The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-04-17
Sixteen BattIeships Arrive at
The California Port.
NOTABLE MARINE SPECTACLE
Most Mseuiflesnt Display Of Sea Pow
Or Ever Witnessed on Pacific
Coast, Welcomed.

San Diego, Cal, April 15.-The
American battleship fleet has arrived
here. Sapphire waters, rejecting the
deep blue of cboudless Southern sky,
tropical islands jutting boldly out of
the ocean in the path of the Western
horizon, a mike of sandy beach
crowded with enthusiastic patriots
proud to welcome the navy to Cali
fornia and the green lawns and flower
ing gardens of Coronado, formed the
setting for the most notable marine
spectacle the West coast of the United
States has ever known. In four regu-
lar1y-intervaled columns, with flag
ships leading abreast and pointing the
way to the first home anchorage the
feet has found In its four months of
cruising around the southernmost end
of the Western hemisphere, the six
teen ships swept into the sheltered
cove of the sea behind the towering
headlands of Point Iona and halted
for four days ,of merrymaking for men
and officers. Governor James N. Gill
lette was here officially to welcome
the feet and called upon Rear Admiral
Thomas. Local committees also went
to the Connecticut to tell Admiral
Thomas and through him all the men
of the fleet how glad the people of
California are to see such splendid
Representations of the American navy
as the battleship fleet constitutes. Ad-
mirals Thomas, Sperry and Emery
and the commanding officers and
members of the various stats were
entertained at an elaborate but in.
formal dinner at the Hotel Del Coro.
nado. ,..
The beauty of the days spectacle,
when, with flashing signals and wonder
fully executed maneuvers the ships
were brought to anchor in the lazy roll.
ing Pacific waters, was rivalled at
night, when for three hours every YES
sci was outlined In fire. Thousands
of incandescent bulbs were strung
along declines, UP masts, far out on
the signal yardarms, up and down the
huge tunnels and down to the water
edge at stem and stern.
Glow Of Lights Flooded the Sea.
In fairy-like form the ships stood
out against the night and in letters
six feet high the name of each vessel
was spelled across its forward bridge.
The glow of the lights flooded the sea
for thousands of yards away, the
cleaning outlines shimmering in phan.
tom-like reflections.
During half an hour of the period
of illumination searchlight display
was made, adding infinitely to the
wonderful effects.
The thousands who journeyed from
San Diego to the beaches of Corona
do to witness the arrival of the fleet
remained to view the beauties offered
by the night spectacle.
The fleet let go its anchors-all
splashing in the water with precision
just thirteen minutes before the an
choring hour arrived. For two hours
the ships had been in sight and their
coming had been watched with won.
der by the waiting throngs. So en-.
crossed were they in the beauty of
the scene that they forgot to cheer.
Never before have armor-clads of the
Connecticut type, displacing more
than $4,000 tons of water in their oc-
cupancy of the sea, been seen along
the Pacific coast, and the occasion of
their first visit is to be made a me-
morable event whenever they touch a
port.
The splendid condition of the ships
was manifested in every way. Out
wardly they were the same sparkling,
white and buff units of a powerful ag-
gresatiOn of fighting force that point
ed their way out of Hampton Roads
on home coast 5000 miles away,
with the president showing the way
on his cruiser-yacht, the Mayfower.
Internally the ships were in better
condition than when they started