Bisbee daily review., 1908-05-07

lights plainly In view. Fog closed |
down during the night, still hoyerIng /
over the ships as they got under way |
at IL O'Clock this morning. The |
cleft OF rocky costal range marking |
the harbor entrance was not visible i
to the feet as the nayigators laid |
their course totward the waiting city. |
Thinning clouds and growing strength |
of the climbing sun soon wiped the /
mist away, however. and when four
miles away in the ocean the ships |
came into FULL view. thousands lining
the shores to the north OF the gate
way Mount sTamalpais was crowded !.
with early risers, who sought a place
of vantage to view the spectacle OF |
the feet in miniature. Fort Baker, |
with fifty ton guns mounted higher |
than any weapons of similar weight |
in the world, also was thronged with |
sightseers. Near the entrance to the
sloping marinshores all the way from
the heights down to the Lime Point
marking the north point of the inner
gate, was fairly covered with enthu-
siastic thousands. Cannon on the
| Preside and at Fort Baker doomed
the national salute of 81 guns as the
Connecticut passed within the head
lands gate. The compliment, never
paid before between two branches Of
| the service, was returned by the Con
necticut amid loud cheers from the
people on shore.
AS the ships passed the fort an
| Lime Points and entered the bay, the
rolling hills of the city lay to the
right. On all these people of the city
| and hundreds of thousands Of visitors
stood and stared. They saw the
splendid cruisers of the Pacific feet
| lift anchOrse from behind Angel
| Island and slip carefully down the
| line marked out for the battleships;
| then as the visitors from the east
| passed the West Virginia, the flagship
q Rear Admiral Dayton, in CONNIE
! of the Pacific fleet, turned skillfully
into perfect alignment just in the
rear of the Wisconsin, the last of the
eighteen battleships stretching in
long line before the city. The West
Virginia was followed by her seven
sisters. by the Charleston and by the
torpedo craft to the western station.
They took their places four hundred
yards apart, just as the battleships
formed in columns The cruisers
never appeared to better advantage
than in contrast with the battleships.
The West Virginia lowered far above
the Wisconsin and her 500 feet of
water line made the 36S foot battle
ship look almost like a pigmy. The
dong cruisers with sky reaching
masts and four bun tunnels are with
out doubt the handsomest ships in the
navy Their lines are grace itself,
but their eight and ten inch guns
would be of little use against even a
ship as old as the Wisconsin which,
with four IS inch turret weapons and
16 inches of armor could lie we'll
without the cruisers range and pour
a destroying fire into her vitals. The
ships as they sailed into the bay were
dressed only at the mast heads with
big American flags flying at the fore
and after trucks peak of the gaffs.
The blue flag of Admiral Evans was
followed by red flags Of the six SUI
coordinate rear admirals, even Admiral
Dayton himself pulling down his blue
flag as commander in chief of the
Pacific fleet, substituting an ensign OF
red as Admiral Evans ship came into
view.
Passing to their anchorage the
ships steamed in review before Sec
rotary Metcaf. The Connecticut fired
salute of II guns. When the last
ships had fallen into four long
anchorage lines a signal from the
flagship was sent in huttering lines
rainbow of flags flying from the
mastheads of the ships at full dress
during the remainder of the after
noon.
No class of citizens in the city were
more interested in the coming OF the
feet than the Chinese. New pagoda
I,,sT
town were crowded with residents of
the quarter during the time the feet
was entering the harbor The streets
were gay with lanterns and decora-
tons of lavish beauty. The Japanese
residents also gathered in large num-
bers on the aill5ides to see the
pageant They contributed nearly
$4,000 to the local reception funds, to
which the Chinese were also liberal
subscribers. After the feet anchored
a launch was put off from the Mission
street wharf bearing Mayor Taylor, of
, the reception committee to pay the
city's official greeting and proclaim
, formal welcome to Rear Admiral
Evans and his sailors.
The launch reached the flagship at
3 o'clock. The mayor and committee
were received on the quarterback of
the Connecticut and taken below to
meet the admiral. Hearty greetings
were exchanged between the admiral,
, mayor and members of the reception
, committee. After ceremonies of the
official call were over, Mayor Taylor
and the committee came ashore. Fol-
lowing the official call Admiral Evans
came ashoe and was taken to the St
Francis Hotel to meet his wife and
) daughter.
. When the Connecticut passed Angel
, Island, the cruiser West Virginia,
flagship of the Pacific squadron, which
was lying at the east side of the isl
and, saluted the commander-in-chiei
with thirteen guns. The Connection,
responded. The Yorktown, with
Secretary Metcalf on board, proceeded
to position Immediately east of Mis-
sion Rock and cast anchor. The Con
necticut at las p. m. dropped anchor
Eight battleships came to anchor in
line astern of the flagship. The Min,
nesota first broke the single line for
nation, turning sharply from a semi
circle, and headed the second line to
the anchorage ground. Turning more
sharply still, the West Virginia steam
ed to her anchorage at the head of the
third line. Lastly came the auxiliar.
les, Panther, Glacier, Culgoa and Re
, lief, the last three finding anchorage
80 q go -