The San Francisco call., 1909-10-17
City in Gay AttirC
For pOrtO|d FGtC
Celebration of Discovery and Restoration Will
Commence Tuesday Morning

San Francisco is in readiness for the
big Portola festival which. commenc-
ing Tuesday and continuing for five
days. will celebrate the rehabilitation
of the city and commemorate the dis
covery in 1869 of San Francisco bay
by Don Gaspar de Portola, first Spanish
governor of the CALIFORNIA; 1t is eX-
pected TO be the greatest fete ever
held in the west and will be attended
by a record breaking crowd
At least half a million visitors are
expected and the advance guard of the
throng is filling every train. The big
hotels are preparing for an immense
crowd and the festival committee,
through its information bureaus. has
made provisions for the accommoda-
tion of every one that may come TO the
celebration.
With the arrival of. the German
cruiser Arcona. which came into port
today, and the British squadron. which
Will sail through the Golden gate Sun
day morning. the great international
armada will have assembled The flags
of six nations viii fly over the men of
war in the harbor.
WARSHIPS AND AMBASSADORS
Rear Admiral James Phelps on the
cruiser st. Louis will be ranking naval
officer of the armada which will con-
sist of the British cruiser Bedford and
special service boats Shearwater and
Algerine; the Japanese cruiser Idzumo;
the Noord- -Brabant from Holland; the
Calabria rfom Italy and the Arcona
from Germany. The Yorktown and
torpedo boat hotilla will complete the
American division.
Marquis de Villalobas, minister to the
United States from Spain, is expected
to arrive Monday. He will represent
his government whose intrepid captain
of dragons, Gaspar de Portola, pushed
his way through the wilderness and
found San Francisco bay. Marquis de
Villalobas will be accompanied by Jonk-
hee John Loudon. minister to the
United States from Netherlands.
Artists and mechanics are putting
the last touches to the decorations and
illuminations upon which a quarter of
a million dollars have been spent. The
entire city is being draped In red and
yellow. the festival colors, and by night
San Francisco will be a city of 10000
600 candles. Engineers estimate the
public and private illuminations will
have a brilliancy of at least 10000 900
candle power.
ARRIVAL OF DON GASPAR
The festival will be inaugurated Tues
day morning upon the arrival through
the Golden Gate of Don Gaspar de Por-
tola in a Spanish galleon. He will sail
past the warships to the booming OF
cannons. He will be greeted by a recep
tion committee. of which Mayor Taylor
will be the head. and the galleon Will
dock.
As soon as Portola lands at the foot
of Mission street he will mount his
horse and. escorted by the Portola
Dragons, will head the great military
pageant. The soldiers and sailors OF
six nations Will be in line, and 1t Will
be the greatest military parade ever
held in the west.
At Union square the foreign diplo-
mats and dignitaries will review the
troops The keys of the city will be
handed TO Gaspar and will be presented
TO Miss Vergilia Bogue. queen OF the
festival. TheN toast of President 1all
will be proposed by Mayor Taylor at
noon. and it will be echoed around the
world.
FOR FOREIGN GUESTS
Tuesday evening a reception will be
hold al fbe St. Francis hotel for the
distinguished foreign visitors and OF
fcers of the army and navy. 1t VIII be
one Of the most brilliant social fuhc-
tions in the history of San Francisco.
"wednesday morning the representa-
tiyes of the foreign governments anu
the naval officers will be taken on d
trip through the CITY III
There Will pc an open a. -,
concert by 5000 school chlldfen III
Union square in the afternoon there
will he a reception to the diplomats ana
fore;gn naval officers on the moor oA
tl,a merchants exchange, rendered ey
the festival committee and the CONNER
cial organizations of the city
Wednesday evening VIII witness tiie
hall the faiE1HOnl
toteI II will be in honor OF the Visit
-, dinlomats the foreign naval oIncers
nr5 tho officers of the United states
armv and navy. 1t will be one OF tne
,,,ost notable social affairs IN the MS
tory of the city. 34od c+ates
The enlisted men of the onlteu olaee9
navy will tender a smoker ana ehtei
tainment to the enlisted men %
foreign warships at Dreamland pa
I,;lion There will be boxing ana
wrestling matches between the chaln-
pions of the various ships.
THE great civic and industrial parade
will start Thursday morning. 1t Will
he the greatest pageant ever held IN
the west. At least $4,000 men VIII De
in line. and il is estimated that 1t Will
talxe three hours to pass. There Will
he rlv 400 floats in the pageant and
more than 100 California cities and
countfes will be represented. Several
of the divisions Of the pageant Will be
larger than any other parade held In
the west.
The international section of the in
dustrial parade will be picturesque
feature. An elaborate display viii be
made by the Chinese, who. among other
things, will have 500 foot dragon
that will breathe fire as it winds its
sinuous length through the streets.
AND AUTO MEET
The Portola masquerade ball at the
Auditorium Thursday evening will be
one of the crowning triumphs of the
festival The immense capacity of the
big pavilion will be taxed to its ut
most and the revels will be of the gay
est All dancers will wear costumes
and be masked. and it is expected that
the ball will make a record for itself.
The decorated automobile parade Will |
appear Friday morning. Handsome |
nrizeS will he given for the hest dec /