The Irish standard., 1908-05-09
bATTLESH|P FLEET
IN FRISCO HARBOR
VESSELS ENTER GOLDEN GATE
TO THE BOOMING OF BIG
CANNON.
THOUSANDS WELCOME
EVANS MEN-OF-WAR

Enthusiastic Crowds Line Coast, Views
Being Obtained from HllItops and
Other Places Of vantaee-"Fisht.
Ing Bob" In Command.
San Francisco, May -Four months
and 90 days out from Hampton roads,
the Atlantic fleet of battle.ships and
the second American torpedo fotilla
steamed within the Golden Gate
Wednesday and cast anchor in the har-
Dor Of San Francisco, where a well
come characteristic of truly western
hospitality was given them.
All night the 16 battle-ships lay at
anchor off the outer lightship, gently
rolling in the swell Of the Pacific, with
the six accompanying black-hulled de-
stroyers bobbing about and making
life uncomfortable for everybody
aboard. The glow of the city's lights
could be seen plainly from the ships
and made officers and men alike i'm.
patient for the completion of the last
leg of the originally planned cruise.
The path to the Golden Gate lay to
the east, while few miles to the west
the night lights of the tiny Farallon
Islands twinkled in ignorance of the
presence of the most distinguished
naval visitors ever sent to the west
coast Of the United States.
Wireless dispatches sent from the
ships to the shore during most of the
might told Of the uneventful run from
Santa Cruz. the last stopping place,
and of the preparations for the entry
into San Francisco bay under the
glare of the monday sun.
Enter Precisely at Noon.
The movements of the feet we're so
timed by the navigators that the Con.
necticut passed within the headlands
of the gateway-Point Bonita on the
Morth and Point Lobos on the south
exactly at 12 o'clock. Rear Admiral
Robley D. Evans, who left the fleet
after the first ten days of target prac.
tfce at Magdalena bay and went to
Paso Robes Hot Springs for treat.
ment, Joined the ships at Monterey.
The fleets arrival at San Francisco
has been made an occasion of celebra.
tfon. The governors of half dozen
western states have arrived here to
voice the welcome of the entire west
to the ships, and citizens of the vari,
,ous commonwealths have flocked to
this city, to Oakland. to Alameda and
to the suburbs of all three of these
cities. 1t was estimated by railroad Of.
hcials Wednesday that more than 3O0,.
900 strangers have been brought into
San Francisco In the last 48 hours. The
feet had been the topic at every city,
town or hamlet within several hun
dred miles of San Francisco for the
last two months, and every person
able to make the trip has come to wit.
ness the arrival Wednesday and the
review of the fleet In the harbor by
Secretary Metcalf Friday. Mr.. Met.
calf has been in the city for several
days. and on board his reviewing ship,
the Yorktown, saw the entry of the
magnificent line of fighting vessels.
Shore and Hills Are Crowded.
Thousands who wished to see the
spectacle OF the fleets entrance began
early In the morning to make their
way to points of vantage along the
shore both north and south of the Col.
den Gate. Many tourists took the long
picturesque ride up Mount Tamalpais
TO gaze down $500 feet upon the ma.
rine picture. Others, invited guests OF
Che army, occupied long stretch of
coast Just south of the 1arbor mouth.
In the city the hills that overlook
the bay were topped by crowds. Rus
sian hill, Telegraph hill. Mob hill and
all the others were black with people
many hours before the feet lifted an
,cfors of the lightship. The harbor
was jammed with pleasure craft. Many
Of the excursion boats sailed outside
TO give the eager enthusiasts aboard
the first glimpse of the ships. Once
outside, however, they found re-entry
into the harbor barred by revenue cut.
ters and patrol boats, which for three
hours preceding the entrance of the
men-of-war kept the gate and the
4airway clear of all other shipping.
Under orders from Gen. Funston the
cannon OF the Presidio doomed wei.
coming national salute of 81 guns in
honor of the ships as they passed
within the harbor.
Creditors File Bankruptcy Papers.
Milwaukee, May 7.-Three of the
creditors of the Koch & Loeber
Company, paper dealers, with claims
aggregating about $4,000, have filed
an involuntary petition in bankruptcy
against that company in the federal
court It is said the total liabilities of