The daily sentinel., 1908-05-07
HAVING GREAT
Time IN FRISCO
Especial to The sentinel.)

San Francisco, May IA grand
street parade. in which nearly all
the 1000 sailors of the fleet par
ticipated, opened the festivities in
fleet-mad San Francisco today. To-
night there will be athletic events
in the naval pavilion for the sailors,
band concerts and other amusements.
The governors banquet to Secretary
of the Navy Metcalf will be held at
the Fairmont this evening.
Not since that memorable day
when the First Californian Volun-
teers returned from the Philippines
has San Francisco entertained such
a vast crowd as that which is today
swarming through the streets, lining
the water-fronts, piling pell-mell into
the excursion boats and other craft
and clamoring for admission to the
big battleships of Uncle Sam which
lie at anchor in the bay. The fleet
is a magnet which has attracted
countless thousands, and the hotels.
are having great difficulty in caring
for the throng. Among the arrivals
are scores of men of national reputa-
tion, but they attract little attention
from the enthusiastic crowds. To-
day all civilians must take back
seat for the men who wear the uni
form of the United States navy.
Thousands of Jack Tars came
ashore today and were given tum-
ultous greeting when they paraded
through the streets. Following the
great street pageant, every Jack not
confirmed woman-hater soon found
Jill, and many found more than
one. A brawny sailor, with beam
ing, admiring girl on either arm,
and other fair Californians, Jealous
Il I.t IL, H..
was common sight. Other tars
sought enjoyment in the cup that
cheers, and also inebriates. Civilians
with coin-filled pockets swarmed
about the convival ones and begged
them to "have one on me-" 1t was
not strange, in the face of this tenn
ptation, that many fell by the way
side early in the day. These were
cared for by the ships police and
hurried out of sight.
The grand review will take place
tomorrow and later Rear Admiral
Robley d. Evans will be relieved of
He will be succeeded in
command of the fleet temporarily by
Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas,
now commanding the second squad
ron, but before the fleet starts from
San Francisco for the Orient Admiral
Thomas will also be relieved and
the fleet will complete its cruise
around the world under command of
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, now
commanding the fourth division.
Following the review, banquet
will be held at which Secretary of
the Navy Metcalf will be the guest
of honor, and in which the admirals
and officers of the fleet in full uni
form, the governor and his staff and
other prominent men will take part.
Upon the completion of the grand
review by Secretary Metcalf, in San
Francisco Bay. tomorrow, the Pacific
fleet will leave port on Saturday for
the southwark to carry out pro-
gram of drills and exercises.
The battleship fleet will leave for
Puget Sound on May IS and upon
arrival there ON May 81 four ships
will visit Port Angeles Eight ships
will visit Bellingham Bay and three
ships will visit Port Townsend, one
ship proceeding at once to the navy
yard at Bremerton to be docked.
On Saturday, May 23, all of the
ships of the fleet, with the exception
of the one in dock, will rendezvous
in the vicinity of Port Townsend,
and will proceed to an anchorage in
the vicinity of Seattle.
On Tuesday, May 26, twelve ships
will leave the anchorage near Seattle
and will steam to Tacoma in order
that the people in that vicinity may
have view of the fleet. Thence,
without anchorage, leaving four
ships at anchor near Tacoma for a
visit of three days, when the vessels
will go to Bremerton for docking.
1t is expected that eight ships will
arrive at San Francisco on Friday,
May %, where they will be docked
in succession.