The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-05-19

formation tl3t the uSSt Was surrey
there. swinging az an anchorsge near
the liShtship twelve miles cut. and only
WAITING for the hour decided upon C
ENTER the harhor. Fog made little dif-
ference with them. they were ready g
enter. and il remained with those on
shore 70 wait and hope that the fog
would lift
Before il did lift. however. the shore
line from the Cli0 House clear around
lpaSt Fort Mason was black with pso-
lple-co0ie early in the morning with
baskets Of lunch and drinking water
prepared 10 spend the day If necessary
but there 70 see the feet come in.
At ssgh, O'Clock as the marine bands
were striking up from ship 10 ship s
huge excursion steamer from the Ner-
chants Exchange suddenly sprang into
view from the fog hank and slowly
passed along the line. a long canvas
l''Welcome' stretched along the side.
Next came the PILOT boat. sailins
lleisurely down slorSsi6e the Connect
cut. small boat put of. and Captain
John Wallace came climbing over the
side. 70 be greeted by the officers. He
made his way 20 the bridge. prepared
70 SLc<L NElC NO4E>C " NAsC SAS1SSN-
armada thar had ever entered the har-
Dor.
shortly before eleven O'Clock. as
though il had all been arranged with
the rest OF the cruise. the breeze Sprang
Iup and every veStise OF fog disappear
ed back OF the Farallones. leaving the
vessels standing out sharp and clear on
the CLASSY water. while the great cliffs
Of the shore rose majestic and for
/ bidding in the distance.
At eleven o'clock the preparatory
signal was hoisted on the flagship. and
shortly afterwards the fleet began 70
move. and with the ripple of water al
the bow the great battle-fiags were
broken out at the main and fore.
Quickly the ships gathered headway,
and soon the men on board could make
out with the naked eye the hills black
with people. On swept the fleet. until
the Connecticut was almost abreast Of
Fort Point. Suddenly from the hill
tops above there was a fash. a blind
ing roar and the salute from the shore
batteries had begun why, they are
firing the ten-inch guns" exclaimed
an officer in aStoniShment. True il was
General Funston had sprung a sur
prise on the other branch OF the ser
vice
On board each ship the crews were at
quarters, the guns trained abearn, and
Chief Gunner Moore paced up and
down the deck near the Admirars
chair. As the last boom from the shore
batteries reyerberated through the
cliffs, there came the sharp command.
Get ready 10 fire" and an instant
later the guns Of the Connecticut and
the following battleships belched forth
the answering salute. This time it was
Jwenty-one guns national salute, and
all precedsntS were broken.
On came the vessels, in s perfect
line. moving swiftly past the old fort
and on past the Preside shore. Far in
the distance, way beyond earshOt. the
thousands Of spectators let forth a
mighty roar. II was spontaneous, it
was grand, il expressed all the pride
OF country, and all the glory OF achieve
ment- II was & time when men were
proud they were Americans, and they
rose to the occasion and cheered
wildly, though the wind snatched their
voices away and they fell far short Of
the feet
Back on the Connecticut Admiral
Evans sat in one corner Of the bridge
and those who were nearby say there
we're tears in his eyes. as he gazed
first at the shore and then back over
the long line Of vessels. some Of which
were still stretched out along the hori-
ION II was almost the end-and such
an end is granted to but few men of
a generation
Where is Fort Mason2 ," he suddenly
asked and the place was pointed out to
him He raised his glasses and looked
long and carefully at the pIace-and
over at Fort Mason, Mrs Evans and
her daughter, Mrs Marsh, had raised
their glasses. and were looking long
and carefully at the Connecticut. At
that supreme moment in the life OF the
three there was something else TO think
about for the moment besides the Jour
uey, the glory and the end
As the fleet went on. the Pacific fleet.
which had been anchored over by An
gel Island. got under way and steamed
rapidly over toward the Atlantic fleet I
There was another exchange Of salutes, |
and the vessels Of Admiral Dayton's |
squadron swung into line, and for the /
first time the united fleet Of forty |
eight vessels Travelled together
As the feet came around Telegraph /
Hill the officers saw for the first time
the enormous Welcome sign. which i
stood out from the top. Every letter /
fifty feet high. the whole word weigh
ing SS tons. il was the largest sign ever |
constructed in the United States. This /
was but one Of the sights that met |
the eyes Of the astOnished seameu, who 4
took but a glance at it that time and /
then turned their eyes again to the /
-Ours4
Just ahead OF the feet ran the police
boats. but there was little for them 20 /
do. as the hundreds OF excursion boats
kept their places remarkably well, and 1
kept the roadstead clear
The line OF vessels never slackened /
speed but moved swiftly on past Al
catraz Island. past Goat Island. the
vharves black with humanity, and then /
moved down toward Hunters Point |
OF the drydOcks, the flagship |
slowly turned and started back pass |
ing the rest Of the boats The column |
broke. the next division veered of 10 |
starboard- another column TO port, and |
with sIacksued speed the feet ap-
preached the anchorage Slower and |
slower moved the vessels, until Just as |
they were making headway against the 1