New-York tribune., 1919-04-15
Thousands in Downtown
Offices See Admiral
NIayo's Victorious War
ships Steam Up Hudson
Planes Hum Only
Greeting to Gobs
Official Welcome Planned
FOR I ii ay {; Sailors
Swarm Through Streets

Cne hundred and three warships,
comprising part Of the mighty At
lan.ic Fleet, slid quietly yesterday into
the Hudson, and came to anchor just
twenty-four hours before they had
been expected.
Last night, while tho armada
stretched up the river from point
opposite Forty ty-second Street to north
of Spuyten Duyvil. the city. which had
been robbed of its prepared welcome,
made up for the omission by entertain
/ ing royalty, if informally, perhaps 20,-
1000 of the fighting "gobs" who had OBJ
tanned shore leave.
The men, who will be the city's
quests for more than fortnight, rode
into the harbor on the greatest fight
ing fleet New York has ever seen.
They broke out their "homeward
bound" streamers and, with only the
music Of their own bands and the drone
+, of many airplanes as an accompaniment,
steamed up the bay to berths in the
river before New York was fairly
] awake to the fact that 10000 of the
victorious sailors who had made up the
backbone of Uncle Sans naval forces
were within the city's gates.
And the sailors considered that the
biggest feather in their cap since they
helped start the Kaisers fleet to the
bottom OF the Atlantic, the scrap heap
tor wherever that discredited fighting
Imachine is destined to stop. By even
ling they were telling it to everybody
I, who would listen along Broadway and,
lsince every attraction the city had was
Thrown open to the sailors, the story
WAS told many times to interested audi
fences.
Presented Stirring Picture
But the informal homecoming of the
feet did not prevent it from present
ling, the most stirring picture as it
moved up the bay and into the river
before the eyes Of countless thousands
iof workers from the skyscrapers of
Lower Manhattan, released for the
hOOn02y lunch nOur.
The first glimpse of the victory feet
came when two airplanes, flying low
over the water, drew attention to the
aotilla of destroyers that preceded
the uperdreadnoughts. There were
thirtytwo in this division of low,
graceful fighters, whose sleek sides
and frowning guns carried convic-
ton of speed and effective action.
Then came & bakers dozen of dread
| noughts, with the electrically driven
Mississippi at the head. The ships
band was playing and jackies stood at
attention along the rails as the ship
passed the Statue of Liberty shortly
after noon.
The nearest approach to a formal
welcome came when, in passing the
naroor guard monitor Amphitrite, a
small cslibre weapon barked out the
adnirals salute of seventeen guns.
Later on the Patrol. carrying Mayor
hylan and members of the Mayors
Committee of Welcome to Homecoming
a
megaphone welcome was called out. 1t
vas said that somebody aboard the
mayors craft megaphoned a we'll
Tosaed greeting to eeach ship. But
nero was high wind, the sailors eyes
wsse trained on the Jagged skyline of
fNahnattan, and nobody could be found
"ao'heard what was said
Filters Hover Over Ships
about the big fighting ships. as they
moved up the river, flew the fiocks of
I airpianes, hydroplanes and other aerial
SSraft, keeping close to the ships like
a,ungry gulls: Close behind the Mssis-
s.ppa came the Nevada, the Oklahoma.
we Wyoming and the PENNSYLVANIA.
'he flagship Of the Atlantic fleet
xAomiral Henry T. Mayo, in command
" the heet, stood upon the bridge and
mraVso greeting TO the city from afar
o Vas as delighted at the prospect of
gussIng his foot on Manhattan soil as
vas the most homesick COB in the ser
:.'es' and he took no pains to conceal
h.,.. moreover, he admitted response.
ohley for the eleventh hour burst of
speeS that permitted the ships to reach
asre day ahead Of schedule and turn
me programme for entertainments
'02ssgsurvy
inc men wanted their full two
~ssks Of fun, 80 we got here in time to
s'Ts II 70 them" he said with smile.
eiose behind the admiral's flagship
same the New York; the Texas, upon
@1nose runways two aeroplanes were
kasinly visible from The shore; tn.
Kansas, the Arkansas, The Utah, the
rionda, the North Dakota and the
ossAware. Then came ten submarines
..she effective fighting arm of the navy
snst is said 10 be doomed by the league
VI nations pact.
Submarine Limps Into Port
une Of the ten O-boats was unable to
/ nssp pace with its sister ships of the
J aaasrwater feet, and tug was sum
.svnsn 10 conyoy IL to ita berth. H. vas
.sp,s ned, however, that the limpinp
ttssst mad net with no rnishap, but vas
ssxxnporarily out Of commission because
an obstinate internal rnechanigm.
* would be repaired this morning.
ihen came another division of
TSswpyers, making the total of abiDa
We fleet 1913 when they had cast
t iast fnudhook into the bottom Of
- hudson. BY evening the line II
T<,1 ff..sa4