bob's"
Fleet--Vistng Hours
Today

of earth. sea and sky glorious in
beauty, San Pedro, the harbor city,
yesterday stretched forth her hands in
welcome to the great white fleet. En-
tering the breakwater at $3.50 o'clock to
the accompaniment of merry whistle
and siren call and the glad cheers of
scores OF thousands of patriotic Ameri-
ctn voices, the ships cast overheard the
ponderous iron anchors from whose
chains they will swing until early this
morning, when twelve of the vessels
viii sail in divisions of four each to
other points, there to receive the well
come of other thousands of full
throated, full-lunged citizens of Uncle
Sans domain.
AS the first rays of the morning sun
shone green and gray across the land
scape and somber sea they brought mot
relief the beautiful decorations, form
ing a fury of color down the principal
thoroughfares. each gaily bedecked
building shining in cleaning raiment
as though in envy of it's neighbor.
On every bluff and vantage ground
thousands of persons had already gath
cred, and each minute added to the
multitude until late afternoon when a
mass of humanity, whose numbers could
only be estimated in tens of thousands,
filled the whole business portion of the
city and overflowed upon the harbor
wharf and breakwater, extending In
solid ranks from point near the
library building to Point Firmin, dis
tance of more than four miles.
The plaza was the central point to
which all moved, and by noon it's broad
expanse was filled to overfowing with
a jolly. laughing, care-free crowd. So
great was the congestion In the city
that IL became necessary early In the
day to notify the officials of one rail-
road not to allow passengers to leave
on hi IN have them Carrta6 IN
Point Firmin.
Came in Automobiles
Never, perhaps, since the use of the
automobile became a means of travel
was so large q number of cars assem-
bled as reached the city during the
day Beginning in the early hours of
morning AMI until late in the evening
a procession of these vehicles could be
seen along the roads leading from Los
Angeles, Pasadena and other points to-
ward San Pedro, and at the hour when
the fleet was scheduled to reach the
harbor 1t was estimated that fully 25OO
machines, carrying a total of 10000 per.
sons, had arrived in the city. For the
most part these cars found rendezvous
in the vicinity of the South Coast
Yacht club, a mile from the center of
the city, but along every street and in
each vacant lot the soft-footed carriers
could be seen.
The streets of San Pedro were made
beautiful with flag and bunting, Bea-
con, Fifth and Sixth being especially
attractive, while along the harbor front
rowboat and steamship were adorned
with pennant and ensign, waiving
greeting to their more formidable COM
panions of the deep. The most beauti-
full sight however, was that witnessed
as twilight spread her gentle wings
upon the earth and out of the gather
ing darkness a sheen of lights In the
rational colors threw itself across the
waters and was reflected in long SHIN
mering lines melting together In the
ripplds of the placid sea. These lights
stretched along the great breakwater.
the west jetty and the single work
which ends at Dead Mans island.
Merging into them was the lovely IL
Elimination of the sixteen ships, each
outlined against the dark background
of night with bulbuous globes of fire.
AS the hour marked for the appear
ance of the ships drew near scores or
thousands gathered upon every eleva-
ton. Afar off through the clear atmos-
rhere a powerful glass noted long
line of white, broken at intervals by
dark shadows. and the word went along
the lines OF solidly packed human be-
ings that man had seen the fleet.
"There They Are"
Other glasses were brought into use
and the cry of There they are!" rang
out. The signals from thousand
steaming throats, however, did not
sound until the first of the sixteen ves-
sells, the Connecticut, appeared oppo-
site San Juan, point and began nosing
its way along Huntington beach. Then
for the first time the multitude in gen.
eral was told in no mistaken manner
that the fleet was in sight. Each whistle
noisily told the story and mingled with
the shrill notes were the cheers which
rang forth and sent thrill through
tvery patriotic heart.
Not a Luilling was left tenanted as
the intelligence was spread, and the
noise, giving wings to willing feet, sent
thousands to join the already overflow
ing coast line. The ratlines of sailing
ships the tops of box cars. piles of lum-
Der, and even the roofs of buildings,
were suddenly filled with life, each
atom of me great mass waving ana
cheering O welcome which while un-
seen and unheard by Its ob1ects was
none the Jess sincere.
AS the last great ship passed the far
off point the Connecticut turned as on
q pivot and. followed by Its fifteen SIS
ters, steamed straight for the shelter
of the brealSwater. Each anchor chain
cIanked and, 1900 feet apart. as though
measured with an 1nCn RUE, the 5iAtcoh
mighty monsters lay. and the magnifi-
cent spectacle again forced from whistle
and throat greeting never to be for
gotten.
To Greet Admiral
The first to greet Admiral Thomas
vas the San Pedro reception committee,
whose members left the harbor on the
launch Anita ID. early in the afternoon.
This committee was made up Of w. H.
Savage, chairman: Frank Burns, w. H.
Wiskershaw A. P. Ferl John T. Gaf-
fey, Edward Bautzer and George H.
Peck.
Mayor Harper, with the reception
committee from Los Angeles, left the
hrabor at o'clock, occupying a
launch from the Connecticut, in COM
mand of Flag Lieutenant Reeves. This
was the first boat to reach the wharf
from the fleet. and its arrival was
greeted with a shout of welcome. Fol-
lowing IL closely was the mail boat, in
command of Midshipman LOTUS
The committee, headed by Mayor
Harper. was made up of five other
persons, including former Mayor M
p SNYDER. General John r. Matthews,
General Adna r. Chaffee and j. G.
Drake. formerly a naval lieutenant and
al one time a shipmate of Admiral
Thomas. The members of both the
san Pedro and Los Angeles committees
were received by Admiral Thomas with
nd In anirft