The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-05
final Greetings Are Exchanged With Hosts Who Entertained
 So Pleasantly
NEWSPAPER CALLS VISIT
 A DELIGHTFUL CARNIVAL
Two Sad Deaths Have Marred the Visit In Accidental Killing of Americans During Rail-
 way Excursion.

Melbourne, September 4-Today brought the last of the series of entertainments in honor of the men and officers of the American battleship fleet which have brought the people of Melbourne into such pleasant and personal contact with their visitors. It dawned bright and beautiful as if to make up for the bad weather of the early part of the week. and the pro- gramme was carried out without a hitch or interruption. Tomorrow morning at s o'clock the fleet sails away for Albany. West Australia, where 1t will remain for a week, taking coal
 It has been busy seven days for Mel bourne, as well as for the visitors. and the city has found accommodation for vast thronss from the provinces, who swarmed in to take part in the festivities and wit ness the elaborate illuminations that have lighted up the city and bay for several hours each night
 Trip Through Country.
 The final official greetings have been exchanged and the last personal farewells spoken and 1t is safe to say that the hosts see their guests depart with sincere regret. A feature of the stay of the fleet in this port has been the personal friendships established between the officers of the fleet and the people of Melbourne. Official functions there were almost with out number, but in addition, there have been great many private luncheons and dinners and calls, quite informal in char aeter, which gave better opportunity for the forming of acquaintances and friend ships which will endure for many years to come. The visit to Melbourne has it's sad accompaniment in the death by acct dent of two men from the fleet. They were Arthur Decker a sailor from the New Jersey annd bandsman from the Vermont named Michaelson. Both men were killed by moving railroad trains. {. while on excursions to the suburbs They were buried today with full military hon ors, the mourners including representa- tives of the local naval and military forces
 party of American officers, as guests of the Automobile club, made a trip in motor cars over the Black Spur, accom- panied by Sir John Madden, the lieuten- ant governor. The route was from the club house via Richmond, Kew, Boxhin and Lilydale and Fernshaw, where lunch con was served. The journey was then continued over the spur, and at 3 o'clock the cars commenced the return trip by another route to Melbourne, where they arrived at 5:3O o'clock.
 The state government this afternoon entertained Admiral Sperry and the senior officers os the fleet at an elaborate lunch con at Parliament house. Sir Thomas the governor of Vic i toria, and many of the state ministers were present. The Victorian premier Thomas Bent. delivered an address of welcome in which he said that Alfred Deakin, the prime minister of the com monwealth, had good reason to be proud of the fact that he was the man who invited the American fleet to Australian waters.
 This afternoon there were baseball matches at the cricket grounds and regatta on Hobson's bay.
 This evening the warrant, petty and on-commissioned officers of the fleet were entertained on shore by the officers of equal rank of the commonwealth na- val and military forces of Victoria and the state government provided a wonder ful display of fireworks at Albert park. which was witnessed by enormous crowds of people.
 The Melbourne Daily Age publishes an editorial article bidding farewell to the fleet in which it says:
 Delightful Carnival.
 "It has been a delightful carnival. The fraternizations are at end but the memories that remain will be an endur- ing heritage of true affection. America and Australia are travelling parallel routes to the same goal, the betterment of the race and they have no conflicting ann bitions. The Australians have grappled their American cousins to their hearts with more than hoops of steel and they hope at no distant time to renew their greetings with augmented regard
 large crowd of Australians assem- bed at the central tramway station to- night to take enthusiastic leave of the Americans. It was a scene of the widest good fellowship and heartest leave-tall- ing that can be imagined. As each Amer lean sailor arrived at the station to board trolley car to get down to tho landing stages the crowd swooped down upon him and lifting him high on their shoulders carried him into the building and deposited him in his seat, Ito a con stant accompaniment of hurrahs, calls of good bye, old man" and the final singing of the chorus For he's a jolly good fellow"
 No sooner had one man been started on his way than the untiring Australians sought out another and even when the Americans arrived by the dozen and by the score there was no lack of willing hands and arms to give each sailor or marine a similar send-off.