Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-13
CITY is ALL EXCITEMENT
Parade Will Outshine the Dewey
Reception.
OTHER COAST TOWNS PREPARE
Los Angeles Will Especially Honor
Admiral Evans and Hopes He
Will Be Present.

lantic fleet arrives here tomorrow, and
its stay will be marked by the most not
able pa rade of brtejackets and marines
ever landed from American vessels of
war. Five thousand enlisted men and
more than 200 officers will be in line.
This force will outnumber that participat-
Dewey in New York city. when he re-
turned from the battle of Manila bay
to accept his commission as head of the
American navy. The assembling of the
sixteen frst-class battleships for the voy
age 10 the Pacific brought together the
greatest power of lighting craft ever
known in the navy. and made possible
the splendid land display which is to be
held here and which will be repeated
when the fleet reaches San Francisco.
The San Diego parade will be held next
Wednesday afternoon, beginning at z
o'clock 1t will be the initial step in the
formal ceremonies of welcome which
have been arranged here in behalf OF the
state and the city. Gov. Gillette and
Mayor Forward being the principal
speakers at the exercises to be held in
the city park. In order to assemble this
great marching force 1t will be necessary
for the sailors and marines to embark in
small boats from their respective ships
at Il o'clock noon. The maneuvers of
landing the 5000 men, after a journey of
some ten or twelve miles from the ocean
into San Diego bay, will be a spectacle In
itself and will be watched with keen in
terest evidence of small boat drill
efficiency In the fleet. All of the men will
be landed with arms and in light march
ing order.
Landing a Great Feat.
The small boats of each ship will be
loaded to their utmost carrying capacity
the sailing launches, the largest of the
boats now carried on the battleships, each
containing from sixty to seventy men.
The handling of these frail craft in d.
visional and f1otilla formation and towing
them into the harbOr by means of the
stalwart little steam launches hooked up
in tandem procession will be fraught with
many difficulties. But American naval
men are skillful at such things, and it is
believed that the orders issued by Ad-
miral Thomas will be carried out without
the slightest hitch at any point. The force
to be landed at San Diego has officially
been designated as the Fleet Naval Bri-
gade.' It's formation was a task Of no
mean proportions. the detail occupying the
attention of the staff officers during the
large portion of the journey from Magel-
Ian straits to the northward. The fleet bri-
gade has been divided into five divisional
brigades, the first being marine brigade
and the others being known as first sec
ond. third and fourth division brigades
the latter being composed oc bluejackets
from the ships of the division from which
the numerical order is taken.
Order of Parade.
Sixty-four separate companies of blue
jackets and sixteen companies of marines
compose the total force These figures
quickly convey an idea of the extent Of
the parade and give to it history-making
proportions. Each battleship will contrib
ute four companies Of bIuejackets and one
company of marines. All sixteen bands
OF the fleet are to be combined and then
divided among the five divisions giving
about seventy-two persons to each organi-
zation. This feature to the display also
has its notable side to 1t.
As commander Of the fleet brigade Ad-
miral Thomas has selected Capt. Seaton
Schroeder. commanding the battleship
Virginia. Capt. Schroeder is to be pro-
NOTED to the flag rank and will command
one OF the divisions of the battleship fleets
when IT starts on its cruise around the
world from San Francisco in july
The marine brigade will be commanded
by Maj. Dion Williams, U.S.N., feet ma
rine officer.
ship Panther has been designated as
beach master of the brigade and will
have charge of the landing of the men on
shore.
An escort Of honor, a battalion Of coast
artillery from the army post at Fort
Rosecrans. local companies of the Califor-
mia National Guard and Naval Reserves.
posts of the G. A. r.. Confederate Veter-
ans. Spanish War Veterans and uniformed
civic bodies also will have a place in
Wednesdays parade.
Boxing at Los Angeles.
LOS ANG EI.ES, Cal. April 13.-The
celebration to be held In Los Angeles in
honor of the arrival of the Atlantic bat
| tleship feet will i'm the main partake of a
| tribute to Admiral Evans. Though too
iii to command the fleet. he will. If pres
ent be received aS though he was actually
i'm command. a feature of the entertain
ment will be the boxing tournament of
local amateurs. refereed by James J. JEFF
fries. On each day of the week there will
be contest between the battleship cham
pions of the different weights.
There also will be given a wild west
show every day Of the week. The only
public entertainment for the officers will
| be the reception and parade Tuesday.
Saturday night. April 1S. the date of the
arrival of the fleet there will be search
| light drills by the battleships at San
Pedro and fireworks and illuminations
| ashore. Monday, April 20. there will be
| held at Santa Barbara big floral parade
| which will be reviewed by the admiral and
, officers Of the feet.
Seattle and Tacoma.
| Receptions and balls for the officers are
| planned for Monday. Tuesday and Wed
nesday nights. Each evening there will
be entertainment for the sailors and ma
| rines. At Monterey. after. the exchange
| of courtesies between the army and naval
F! officers. it is planned to have automobile
rides for the officers and athletic con-
| tests for the men. The streets will be il.
Illuminated and there will be full dress balls
| at the Preside and Delmonte.
! Arrangements for the entertainment OF
! the feet at Seattle next month are under
| the general direction of the chamber OF
| commerce. This body will present to the
admiral in command a>key TO the city.
! At Tacoma decorations will surpass any.
| thing of the kind ever planned for a pub
! lie event During fhe stay of the fee,
/ there a series of receptions. balls and ath-
letic contests will be provided.