Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-12-02
ROUSING WELCOME TO
FOOTBALL WARRIORS
Middies Victorious Team Returned
Home Last Night.
BIG PARADE AND BONFIRE.
Billy" the Goat Mascot, Given Ride
by Army Mule-''Babe" Brown
May be Next Captain. (

with enthusiasm over Navy's vic
tory in Saturdays great football bat
tie at Philadelphia still running high.
the brigade OF midshipmen eclipsed
all past performances in the welcome
giveh the victorious team upon its
return from the Quaker City yester-
day afternoon.
There was para ie to and from
the Short Line railway station, where
the special train over the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad pulled in shortly
before 6 O'Clock, an electrical display
and torchlight procession within the
government enclosure, in which
brooms served as the torches. and the
usual speech-making by coaches and
members of the team.
The middies were given full sway
in their efforts to thus honor the
team, and the whole celebration
eliminated in huge bonfire on the
main terrace in front Of Bancroft
Hall. Every broom and waste basket
in the rooms of the midshipmen was
tossed into the pyre, while the mid
dies did the snake dance.
E1nNs III ED1LC lN6 uGIGdls lHG
Army team also received a rousing
welcome at che hands of the corps of
cadets when il returned to it's camp
on the Hudson at 8 :45 o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The cadets were en-
thusiastic over the work done by the
team, but there was corresponding
detection among the players over the
loss of the game to Navy. Led by
Devore, their big tackle and Captain,
the players walked quietly to their
quarters. All were in splendid eondi-
tion. They had no excuse to offer
for their defeat, declaring that the
best team won.
1t seemed that all Annapolis turned
out to witness the demonstration
given the returning Navy warriors.
The streets in the vicinity of ths
railway station were thronged long
before the train arrived land they aft
erward crowded into the Academy to
witness the sights there. The cleo
trical display was hurriedly arranged
by a corps of. workmen following
receipt of news of the victory Satur-
day afternoon. The authorities
granted permission for the midship-
men to come into the city.
Heading the line of march were a
couple of students bearing aloft a
huge broom, emblematic of how Navy
swept Army off the fie Id. The Acad-
EN- band remained within the reser-
vation for, on account of its being
Sunday, the authorities would not
permit the middies to let themselves
out more tnan necessary while in the
city.
AS the train pulled into the station
each of the football men was grabbed
by half dozen or more of his fellows
and borne aloft on their shoulders to
omnibUses in waiting outside the
station enclosure. Babe Brown, the
big right guard, who kicked the two
field goals in Saturdays great strLg-
le, was fairly liouized by the enthu-
siastic middies. The midsnipmen
had detached the horses from the We
hicles in the meantime, and once the
warriors were placed therein squads
of the midshipmen drew them to the
Academy grounds.
A unique feature or the procession
was BILLY" big goat. the Navy
mascot, and the Army mule. The stu
dents procured an old mule from a
local livery stable, hitched him to
cart, in which BILLY" had been
placed, and drew the goat to the
Academy. The team was driven by
Midshipman Cochran, who led Billy
in leash at Saturdays game, and it
headed the line of march. The mule
was decked in blanket of black, gold
and gray, the Army colors, that was
worn by the real Army mascot at
the game That the middies came
into possession of the blanket, it is
said, was the result of bet made by
"Billy" with the mule. Each agreed
to surrender his blanket on the out
come of the game.
When the joyous middies reached
the Academy all hands applied the
match to broom, and the resultant
blaze Illuminated the whole reserva-
tion. As the warriors passed through
the main entrance to the grounds the
score of Saturdays game-6 to o.
done in large electric bulbs greeted
their eyes, and the same illumination,
in electric arcs, was over the main
entrance to Bancroft Hall. Another
electrical display was a string of
bulbs from guy wire at the wire-
less telegraph station.
Captain Rodes, Big Babe Brown
and several other members of the
team were compelled to respond to
continued cheers with short speeches.
They spoke from the top of one of
the omnbuses. All gave credit to the
whole team for its great vistory,
rather than showering any individual
praise. They also compimented the
brigade upon the fine spirit shown
throughout the season.
Lieut.. Douglass L. Howard. the
head coach, also addressed the en-
thusiastic students. He said, among
other things, that he knew the play
ers had it in them to beat the Army
this year, and that they fully justified
his confidence. Henry M. Wheaton,