The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-01-30
HUGE CAKE FOR
SHIPS BIRTHDAY
Monster CONNECTION Prepared in
Honor of the Cruiser South
Dakota-High links.
(From Sundays Advertiser,l

(Ffom Sundays Advertiser,)
Who would not be battleship when
he could have such birthday parties as
the officers of the cruiser South Da.
kota gave their ship-and incidentally
about five hundred g1ests--last night 7
Everyone at all worth while from a
naval or military point of view was
, there-at least everybody not on duty.
/ In addition there were several hundred
of the elite of Honolulu.
Lieutenant Commander D. w. Wurtg-
baugh was responsible for the decora.
tion-that is he was chairman of the
committee that had that work in charge
and the officers certainly achieved
triumph. Not a single one of the many
features they adopted to make their
ships birthday party distinctive was
hackneyed. All were new and many
very beautiful.
Possible the most attractive was the
design adopted for decorating the ward
room. The long wardroom table, that
runs from one side of the big ship to
the other was turned for the time be-
Ing into model of the ships main
deck. There were the gray painted
turrets with their guns sticking
pugnaciously fore and aft, and there
were the two masts, the basket mast
and the aftermast, with its maze of
Ardois electric signal lights; there was
the bridge, perfect in every detail
from the side lights to the windows of
the wheelhouse and chartroo1n. But
piled high on the counterfeit deck
were things never seen on the real
decks of man-o war. In the massive
silver service of the ship, in the spe-
cial chinaware of the mess were piled
the refreshments for the evening At
least some of them were there. Back
in the Storage, or junior officers omar.
tiers, arrangements had been made for
the liquid part of the entertainments
for no battleship's birthday party
should be dry.
Reception Committee.
The reception committee consisted |
of Captain F. NJ Bennett, Lieutenant
Commander G. Wells, Lieutenant ]. j.
Lieutenant A. s. Rees, Mid |
shipman ]. III. Taylor, and Midshipman |
G. L. Weller. They met their incom-
ing guests at the gangway, under the
awnings stretched above the quarter
deck, turned for the nonce into ball
room of rare beauty.
1t was rarely wonderful sight, that
ballroom. Over it all looking grim
enough despite the glow of electric |
lights doomed the huge turret. But, to
take the gloom off, there on the turret
hood sat figure. 1t looked weired
enough at that..-It was Divers suit,
with shoes and gloves complete, includ
ing the helmet with the round glass
eyes lighted from within. From the
hands trailed two long streamers of
flowers that led to the muzzles of the
great, wicked looking guns. This outer
figure was acting as coachman to the
logs of war, and he made pretty
lriver.
The base of the turret was almost
hidden under flowers and circle of
'ities, with bayonets affixed, glittered
ind glimmered in the light of the Ian
erns
The Huge Cake.
Just astern the turret was a foun-
ain, sparkling in the varied colored
beams of light. And astern of that
gam WAS Iue cake. OUCH MONSTER
AXE. Nobody ever saw its like. 1t
vas feet and feet across and foot
ind half high, and the icing and the
decorations and-but what is the use
f you were there, you still treasure
memories of that cake and will for
many a long day, If you were not
t would profit you nothing to be told
bout it.
But the big cake was not the only
me the South Dakota received on her
birthday. There was tiny little one
rom Admiral and Mrs. Thomas-with
our tiny candles stuck at leering an.
lies in its white frosting. Beside this
we're the trophies the ship has won
uring the four years of her life. One T,
f these was the victor's badge, won :
n holly contested boat race in the /.
arbor of Callao, Peru. There were !
Their silver cups and one pretty model
f racing cutter. II
The South Dakota was commissioned
or service four years ago yesterday
I Mare Island Navy yard. She was
uilt by the Union Iron Works of San
Francisco, and has made an enviable
10 !