The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-05

Of the flagship Connecticut, the ships of
the splendid fleet will weigh anchors
and turn their prows northward for
the city Of the Golden gate.
Santa Cruz is happy-wildly, deliri-
ously happy. It is a night of nights,
for never could human heart feel
stronger the appeal of nature and of
pulsing life than tonight in this gay
city by the sea- The wand of fairy
queen has swept this shore tonight,
leaving on land and sea and even in
the heavens a mystic beauty that is
heavy with enchantment.
CITY AND BAY AGLow
In the soft breezes that fan the
beach there is the smell of the sea,
from landward drifts the perfume OF
flowers and the echo of distant music.
Everywhere there is light-on the bay,
in the heavens, up and down the
stretch of white beach. along the piers,
and over the whole city there is free
dom, gayety, light song, the whirl Of
the dance and unnumbered throngs of
people Santa Cruz is giddy with it all.
There is a glow in the sky such as
never before lighted the night Of the
waters of this placid bay. 1t is not
the rudy orihamme of an unmastered
fire, but a vast white radiance that
shimmers and flashes. now filing the
whole void of night with a soft bril-
lance, now shooting binding beams of
dazzling whiteness over the city. the
shore, the hills and into the heavens
the light of the searchlights of the
ships.
SHIPS SET WITH JEWELS
The ships themselves are aglow in
all the beauty Of illumination Their
graceful forms are outlined in strings
Of incandescent lights that flash and
twinkle perfect jewels. with here and
there the glowing rubies and emeralds
of their port and starboard lights to
relieve the brilliants Of predominant
white.
Ashore the arches, domes and
minarets Of the Casino are vieing with
the ships in setting forth their beauties
in lines of light, while a great electric
welcome" sign shines from the hills
Wharves and streets alike are bright
beneath strings Of lighted globes
There are bands on the beach, In the
city and on the wharves. and three big
dances offer their allurements to suit
the different tastes. The officers ball
the social event of the week. is in full
swing in the handsome oval ballroom
of the Casino: a dance for enlisted
men that is scarcely less elaborate II
its appointments and every whit al
strict in its invitationaT limitations IL
being given by the fourth division Of
the naval militia at the armory, and {
dance that is open to sailors and citi-
zens alike, without entrance restric-
TONS is being held in the large hal
at the head of the Casino pier.
FLoTILLA RUSHES IN
At o'clock this afternoon the low
rakish bulls Of the six torpedo boats
of the second flotilla were sighted fal
out at sea, and racing in without
slackening speed they came to anchor
age 40 minutes later inside the line o.
battleships In their battle costumes
Of black and with the inky smoke
pouring in pillows from their stacks
the miniature vessels of war seemeC
like busy little toys as they threaded
their way in among their more demur,
big sisters and came to anchor witt
a hurry of signals and deal of fusi
that their very smallness seemed Il
accentuate.
With their flagship Whipple. unde
command of Lieutenant Commands
Cone. leading the way. they steamed il
between the Connecticut and Kansal
and let their anchors splash into tn
bay almost within hailing distance o
shore
AUXILIARIEs ARRIVE
During the early afternoon the hos
pital ship Relief and the auxiliar,
Panther came around the headland a
the west and took position in line witt
the big floating cold storage shil
Glacier and then at o'clock cam
the other eight sbattleships of the sec
ond squadron and the dispatch tende
Yankton.
Each arrival in turn was greeted wit
the shrek OF whistles, wild, piercing
and unrestrained, as it reached its an
chorage. and the beach and hills cir
cling the city were black with spec
tatOrs.
The battleships Of the second squad
ron circled the inner curve Of the ba,
as the first had done on its arriva
and swept in from the east in column
formation, silent and stately. anchorinl
just before 6 o'clock between the YES
sells Of the first squadron and the flo
tilIa, the flagship Minnesota in lin
with the Connecticut.
In the morning the Connecticut vii
desert the feet. At daylight 1t will b