The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18
Storm of Enthusiasm GreGtS BattIeShipS of the Amer
 ican Navy
SPECTACULAR SCENES IN
 HARBOR OF YOKOHAMA
Thousands of Japanese Gather From the Interior to Welcome the Amerl- cans and to Get a Glimpse of
 Our Fighting Machines.

Yokohama. October 1S.-The American battleship fleet dropped anchor in the
 harbor at 9:3O o'clock this (sundaYl
 morning. Owing to a fog that hung
 over the bay there was some delay in the fleets arrival
 At S:45 a. m. the guns from one of the
 Is Japanese batt1eships boomed a salute
 as the tender Yankton, which was slightly
 in the lead of the American feet ap-
 peared dimly through the fog which soon lifted little, enabling a full view of the fleet approaching it's anchorage ground It was in the gray hours before dawn
 this morning when the leviathans of. Americas great white battleship fleet were dimly diseerned maneuvering off the entrance to Tokio bay, while Is warships, , the pride of Japan, in sombre color, 1 swung at their anchor buoys outside of the breakwater. encircled by low purple | hills. Already Yokohama was awake and ! the streets were crowded with excited 1 people, streaming in from the surround l ing country, afoot, in rickishas or in car 1 riages making their way to the water
 front and to the hills overlooking the bay to get their first glimpse of the great fleet.
 From thousands of fiagstaffs and build- ings, at every point in the city, hoated the Stars and Stripes, and the entire length of miles of streets were almost walled with intertwined American and Japanese emblems. The bay itself was l fairly af1ame with bunting. where tugs and steamers. gay decorated with l streamers and pennants. lined the
 wharvcs, awaiting thousands of excur-
 sionists who were going out to meet the
 fleet.
 Incoming trains throughout the night were crowded and by morning practically
 every vantage point commanding view
 of the approach of the 16 big ships, round-
 ing Honmou Point, was occupied by tens of thousands eagerly awaiting the com
 ing naval pageant
 Inspiring Scene. As the hours passed and daylight ar
 rived, 1t revealed an inspiring scene afioat
 and ashore. From the early hours 1t was i apparent that all expectations of great crowds and a- enthusiastic welcome to
 
 l and that all records of outpourlng of l popular sentiment would be surpassed. l The enthusiasm of the people was evi- 1 dently sincere, though mixed with the natural curiosity to see the big fighting ] ships from America, the long and sue l cessful cruise of which has marked a new epoch in naval history. Foreigners were In the minority in the 1 crowds but wherever they appeared they | were treated with exceptional courtesy, l because today, to the Japanese, all for 1 eigners must be Americans. many of the Japanese being unable to discriminate be- | tween Americans and those from other lands.
 | As the Is battleships rounded Honmou l Point and came through the entrance to | the bay they were accompanied by the 1 Japanese cruisers Soya Maganli and Tat
 suta, commanded by Rear Admiral Mu- 1 rakani. Passing up the coast off Yoko- 1 Suki, the first note of real welcome sound l ed when a fireworks salute was fired by 1 the American friends comprised en- l tirely of Japanese who had assembled at 1 Kruihama, on the site of Perry's monu- ment. The fleet responded by gracefully 1 dipping colors. When 1t came closer in
 the fleet was met by seven big ocean i liners, chartered by the Prefecture of 1 Kanagawa, carrying 5000 persons. includ- | ing many foreigners.
 Bursting Bombs. | The air was filled with bursting bombs sent up from various points and the roar of voices was heard even in the city of | Yokohama.
 When the fleet rounded Honmou Point and came into full view of the city of Yokohama, the 16 assembled Japanese warshps began firing the salute to the
 rear admiral in command of the Amer ican fleet. The roar of the guns, the btfrsfinq fraNnrkS hombq ehrial< al
 the steam sirens with the drone of the deep whistles of sthe liners filled the air
 with overwhelming sounds. Ashore bed lam broke loose and words fail to de-
 scribe the enthusiasm of the assembled thousands.
 When the American fleet finally came to anchor it presented an imposing spec tacle Thirty-two great warships oc- cupied four long columns of eight each, the Americans taking the place of honor in the forefront, the Japanese immediate ly behind them and heading toward south. As soon the fleet came to anchor reception committee and attaches of the various foreign embassies and legations and the mayor of Yokohama put off from shore for the flagship Connecticut. o'Brien Was Absent. | American Ambassador OBrien did not come down from Tokio, because under navy etiquette he could not be present until the admiral commanding the fleet had paid an official call upon him. The ambassadors wife, however was present together with ladies of the embassy, as well as Consul General Summons at Seoul.
 and Mrs. Summons and Secretary Jay of the American embassy, all in unoffi- cial capacity as guests of the navy Francis J. Loomis, head of the Amer ican commission to the American Inter
 national exposition, together with Secre- tary O'Laughlin and the entire business
 mems delegation from the Pacific coast. now visit to Japan, was present, ar
 irving in special train from Tokio early in the morning
 Every vernacular newspaper in Yoko-
 hama and Tokio printed special illustrated editions this morning containing enthusl- astic articles with reference to the coming of the American fleet. The entire circua- ton of these newspapers will reach l.