The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-11
Citizens OfNeu Orleans Ready to Greet Next President
 With Hearty Welcome
TAFT BUSY PREPARING
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS,
Cruiser Birmingham Will Take the President-Elect Up the Mississippi River to the City, Where He
 Will Be Entertained.

On Board United States Steamship North Carolina, February l0, Wa NC" Orleans February 10.-After being out from Colon. Panama, barely three days the armored cruisers North Carolina and Montana. conveying President-elect Taft and his party on the return trip home' dropped anchor tonight in the guif or the Mississippi river passes.
 The scout cruiser Birmingham and the lighthouse tender Magnolia were lying in the offing when the Montana and North Carolina hove in sight. At o'clock to- morrow morning the Magnolia will draw alongside the two cruisers and transfer the President-elect and the members or his party to the Birmingham, on which the trip will be made up the Mississippi river to New Orleans.
 Judge and Mrs. Taft and party. includ- ing the board of engineers taken to Pan anna and Colonel Goethals. will board the scout cruiser Birmingham tomorrow morning at 780 o'clock, and will com mence the trip up the Mississippi river
 The voyage from Panama to the mouth of the Mississippi river was uneventrul with the exception of the disabling of the machinery of the Montana last Monday, the second day out from Colon. As re- suit of this accident it became necessary for the Montana to fall behind until re- pairs could be made, and when these were completed 19-knot clip had to be maintained by the Montana for day in order to overtake the North Carolina and again assume her place as convoy.
 Taft a Busy Man.
 MT. Taft occupied himself during the voyage at work on his inaugural address. The board of engineers took the time to compile their official report, which will approve the Gatun dam as at present planned, as well as the Colon harbor breakwater, besides giving expert opinions on several engineering questions regard ing the canal. This report will be trans nitted to President Roosevelt by MT. Taft, and will be used by Colonel Goeth- als before congressional committees in ex- plaining the estimates for appropriations for the coming year. Work on the break water has begun and it is planned to turn 10 feet of water into the lake formed by the Gatun dam by next May.
 The President will be engaged un- til Saturday morning in New Orleans. He will then proceed direct to Cincinnati.
 The North Carolina and Montana are tonight anchored about half a mile apart and both are about mile south of the South Pass lightship. To eastward is the scout cruiser Birmingham, which will take the President-elect and his party to New Orleans tomorrow, and near the Birming- ham is the lighthouse tender Magnolia, which will serve as transfer boat.
 The night of the President-elects re- turn to the United States was marked by more or less publication among those on. board, and the little squadron formed by the four ships presented pretty sight shortly before midnight when the moon arose slowly up over the gulf. The band on the North Carolina played several pa triotic airs just after coming to anchor, and the few inhabitants of Port Eads and Pilot Town responded by footing the whs- ties on the pilotboats and giving three cheers.