The sun., 1916-12-03
LADY OF LIBERTY
BATTLES IN LIGHT


yVVWt W. "V''
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q such times a. the commandments
comes to New York to pass between the
limos Of grim. gray ships and TO receive
bis due Of salutes. The day was cold
Almost a w. A penetrating northwest
Wind whistled over the river from the
IAIisades. whipping the tidewater into
white capped rollers and tumbling the
tnnpudent little batteishlps' steamers and
motor launches this way and that. AZ
uJey stepped from their motor cars into
b mahogany trimmed. brass bound mo-
tgr boats ready to nirt them to the side
- tho Mayfower or to the mine layer
Oan Francisco. which was used yester-
DAY TO carry the members OF the Mayors
semmittee. the President and Mrs. VIII
ron. Ambassador .I~usserand. James w.
Gerard. Ambassador 70 Germany. and
MA Gerard gathered their fur collars
cjoseiy around their necks. for there was
Oung to the wind.
49,. GuRs Welcome President.
a. TIE Presidents launci, whipped out
Oeross the waters. going forty miles an
hour. Whistles sounded from the war
ships. The blue clad sailors manned the
geeoA Curving a graceful course, the
mach came up to the starboard gang
~ Of the Mayhower and the President
Neut aboard to q rune OF drums and q
yt0uffsh OF trumpets. Then the gum be-
gan TO talk-the little saiuting gum that
toeek with a thump. From big super
dreadnoueh hts. from the Mayhower and
nom the San Francisco their concus-
son stirred the air as the Presidents
AAg was ho!sted on the Mayfower and
took the breeze. This was shortly after
A.p. M, n within a few minutes the
approach Of the Secretary Of the Navy
To-. the San Francisco wac SIG mailed
Once more tho saluting guns stabbed
he air with vicious little red name
~ and once more the short. sharp.
humping conclusion troubled the ear
Arums Of the sensitive. And then Sscre-
vary Daniels went aboard tho San Fran
ciseo to get his rufie and flourish.
Boats were dartfng back and forth
6atUeen shore and guest ships and be-
tween the battleships and the guest
ships. Tuebcats brought late corners
Who climbed rather periliously from slip
Sary decks to wabbiy gangpianks.
evening was looming over the river.
Duck came on suddenly At about 6 p. N.
fha great boats. the superdreadnoughts,
aandins up. immense. stark. yet reveal
ing the graceful speed lines Of destroy
ofs. were suddenly outlined In electrics
from stern 10 stem. from watermark to
shel hre control stations at the tip OF
lhs peach basket masts. The Wyoming
ftd Connecticut. lying nearest to the
Ppesident's yacht. became In an in
st.ntiy inexpressibly beautiful. even
Sheir fiagstafYs and gansways pcncilled
but with lights.
: Flags Dip saIate.
The Mayhowcr started dow the river
Q a few minutes before 5 p. NJ. dipping
Fer flag to the San Francisco. The
rundown call had already sounded at
$50 7. NJ. and the colors had been
Aw.red officially. but they were run
m again SO that the last ceremonious
touch could be given to the ava dis
play. the dipping Of fass. While the May
flower moved slowly down the river the
warshirs began to talk back n forth
with their ~semaphoric light signals.
Connecticut dot dashed with the wyo-
ming. light rashirz from the bridges. ant
the San Francisco asked the Maynower
IL she would please walt a minute or
two 80 that the President would not
get too far ahead Of the Honorable the
Secretary OF the Navy.
Don't want him to lose our little
J~osephus," grinned a qua.terMAster.
who picked out the flashing appeal.
SO the Nayhower hesitated of Fiftieth
erect while the a Francisco slipped
ont OF the traffic and came down to
Join her. Then both set on with leis-
urely dignity for the vicinity OF the
Liberty statue. II was getting pretty
dark by this time and the President,
Mrs. Wilson md the French Ambassa-
dor had their opportunity TO enjoy the
night lights OF Manhattan. The lighting
companies cooperating with skyscrape-
ms tower owners had gone to grea.
pains TO contribute something to the
general celebration. The woolworth
tower reared In sof, radiance. The
Singer was asloN The Whitehall Build
Eg cleaned from basement TO roof.
every windo OF its tier on tier OF floors
pouring u light. while an American
Nag whipped by the wind stood out by
ittd'rect lighting against the blackness
~ the sky. The French AMBASSADOR
scanned particularly delighted with the
beauty OF the spectacle. while the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Wilson had never seen
Manhattan in such night b%rllllancy.
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Scarchli9ht In Game.
surprise awaited them. As the
1ayflower passed the Battery and
pointed toward the statue. a red. white
sad blu light shaft. which had been
scarching the Brooklyn eky. '.arted over
the harbor, picked up tine Presidents
Yacht and fingered upor her. II was the
sSperry searchlight. operating from the
roof OF the Sperry building in Brooklyn
at goodness knows how many millions
candle power. For the next hour, while
the Liberty Lady anne into her " and
Miss Law travelled Corgeously across
tho heavens. the tricolor scarchlight
rnamcd here and there. now falling upon
shc Mayhower. o catching up with
Miss Laws swift machine and flooding
IL. now circling In a kind Of vast aurcole
FAR above the statue. Occasionally. too.
" stabbed suddenly at glowing Manha,-
tan or passed high and far above the
d0wntown district Of New York to lose
itself somewhere in the clouds above
Jersey.
This play Of light wasta Joy to every
one aboard the two guest ships. But
presently the Mayhower and San Fran
cisco. with the police yacht Patrol and
accompany of little craft, had gotten OPP
posite Governors Island and within n
faw hundred yards OF the Statue Of
Liberty. The President and his friends
on the Mayfower searched for the statue
N found her with difficulty in the dark
ness OF the harbor. Al Z 40 r. NJ. che
could just be made out. family. vaguely.
+. against the black and purple clouds over
Jersey City. At this hour the super
dre%sdnoughts Texas and New York, ly-
ing on the statue. burst into light. the
Texas showing her red and glowing en-
sineering efficiency u. which swung be-
tween her smokestacks "-'' "e~ red pen
nAnr Mt thu fnrapnuut .Iyan 10 ba. a.,