The Morris County chronicle., 1909-03-30
ROOSEVELT SAILS FOR BIG
HUNT IN AFRICAN JUNGLE
Enthusiastic Demonstration as
Ex-President and Son Depart.
FORTS ROAR PARTING SALUTE

Series of Ovations on Trip From Oys-
ter Bay to Hoboken Dock, Where
Hundreds of Friends and Associ-
ates Say Good-by.
''Thank you; / wish you all good
luck, / wish all Americans good luck
also"
This was the last word of Theodore
Roosevelt to his countrymen as he
left for Africa on the steamship Ham,
burg. The parting message was
hurled at the enthusiastic crowd
which swarmed about Mr.. Roosevelt
at the entrance to the gangplank of
the ship.
New York City.-Theodore Roose-
velt, picturesquely clad in black
soft hat and an olive drab overcoat,
after the fashion of the army officer,
and his son Kermit, similarly attired,
sailed away from Hoboken on the
steamship Hamburg at 11.06 o'clock
a. M, to hunt big game in East
Africa. The former Presidents de-
the most remarkable demonstrations
in the history of the United States,
and he left on the most remarkable
trip ever undertaken by an ex-Presi-
dent.
While fifteen bands played and
whistles blew and thousands shouted
on the pier of the Hamburg
Company the former President and
his son stood on the bridge of the
liner with Captain Burmeister. Mr..
Rosevelt's black slouch hat was
waved time and again, and the hats
of those on the pier were thrown
high in the air AS the liner was
towed out to midstream and slowly
got under way, gliding along until
the figure on the bridge was almost
lost. the movement of the big hat
could be seen. The tugs that passed
and the ferryboats which went by,
crowded with men and women on
their daily trip of toll, crowded the
decks to see an ex-President on his
way to the jungles.
II can't say how long I shall be
away" said the great hunter. sit
will be at least fifteen months.
There was crowd of more than
5000 waiting in Hoboken and held
back by the police force of that city.
The crowd cheered and the departing
American waved his hat to them.
Flags of many colors and sizes
waved from ship and dock in honor
of the occasion. Bands made music
on the decks and beneath the pier
shed. Crowds with special permits
lined the wharf. More crowds, with
out passes, were in the Hoboken
streets roundabout. There was much
cheering. A convoy of tugs followed
the vessel down the North River
Delegations from political clubs,
diplomats from Washington, and
groups of the departing hunters
friends streamed on and off the
steamship throughout the last two
hours before IL o'clock, the sailing
hour. Colonel Roosevelt, had taken
possession of his suite we'll ahead of
time, and his appearance on deck had
been the signal for rounds of hand
clapping by fellow passengers and
visitors who lined the rails.
The interval between his appear
ance on the pier and his waving of
farewell, as the boat glided out into
ovations, varying from a strenuous
One of the last things Mr.. Roose-
velt did before the steamer left the
dock was to send telegram to Presi-
dent Taft acknowledging the receipt
of several fine photographs and a
message of good cheer. The telegram
read:
Parting thanks. love and SINGER
ity."
President Taft early in the day had
sent cordial message of good-by
and "bon voyage" Mr.. Tafts good
by gift to his predecessor was gold
pencil inscribed with the words
"Good-by and good luck"
The passage of the Hamburg from
her pier to Sandy Hook was one con-
tinuous ovation Every craft in the
harbor saluted as the vessel ap-
preached the Narrows in the Lower
Bay, and the guns of Fort Hamilton
on the long Island shore and Fort
Wadsworch on the Staten Island
shore doomed forth the ex-Presi-
dental salute of thirteen guns. To
this the Hamburg responded by dip
ping the German ensign at her stern
three times The soldiers of the
garrison were drawn up in line on
the ramparts.
One of the last things that Emil L.
Boas, resident director of the Ham
burg-American line, did before he
bade farewell to Colonel Roosevelt,
was to instruct Captain E. Burmeis-
ter, the commander of the Hamburg,
to bring his vessel into Naples Bay
April instead of April 3, the sched-
uled day.
At the last moment Colonel Roose-
welt decided that he did not desire to
go ashore at Naples, but preferred to
go straight to the steamer Admiral,
which is to take him to Mombasa.
The Hamburg, therefore, will not
go out to the Mediterranean as fast
as she usually does.