New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-03
Thousands Join Scramble
To Inspect Atlantic Fleet
Promenaders Desert Fifth Avenue for Riverside
Drive to Get Glimpse of Mighty Armada,
While Cobs Quit Craft for View of the City

Sunday afternoon promenaders de-
serted Fifth Avenue yesterday for
Riverside Drive and view of the fifty
vessels of the Atlantic feet, anchored
in the Hudson from Fifty-ninth Street
to Dyckman Street.
AS early as o'clock the crowds be-
gan to gather along the sidewalks and
Drive, and despite the bl,ustery weathe.
they grew in size until at l o'clock,
when it Was permissible to go on board
the great craft, thousands upon thou
sands scrambled for places in the gov
eminent and privately owned motor
boats and launches and faced a soaking
spray across the river to the battle
ships.
Those going to the vessels passed
hundreds of seamen on their way shore
ward, and it appeared neither excelled
the other in happiness at the change.
waited lines all held their quotas of the
blue uniforms throughout the day.
Tanned deep brown, most Of the
youngsters, who have spent the last
few months in the southern waters,
stretched and smiled and said: "Gee,,
it's great to be back in real town!'
And strajghtway they made thei, way
to the best show they could find or to
the homes of relatives or friends in the
city.
Rattleships Are Inspected
The buttleships found the curious
hundreds, who were permitted to walk
about at will on their shiny decks
through the afternoon, peeking into
every corner and nook, asking questions
about this and that, swapping kodak
pictures Of each other sitting on the
very. tip Of the great guns or reclining
comfortably in the wide wicker chairs
reserved ordinarily for officers.
One class Of the battle craft attracted
more attention than all others. They
were the submarines, fotilla of which
lay close to their mother ship, the Bush
nell, off the foot Of West Seventy-ninth
Street. Here it required the services
of several hundred young seamen to
Several pretty girls, dressed in sum
mer silks and wide, straw hats,
boarded the Bushnell at 1880 O'Clock,
carrying bouquets of roses and tulips.
These they placed in the caps and
blouses Of the trim sailors who stood
ready to receive them and show them
throug h the great supply ship.
During band concert on board one
Of the craft before noon, young men
ana women, VINO had arrived at River
side Drive in their automobiles, left
their machines and danced to the tune
of the catchy music around the smooth
paths and sidewalks browning the
Drive, applauding when the music
ended, forgetting that the battleship
lay fully half mile from them.
Thousands View tho Spectacle
In the apartment houses along the
Drive, and as far back as two blocks
eastward, where the landlords had
closed their leases largely through the
fact that from the rear kitchen win.
dow, if you stood on chair and closed
ono eye you could get superb view
Of the river, thousands stood. the one
eye closed, balancing on chairs. yes.
terday morning. In other words
everybody who could possibly do sc
witnessed the array Of splendid battle
craft from their own homes. The
fashionable homes in the buildings all
along Riverside Drive had many Sun.
day visitors, 1t was said, most Of them
coming, primarily, for. the purpose Of
seeing the battleships.
The cross streets from one end OF
Riverside Drive to the other were lined
with automobiles as far eastward a,
Broadway and beyond. The customary
trinket vendors fourished and pictures
of the Pennsylvania, which might have