The San Francisco call., 1908-05-07
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Only the san Francisco ughtzhip.
suddenly exalted 20 q dizzy prominence
BY being the overnight host OF the feet,
did its best % make the ships AZ home
zld bid then welcome Il footed ue--
rt-T aEST, though its sole object
q existence was 20 provide entertain
ne1t for It's noted guests until the
tine for their departure came. At
o'clock the first OF the excursion yes
se-s loo1ed blackIT out OF the 1og, and
then turned, gay with banners. blatant
with bands and noisy with shrisking
Whistles as they found their way into
TIE 6eets own patch of sunlight and
circled around and around the silent
warshtpz-
The pilot schOoners were the next 10
dare c lngerlp acquaintance with the
feet- They. too, had ridden al anchor
.orerlight near the ughcship. and sent
OK L-elr small boats early IN the
morning 70 put the. harbor pilots on
board the four divisional fagships.
on the Minnesota We awaited our pilot
impstleurly. for here was 4 man who
must surely be weather prophet tor
r-l-s bay and whose prediction OF e fair
day inside the heads would do much
70 tighten our burden OF anxiety. Would
y oe picture worked out IN perfec-
rol OF Brightness and color as we
steamed into the bay or was IL possible
rL1t after ali these months OF planning
tie scene was 10 be usrred and
deadeled b . pel of tog2
CLEAR SKY PROMISED
these were the questions We asked
Llm Just the minute he had been re-
celred o. AdziraI Thomas and Cap
tain Hubbard He nodded his head
smiled waved his hand with expressive
gesture over the stsrboard quarter and
declared that with such e breeze we
were sure 20 find Il clear by the tine
We reached rhe Golden gate He was
50 sure about Il that we believed him
implicitly and were satisfied
six bells struck-I1 o'clock Already
the monsters were tuEgt1g AZ short
anchor chains with the great hooks
barely rouchLng bottom On the stroke
Of the hour string OF gay flags hut-
tered down from the mast Of the fag-
ship Conn ecticut 81 the head OF the
column Similar signals disappeared
like magic from the masthead Of every
vessel IN the feet There was the
clank ot anchor chains and the lashing
Of water By our propellerss telling the
1eer vas under way.
Slowly we turned our PROV 70 the
norrhWsrd 20 regain direction. for dur
inz the night we had swung around,
move speed cones few up 10 the
yards. signaling standard speed ahead.
and the C0nnecticut led the way around
the arc OF q circle and laid & course
straight Tor the still hidden portals OF
the bay
FOG VEIL TORN AWAY
And then as We swept in over the
70 nile stretch OF open sea occurred
transformation that made uockery OF
the most elaborate stage setting ever
attempted BY human hands Like the
tearing away of q thin gray veil. the
fog that lay 70 landTard dissolved be-
fore the OncOming ships and the rug
Eecness q the outer proEoncorieS AZ
the Golden gate stood out clear II
green and brown as the frame for a
picture ot wondrous beauty. In through
tie Eszdlznds the bay spzrkIed under
= hath ot sunlight. specked and dotted
with a hundred vessels. ocean liners
massive freighterS. merchantmen. tugs.
excursion boats and sailing craft OF
every kind and every size.
SC-l- with Point Bonita AZ the north
and Point Lobos AZ the south OF the
entrance Jet several miles away. the
scene that was opened 70 our ewes was
hur a glowing perspective without the
detail that vas 70 be added minute By
minute as We advanced Field glasses
and powerful binoculars were unsIung
20 aid the naked eye. and 70 every
point C vantage on the ship swarned
officers and men anxious 30 miss no
change fn the panorama that was be-
ginning 70 unfold 50 fast
MEN IGNORE MESS CALL
one hour that the men OF the navy
respect with = wholesome admiration
is ness hour. bur when the noon mess
cali was blown yesterday on the Min
nesota the response was a failure
There were a few who. with the de-
mands of the inner man dominant
rushed or 70 gulp Z rnouthfuI OF food
and cup OF hot coffee. but they were
81 the minority.
Most Of the officers and men alike
ignored the call snd clung 70 the hand
rails ard the rigging. unwilling 10
Leave their places for anything less
thar the fuslsrent demand for skip