The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-20
HALF MILLION SEE ARRIVAL OF FLEET Australians Crowd Sydney Sea Front at Early Morning
 Hour to Welcome
 Americans. MANY WAIT ALL NIGHT Batt'cshlps Safely Moorcd In British Port After Encouutcrlng Heavy
 Weather on Way from
 Auckland.
MANY WAIT ALL NIGHT

tliiS hHuiNlnE tnln veil or smoke on tho horizon signalled to the watchers on the coast the approach of the Am erican warships, and at 5:s5 official i notification was sent out that the fleet had been sighted. II was yet 20 miles outside of Sydney harbor. but this word which had been awaited ca e gerly by tens of thousands. stirred Australians Ike a call to arms. and almost instantly those who had not already left the city to take up points of vantage, along the bays. were moving in droves to line the csIays the rooftops and other places on tho harbor front, 10 watch the coming of the suardships of the new world.
 The day broke bright and clear, and 90 intense was the interest in the American ships of war that half the population remained awake the entire night and thousands upon thousands or them long before the night was oVver, were on their way to tha bilI- tops outside of the city limits, where they massed seemingly in unbroken lines along the coast from Bond $ Beach to Manley.
 lt is estimated that hardly less than half a million people assembled to give the visitors royal welcome. Sid e ney harbor. with its innumera hle bays, coves and branches never look. cd more beautiful, nor did the Amer,- cin sailors ever witness more in {. spring sight than that which met their eyes as tho white ships came through the channel, past the great headlands into Port Jackson
 A hundred thousand people. the greatest single assemblaee of all. gathered on tho South Head. where a magnificent view of the whole scene was to be had Hundreds of craft of all kinds moved up and down even al that carly hour. all the waters. With the exception of tho fairway and the anc1orages. being dotted with If {. tle and big vessels decorated In every conceivable manner with flags and bunting.
 The fleet left Auckland at SIS sstur- day morning and with the exception of one day, had fair weather all the way to sydney. On Tuesday the warsh,ns encountered heavy winds which threw Up etif head sea. greatly rctarding their progress Throughout Tuesday night the high seas caused the larger of the ships to roll at least twenty de. grees, while tho auxliaries suffered even more severely. There was ron siderable discomfort for all the mon and the intervals between the vessels were increased to 500 yards. The forma- ton. however. was not changed No evolutions were Indulged in on account of the heavy weather during this pe riod, but this abated the following day when the ships were about IsO miles from port
 speed was then increased to t2 knots and, although the hospital ship Relief was left behind, the others reached the coast on schedule time. the Americans as anxious as the Australians to par- ucipate in tho receptions and the fetes N'''i tle ldltsT nan prepared Tor them.
 In perfect alignment, the flagship Connecticut leading with Rear Admiral Sperry on the bridge. the warshps came out of the horizon. first a little smoke showing and then the hulls low down in the distance.
 Passing in through the Sydney heads in double column. at intervals of 100 yards, the ships looked to have world of speed and power under the glisten- ing sides. The fleet was attended by convoy steamers and was greeted with roar of salutes from the forts as 1t steamed slowly along. The thousands ashore and anoat added their cheers to swell the noisy welcome and countless British and American flags were flung to the breeze and still were waving long after the anchors had been swung from the sides,
 The American ebips boomed forth a salute to the port, and as soon as they were safely moored at their anchorage, visits were exchanged.