Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-17
SAN PEDRO PREPARES
WELCOME FOR SAILORS
TOWN IN GALA ATTIRE FOR
RECEPTION
Streets Beautifully Decorated, ana
Efforts of individuals Bid Fair
to Surpass Those of
Committee

San Pedro, chief harbor city of Los
Angeles, is in gala attire for the recep-
tion of the battleship fleet.
Sparing neither time nor expense, the
citizens, merchants and patriotic resi-
dents Of the town have done themselves
proud in their preparations for the re-
ception of Fighting Bob" Evans men.
Nothing has been left undone that
bountiful hospitality or generous nature
could suggest to these good people, ana
it goes without saying that noWnere
from Hampton Roads to San Francisco
viii the greeting given the sailor boys
of the United States be more general,
more spontaneous {, more open-handeu
than in the little city inside the big
breakwater
In decorations alone the people there
have surpassed themselves. Lavish is
indeed a mild term with which TO oe-
scribe the lengths to which the decora-
tion committee of the citizens, under
the leadership of Chairman Lewis Han
sen, have gone to beautify and renuer
gay and gladstone the streets and THOR
oughfarc of the city.
At the public landing, which is the
water gate to the city, a magnihcent
marble white arch of welcome spans
the thUroughfare.
The arch is thirty-six feet in height
and forty feet in width, and is sur
mounted with great American nag
In the center on the water 1roilt oi
the arch is a picture of President
roosevelt, 6x6 feet in size and sur
mounted b. the national coat OF arms
Bears Portrait of Admiral
ON the city-or Landslide of the arch
is a 6x6-foot portrait of Rear Admiral
Robley ID. Evans, surmounted by an
The greeting, "Welcome to the Har-
bor city" appears on the front of the
arch.
The pillars supporting the arch con-
tain the names of the sixteen BATTLE
ships in the fleet.
Pacific tracks and dividing them from
those of the Pacific Electric company
has been turned into a giant cliff OF
palms, and reaching from the lntersec
ton of Fifth street to the parked
grounds surrounding the city nall ana
public library there is drive and walk
way lined with the beautiful and shape-
ly frondS.
There is not a prominent business
house in the city but what is smothered
in a mass of bunting and flags ana
streamers. and the private efforts bid
fair to equal If not surpass the puplc
endeavor to put on holiday azure.
uughfares of the town are hterally
rooted with flags and bunting and deco
rations.
From each telegraph, telephone ano
electric pole flies a giant streamer OF
the national colors. This waves IN
graceful folds from a high arm near
the top and is draped around the poles
near the bottom and banked on all
sides by palms and evergreens.
Across each block at regular inter-
walls are flung American flags, eight big
flags being allowed to each block.
All the main streets are thus deco
rated, and in addition hundreds upon
hundreds of varicolored electric lights
are strung along and across every
street and byway in the city.
The decorations made by the people
of san Pedro are in keeping with the
height Of the spirit of patriotism of
the people there, and no city on the
coast has gone to greater expense in
proportion to population than the chief
harbor city.
Despite the fact that the battleships
will he the main attraction to the visit
ors who Journey San Pedro way during
the time of the fleet in the bay waters,
ali visitors will reap enjoyment In view
ing the decorations and illuminations
of the buildings and streets OF the
town.