Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-05-08
THE GREAT NAVAL PARADE
San Francisco Bay the Scene of the
Greatest Naval Parade Ever Wit
sessed In American Waters.
Special to the Herald.

Special to the Herald.
San Francisco, Cal, May S.-The
greatest naval review ever seen in
American waters took place today in
San Francisco bay. As Secretary of
the Navy Metcalf steamed down the
long columns of flag-draped fighters
and was saluted by each vessel in
turn, the sight was one never to be
forgotten by the thousands and thou
sands of spectators who lined the
shores and filled the countless eXcur-
sion boats that dotted the waters of
the bay.
As a naval pageant, the review was
the most notable in American history.
There have been several great naval
parades on the Atlantic coast during
the past two years, but in no instance
was the number of vessels anywhere
near so large as was the case today.
Forty-siX vessels of war participated
in the demonstration. Of course the
center of attraction was the sixteen
great battleships of the Atlantic squad
ron. Behind these were ranged the
armored cruisers, gunboats, torpedo
boat destroyers and fleet auxliiaries.
From the city front there was an ex-
cellent view of the mighty fleet as it
lay at anchor, stretching in formid-
able line from the foot of East street
to Hunters Point.
Battleships and cruisers and de-
stroyers, all were dressed" in the
Tutoring flags and the brilliant hued
pennants and bits of bunting which
form the International Signal Code.
During the salutes to the Secretary of
the Navy. the white puffs of powder
smoke floated away like tiny flecks of
summer clouds among the fluttering
flags of the decorated ships, the effect
being one of unexpected beauty.
In the fleet was represented almost |
every type of vessel known to the |
American navy of the present day.
Ehe stalwart 16,000-tonners of the |
Connecticut class shared honors with |
he tiny destroyers that likewise made |
he fourteen thousand mile journey |
rom Hampton Roads. Five stages of |
American battleship construction were /
represented in the line and as an OBJ
iect lesson in the growth of the Amer
lean navy the spectacle found one of
its most striking features. The same
guns that uttered a goodbye tribute
O President Roosevelt at Hampton
BEADS last naceW1heer tqdaaF HHeiesasfr
The great ships tugged at their an
Choir chains as the reviewing yacht II
passed up and down their lines. Each
vessel manned the rails as the Secre-
tary of the Navy passed, and the
crews stood at attention as the yacht
;kirted each line. The vessels of both
he Atlantic and the Pacific fleets
OOhCo dlhiOot do SplSh Spdu Ill
heir coats of white paint as though
hey had but recently left the dry
lock. From the shore there appeared
! dazzling background of warships,
whose glistening white sides sparkled
n the light rays reflected from the
water, and whose light buff super
tructure and stacks lent a harmo-
ious setting to the many-hued flags
loating from masthead and peak,
rom fighting tops and flying trucks.
In every part of the world where
hey have been seen American vessels i.
ave always attracted attention be- "
ause of their graceful lines and clear +
ut appearance. Today, assembled in +,
, the greatest fleet that ever flew u
lie Stars and Stripes, riding at anchor n
l one of the most beautiful harbors Il
the American continent, these ships h.
lat constitute the backbone of the i,
merican navy and have been a sub L,
ct of lively discussion in naval cir r.
es the world over. made an impress
on that will live long in the memory
the hundreds of thousands who
oked on, while the Secretary of the
avy, surrounded by brilliant staff
officers, DOTTED his hat in acknowl- -
lgment of each thunderous salute 10
G.,