Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19

HERMOSA LEADS
WELCOME FLEET
RECEPTION COMMITTEE GOES
SOUTH TO GREET
ESCORTS ARMADA FROM NEW
PORT BAY TO SAN PEDRO
CITY Officials and Distinguished
Guests Move in Parallel Line
with Evans Steel-Clad
Fighters
fonntinned from Page Onel

(Confinued from rage Oho'
otic burst of pent up applause wild
demonstrations of accumulated long
ing and fervor
In stately, powerful fashion the
Evans battlers, on whom the eyes VI
the world are centered, swept by thelr
beloved land on parade, Significant III
their movements.
AS Seen Through Glasses
Rursting of bombs on shore, sound
inc Of steam whistles and answers,
wlgwagging and semaphoring ABOARD
the warships and the continual waving
of handkerchiefs by passengers marked
the visible signs of recognition. sym
pathetic joy was observable on the
faces of the sailors as revealed tnrough
the marine glasses. These toId sii-h.ly
the significance of this meeting on tne
high seas between United States citi-
zens welcoming their sons and prothels
on their globe-circling tour
Mayor Harper and his personal com
,oittee consisting of Gen. Adna X.
Chaffee. ex-Mayor M. P. Snyder, Gen.
John r. Mathews Joseph Mesmer ana
John r. Drake, were not aboard the
Hermosa. They escorted their families
TO the waiting special electric Hermosa
train on Ninth street, but withdrew to
automobiles to hurry down to San
pedro to await Admiral Thomas
launch. which was to convey them
,abord the flagship Connecticut, where
formal welcoming was programmed
In other respects, however, the trim
steamer did t e initial honors for Los
Angeles, a swarm of other craft follow
ing in her trail and joining the Won
derfully animated moving picture.
Sailing, steam, gasoline and every
other kind of craft swarmed about the
fleet, showing that the port of San
Pedro was near and that it would be
a home for the crews.
Gather with Cameras
Invited guests for the Hermosa as
sembled at the market house on Ninth
street. where three cars had been side
tracked shortly before o'clock. Mem
hers of the city council commissioners
in the mayors official family, repre-
sentative business. professional, mill
tary. naval and honorary Californlans
who worked on the reception commit
tee gathered there early, most of them
with their wives or daughters.
It was significant that nearly all car
ried cameras. Evidently they meant
to make the event an enduring one in
memory and in permanent pictures
would preserve the record for other
generations.
President Niles Pease and daughter
headed the council representation and
Mrs. A. c. Harper and mother consti-
tuted the mayors party. There We're,
besides, guests from elsewhere who
will during fleet week be entertained
by members of the committees IS indi-
viduals.
A touch OF color was added by the
presence of the officers of the naval
reserves, with Capt. Louis of the staff
CrRE
Woodbine commanding the reserves,
heading the list These had thought
fully brought the signal men, so that
talking was possible between the
Hermosa and the fleet.
Mayors Party Starts
Many of the women carried out nau-
tical ideas in their attire for the day,
and some had even banished the Merry
Widow hat for the more appropriate
sailor headdress. Every woman guest
seemed to have equipped herself with
camera, field or marine glasses, patri-
otic colors on a cane or fan and an
exuberance of spirits that proved in
fectious.
completed the Hermosa's setting,
these attired in sailor outfits and eager
10 be seen and heard.
Few, indeed, of the passengers suf-
fered from NAL de mer, for they had
no time to think of seasickness. Praise
was showered on many timid traV-
eler for her splendid exhibition of sea-
going qualities, and the boats crew
remarked often that for such a large
complement of travellers the percent
age of suffering from squeamishness
was very small.
Mayor Harper and staff left the spe-
cial train as it was about to start at
10 o'clock, cheers following the de-
parting delegation. Directly the three
cars were headed for San Pedro at
high speed.
At every crossing scores were await
ing for beach bound cars, leaving no
doubt In the minds of the Hermosans
of the record breaking attendance
promised. No stops were made, how
ever, and between lines Of decorated
piers, water craft, harbOr front build
ings and automobiles the special
stopped opposite the waiting Banning
steamer.
few guests of the Banning family
and the committees from Long Beach
had boarded the steamer by invitation
ready to join in the welcome ahead.
All those who had neglected to get
flags, canes and Kaleidoscope effects
supplied themselves with them before
embarl<ingi and by II o'clock the sec
ond stage of the journey was begun.
San Pedro seemed alive with bunting