Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-21
CROWD OF VISITORS
SEE BATTLESHIPS
MORE LAUNCHES ADDED TO
VENICE FLOTlLLA
Five Thousand Are Taken Out to
Warships-courts of Country
Club Thrown Open to
Officers
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
VENICE, April 20.-A crowd fairly
rivaling in numbers the average Sum
day influx came down to this beach
today, generally the dullest of the
week. to visit the four big battleships
riding at their anchors in the bay and
to disport themselves on the sand and
in the swimming pools and other
amusement places.
Three more launches were added to-
day to the eight that were in service
yesterday between the breakwater and
the men-of-war, and the eleven were
ample to accommodate all who could
be received during the day on board
the vessels. Long before IL o'clock,
the hour at which the public was al
lowed to begin coming aboard, a long
line of prospective visitors was in wait
ing on the Venice breakwater, and
when, at o'clock, access to the ships
was stopped for the day, there were
still many people who were forced to
content themselves, for today at least,
with a cruise around the vessels in
stead of a visit on board. Five thou
sand people were taken out in the
launches during the day.
The courts of the Country club were
thrown open this afternoon to all off,
GERS who wished to play tennis. A
number of the navy men availed them
selves of the, privilege. Athletic sports
were held this afternoon at Santa
Monica and Venice, and the days fes-
tivities were brought to a brilliant
close by a ball at the Venice audito-
rum in honor of the officers of the
feet given by the entertainment COM
mittee and arranged for by the men,
bers of the Country club.
Nearly all of the sailors who have
come ashore since the ships dropped
anchor in these waters have proceeded
at once to Los Angeles, so that the
various amusement places here have
derived most of their extra trade from
the swarms of civilian pleasure seek
ers who have been pouring In here
ever since the arrival of the squadron.
These extra crowds, however, have
more than justified the special pro-
vision that the owners of the amuse-
ment places have made for this week,
and the swimming pools, dance halls,
skating rinks and other attractions
are doing a volume of business hith-
erto undreamed of since the good old
days of the "boom" two years ago.
A novel feature of this cruise of the
Atlantic fleet Is the maintenance of a
special ships police, consisting of sail
ors from the various vessels accoutred
with cartridge belts, "billies" and
handouts, who patrol the beach on
the lookout for possible disturbances
participated in by the jackies. So far
this picturesque branch of the service
has been useful on this beach simply
as a pleasing ornament, for there has
been no hint of misconduct of any sort
among the men who have come ashore
here.
The Maine, Minnesota, Ohio and
Missouri were brilliantly illuminated
tonight and from 8 to o'clock a daz-
zling searchlight drill was held by
the piercing shafts of white light dart
ed here and there over the bay light
ing up in turn the ships themselves,
the waters of the bay, the coastline,
the houses on the beach and the noun
tains beyond with an intensity equal
to that of the light of day.