New Britain herald., 1919-07-08
Big Guns in Fort Boom and Boats in Harbor Whistle SaIutes. As Steamer George
 N WashingtonSaiIs Past
LABOR LEADERS GO
 OUT TO GREET SHIP
Members of United States Cabinet Also Sail Down Bay to Take Part in Re- ception.

New York, July S.--Escorted by a :.
 fleet of warships, the Transport !
 George Washington bringing Presi-
 dent Wilson home from France,
 passed Quarantine and moved on to
 New York harbor at 1:30 D. m. to-
 day.
 As the transport passed Fort Han
 cock the guns boomed a presidential
 salute echoed ten minutes later by
 Forts Hamilton and Wadsworth. Tho shrill whistles of harbor craft took up the din.
 President and Wife OH Bridge. The president and Mrs. Wilson stood on the bridge of the George Washington as the vessel steamed slowly up the harbor tS her pier at Hoboken, conveyed by destroyers and welcoming craft of all descrip- tions. The rails of the transport ] were lined with returning soldiers. cheering and waving their caps. The batt1eship Pennsylvania--b bear < i ing five members of the presidents | cabinet - Daniels, Baker, Lane, ! Glass and Wilson.-led the way, fol- , l lowed by the Oklahoma with the George Washington at her stern. The transport George Washington ! bearing President Wilson and party <. was reported eight miles southeast off 1 Ambrose lightship al 9:55 a. n. She ] was being led by two destroyers and :. l one battleship and followed by twoa l destrOyers. 4 ! The George Washington is coming ! over the regular transport course, which is south of that taken by com 1 mercial vessels coming across the 1 Atlantic and the first land President l Wilson will see will be the highlands ! of New Jersey.
 ] The leading deStrOyerS of the pres 1 idents convoy passed the leader of the welcoming fleet miles southeast
 of Ambrose lightship at 1O:3O.
 Airship Flies Overhead. 1 With a naval dirigible lowering l over her the George Washington came within sight of the Jersey High l lands at 11:4O a. m. The presidents l transport flew a huge American flag
 from the stern, the presidents flag | from the main truck and smaller flags 1 on the fore and mizzen mastheads. 1 A seaplane which went out to meet l the transport was forced to come E l down on the seas.
 The George Washington and her 1 convoy passed Ambrose Eghtship at 1 noon, led by the battleship Pennsyl- 1 vania with Secretary Daniels and a l party of other government officials on 1 board.
 Labor Men on Board Samuel Gompers, president of the 1 American Federation of Labor, head l ed a delegation of 25 prominent labor l leaders from Central and South Amer 1 ican countries who went down the bay 1 in a city ferry boat to aid in Welcom- l ing the president
 1 The labor leaders are in this city l attending a conference of the Pan- 1 American federation of labor which 1 opened yesterday. #a= ] Another ferry boat carried 900 l residents of Staten Island and a large
 number of relatives and friends of the
 soldiers returning on the George Washington. All the vessels of the
 welcoming fleet were gaily decorated ! with bunting from stem to stern. l 5000 Policemen on Duty. The streets alone which the presi- 1 dent was to pass on his way to Car l negic hall also were decorated. The great business houses on Fifth avenue 1 were draped with flags, and the Stars l and Stripes were flying from hun
 dreds of mastheads. More than 5000 | policemen lined the route.
 1 The presidential transport is under 1 the escort of two battleships, 38 de- 1 stroyers, one mine sweeper and one 1 dirig,ible balloon. Four of the de- l stroyers, Woolsoy, Tarbell, Wicks and l YarnalI, which sailed from Brest with
 the president, arc flying hOmeward
 bound pennants.