The San Francisco call., 1908-04-14
ROUTE TOO SHORT
FOR FLEET PARADE.
Procession Four and a Half
Miles Long VIII Be Obliged
to COuntermarCh
General Roster Estimates That
Fifteen Thousand Men
Will Be in Line

parade longer than its line OF
march is the queer situation that con-
fronts the San Francisco fleet commit
tee in its plans for the big military
and naval demonstration and parade in
honor of the battleships, which is down
on the official program to take place
on the morning of May Z. Members of
the committee were so puzzled yester-
day on learning of this state of affairs
that they hardly knew what to do until
General John A. Roster, who will be
grand marshal of the day, came to the
rescue with the statement that coun-
termarch would overcome the difficulty.
When the head of the procession
reaches Van Ness avenue and Jackson
street 1T will wheel and march back
on the other side of the avenue. When
the advance guard reaches Powell and
Market streets on its countermarch
the rear division will have just started
from the ferry building.
1t is estimated that the procession
will be four and a half miles long.
The route selected. which Is up Market
street to Van Ness avenue, thence to
Washington and Jackson streets, where
the secretary of the navy Will review
the procession, is only three and a half
miles In length. 1t will take one and
half hours to pass a given point.
According to General Roster about
10000 men will be in line. OF these
5000 will be bluejackets and marines
of the fleet, 5000 will be regular sol
diers under General Funston, and 2,000
will be in the militia and naval re-
serves Semimilitary organizations,
Grand Army veterans and the like will
provide 2.000. 1t will be the biggest
military demonstration ever brought off
in this city.
The bluejackets will form in East.
Steuart, Spear. Main. Beale and Fremont
streets, and the soldiers under General
Funston will form their columns in
Orumm, Davis, Front, Battery and San
some streets. The men will march in
files of 10.
The reception and parade committee,
of which Frank J. Symmes is chair
man. met yesterday and decided to
build grandstand exclusively for
army and navy officers and their wives
on the lot belonging to the city in
Van Ness avenue between Hayes and
Fell streets. Other stands will be
built for Grand Army men and Mexican
war veterans.
The committee was asked IN a letter
from local union musicians to have the
parade headed by union band of 100
pieces and to leave all army and navy
decided that this could not be done.
Three thousand engraved invitations
will be issued by the entertainment
committee, of which Frederick w. Hall
is chairman, for each1of the two recep-
tions to naval officers at the Fairmont
on the nights of May 6 and May IL.
Each invitation will be for two per-
sons.
Five hundred Invitations to the sub
scription dinner in honor. of feet Off
GERS, governors and celebrities, at the
st. Francis on the night of May Z, have
been sent out Plates at this banquet
will cost $40 each. and the number to
be sold is limited to 200. The COM
mittee will accept the first 200 answers
received. In addition to this, 100 plates
are reserved for the naval officers and
governors The California delegation
in congress will be invited.
Much of the music planned to enliven
the fleets stay will have to be cut
from the program. In it's efforts to
reduce expenses to come within the
available fund the committee has been
obliged to prune the music. without
mercy. In place of concerts day and
night in Union square they will be
held in the afternoon only, and one of
the bands which were to have played
at Hamilton square. Washington square
and in the Mission will be left out
altogether. BY this step and by aban-
doning the idea of having fireworks
the committee reduced it's estimate
from $4,000 to $4,000,