The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-24
Celebration in Honor Of Presence Of
Fleet In Los Angeles Harbors Draw
ing to cIoce In Wi,irl Of Excite
ment-o -off'cers spending Time on
shore-Auto Trip for Sailors.

moment of time of the officers and
men up to the hour they are required
to return to their ships at midnight
Friday night.
The ships were open to visitors all
day today and thousands of people
crowded the electric and steam lines
to the beaches and boarded the craft
plying between ships and the shore.
Boats Of every description were load
ed with passengers throughout the
day. The decks Of the warships were
black with people from 10 o'clock and
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon the clos
ing hour for visitors, many hundreds
still remained aboard waiting an op-
portunity to return ashore.
It is estimated that between 5000
and 10000 people have visited each OF
the ships Of the first division daily at
San Pedro since they anchored last
Saturday. The ships OF the other di-
visions have proved equally popular
and the officers have been put to much
effort in caring for the immense
crowds.
Officers All on Shore.
The ships have b4en almost denud.
ed of officers from the day of their
arrival. Many Of the commanding
officers have remained in the city dur
ing the entire week, and scores OF
others have been able to pay only the
most perfqnctory visits to their YES.
sells. Only scattering number Of of.
ficers are aboard the ships during the
day. ,s ass
The men, too, have had the largest
amount Of liberty. since their. arrival
in Los Angeles. Upwards of 1000
have been ashore each day for "a
hours beginning at Z o'clock in the
morning. They have been transport
ed to and from the beach cities by
the railroads free Of charge and have
also been carried without charge on
all city lines. The sailors Of the feet
have been overwhelmed with enter.
tainments. So busy have they been
that they have had hardly an oppor.
tunity to get to the downtown district.
The best order has been maintained
and the local peace authorities speak
in the highest terms Of the manner in
which the enlisted men have OBJ.
served the rules of good conduct.
on Big Auto Tour.
The men are to have their final
round Of entertainment tomorrow
morning, when $500 OF them are to
be taken on an automobile tour Of the
city. Admiral Thomas has granted
liberty to that number for the occa-
sion. They will arrive at Fifth street
and Broadway in the center of the
city. at 10 o'clock, where more than
500 automobiles will meet them and
take them through the streets Of the
city for four hours. Following the
tour In the automobiles, they are to be
given a barbecue luncheon, the same
as has been given daily to the men at
Chutes park after which they will see
the last performance of the wild west
show at Agricultural park.
Stan officers of the feet are busy in
the midst Of all the festivities prepar.
ing for the continuation Of the cruise
up the coast and concluding prelim-
mary arrangements for the trip
around the world. The press of work
on this trip is very heavy.
Officers Took Trip.
The automobile tour today Of the
$50 officers and so prominent citizens
Of Los Angeles covered large part
of Los Angeles county and traversed
much Of the cities and towns. More
than go machines were used to con-
yey the party which left headquarters
at the Alexandra hotel at IL o'clock.
The route taken lies east OF the
city. where the party was driven over
the macadamized highways to Pasa-
dena. where they were received by
local authorities and rendered COM
plimentary luncheon at the Maryland
hotel, under the auspices OF. the local
board Of trade. Hundreds of school
children participated in the exercises
which we're given III honor Of the Wis
itors. After drive through the beau.