Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-07
IA SHIPS
MANEUvER
UNITED FLEETS STEAM INTO
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
VAST THRoNG SEES ARMADA
PASS THROUGH GOLDEN GATE
Hundreds of Thousands of Persons
Line Shores and Cheer Greatest
Naval Spectacle Coast Has
Ever Witnessed
BY Associated Press.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6.-Through
the towering, rocky portals of the
Golden Gate, heavy laden with the ro-
nance of centuries, into the harbor
of the city of a hundred hills; into a
new San Francisco risen from the
ruins of two years ago, the Atlantic
battleship fleet steamed today in re-
view Of d multitude unnumbered.
1t was the same imposing pageant of
immaculate white ships that sailed
from Hampton Roads nearly five
months ago in the wake of the presi-
dents flag, but with the splendid ac-
complishments of a record-breaking
cruise of more than $4,000 miles and
three weeks of wonderful target work
behind it.
Today the white-anchored, four
starred blue flag of the secretary OF
the navy flying from the main of the
trim little gunboat Yorktown, fluttered
the welcome of the nation, while the
governor of California, the mayor Of
San Francisco and the people of q
hundred towns and cities voiced the
greetings of the enthusiastic west.
venture lurking on the dimly distant
horizon which marked the departure of
the fleet from its eastern base was
gone but there was still today the
satisfying sense of preparedness which
travels with this self-reliant force Of
fighting vessels and the manifest pride
of nearly a million residents of the
great western country who gazed for
the first time upon a column of first
class battleships.
Joined by Cruisers
Once inside the entrance to the bay
the heavy vessels of the eastern coast
were Joined by the armored cruisers of
the entire Pacific fleet, and the navy
of the nation, all save few newly
commissioned or reserved ships on the
Atlantic and some patrol boats scat
tered in the Orient joined in a parade
which for impressive beauty and
strength of fighting timber has never
been equaled.
Forty-four vessels ranging from the
16.000-ton Connecticut and the five sis
ters of her class, down to the tiny tor
pedo boats, no larger than a racing
launch, passed through the harbor TO
the anchorage south of the Market
street ferry terminals, where tonight,
outlined in the fire of their electric
awaiting the review of Secretary Met
calf on Friday morning.
The parade and the maneuvers of
anchoring occupied fully four hours of
time and gave to the people who made
black the bills of the city and the
islands of the harbor, housetops and
mountain heights twenty miles away,
the most wonderful naval spectacle
they have ever known, for after all,
whatever may be the elaborate festi-
walls planned ashore in welcome of the
fleet, the ships themselves steaming
along in varying formations really pre-
sent the picture that is most beautiful
to see. No black hulled navies of other
nations can ever match the wondrous
impressions the white ships of the At
lantic fleet have created at home and
abroad
General Holiday Declared
San Francisco, Oakland and Otiser
cities near by all took a holiday to wit
ness the coming of the fleet. There YYGs
a complete cessation of business and
the streets in the downtown sections
were absolutely deserted.
Banks and business houses were
closed for the day and everybody
flocked to the hillsides overlooking the
gateway and the harbor. More people
came into the city last night and this
morning than left during the terror and
homeless days following the fire.
1t probably is difficult for the people
of the central and eastern states to
realize the enthusiasm of the residents
of this coast over the presence of the
battleships in Pacific waters. All other
subjects are lost to view. The bitter
ness of political strife is forgotten. The
few remaining scars of a city shaken
and burned appeared rose-ti tinted today
in the joy of the general celebration.
A welcome sign spelled in letters
fifty feet high toppes the heights of
Telegraph hill.
The sun, which all morning long had
been obscured by heavy gray clouds,
broke through just as the ships were
passing by the gateway and shone in
monday brlliance on the pageantry of
fighting craft.
Tonight the city is gay with merry
making, and long program OF enter
tainments planned in honor of the fleet
is well under way.
Streets and buildings are illuminated
for the first time in the history of the
new city, many of the giant skyscrap-
ers that have risen upon the sites of
less imposing buildings destroyed be-
ing outlined in a fire of electricity.
The still crowded hills of the city are
flooded now and then in the flash and
play of scores of searchlights trained
from fighting tops and flying bridges.
Below them in the anchorage grounds
the illuminatiQns of the heaviest fleet
ever assembled under any flag make
brilliant the waters of the bay for thou
sands of yards around.
Entertainments Are On
Official dinners, band concerts and a
reception and ball at the Fairmont ho-
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