Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-24
ADMIRAL GIVEN
SOLID GOLD KEY
SEATTLE'S WARM WELCOME
TO BATTLESHIPS
HALF MILLION SEE THE FLEET
STEAM UP SOUND
faded Officers and Men Of Warships
Are in for Another Siege of Fes-
tivities on Northern
Coast
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
SEATTLE, May 23.-The city of Sc
attic sitting on her seven hills on the
shore of Puget sound. capitulated today
TO the fleet of battleships under COM
mand of Rear Admiral Charles S.
Sperry. The gates of the city were
thrown open wide and Admiral Sperfy
was given the key, made of Alaskan
gold.
AS the fleet came into sight around
Point No Point, it was caught sight of
by half a million people assembled on
the heights, terraces and high build
;nss overlooking Elliott bay, Ballard
beach, Fort Lawton, Queen Anne hill,
Kinnear park, Capitol and Renton
hills and the shore of the bay was
black with a patriotic impelled people.
The city's normal population of one
quarter Of million was augmented by
an equal number who came from the
distant states of Montana, Idaho and
Oregon, and from across the Canadian
border to witness the unusual naval
spectacle.
Fleet Reunited
At o'clock this morning the diff
ferent divisions of the fleet, which was
divided two days ago reunited at Port
Townsend. The Missouri came up
from the navy yard at Bremerton and
from Bellingham came the flagship
Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, YER
mont, Georgia, New Jersey and Rhode
Island. From Port Angeles came the
Louisiana, Virginia and Ohio. Out of
the harbor of Port Townsend steamed
the Illinois and the Kearsarge. Form
ing in single line, the reassembled fleet
began the advance on Seattle in pre-
cision. AS the flagship arrived off West
Point, it was met by 1otilla of ex-
cursion boats, who turned and followed
in its wake as 1t rounded the forested
points of jutting land under the lee of
the snow capped Olympic range. along
the channel into which in the days
primeval the wooded paddle of the In
dams war canoe was dipped.
Nearing the city, the steamer UNA
tilla, carrying the reception committee,
came abreast of the Connecticut
turned and escorted her to the anchor
age ground, while the hundreds of
boats I'm the welcoming fiotilla formed
into double line and escorted the reS
mainder of the fleet into the harbor.
SaIutes Are Fired
Anchors were dropped amid the fir
ing of salutes, blowing of sirens and
cheers from thousands of threats. The
reception committee, headed by Mayor
John F. Miller boarded the Connecti-
cut and officially assured Rear Ad-
miral Sperry that he, his officers and
men We're welcome to our city,
In the name of the city Mayor Miller
presented Rear Admiral Sperry with
golden key fashioned from Alaskan
gold. The battleships began to receive
visitors and the harbor was soon
thronged with excursion launches. To-
night every ship is outlined from mast
head to waterliHe In electric lights and
the Japanese residents are discharging
novel fireworks.
The only official ceremony tonight
was a reception to the officers of the
fleet at the new Washington hotel,
which was brilliantly decorated for the
occasion.
The fleet will remain in the harbor
till the morning of May 81.