New-York tribune., 1921-09-13
Harbor Craft Lead in
Welcome as President
Arrives ON Ferryboat
With Wife and Party
'lheater Audience
Cheers a Greeting
Hoover With Party at
Hotel; Mayfower Ready
for Departure To-day

lesiueHt harding came to New York
last night from Atlantic City, the
ferryboat on which he made the trim
from Staten Island reaching the Bat
terry at 6:30, just N time to be chesred
by home going boatloads Of commuters
and by thousands of downtown work
ers who awaited his arrival at the pier.
The Presidential party, escorted by
motorcycle police, motored up White
hall Street and Broadway and Lafay-
cite Street to Eighth Street, where they
crossed to Fifth Avenue, up which they
proceeded to the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
In the financial district, already be-
ginning to assume it's desolate noe
turnal appearance, the group of auto
mobiles passed almost unnoticed, but
from Eighth Street up crowds were on
the watch for the President and greet
ed him with cheers.
President Goes to Theater
After dinner in their Suite on the
tenth floor of the hotel President Har-
ding and Mrs. Harding and those with
them went to see Sally" at the New
Amsterdam Theater. From the theater
they returned to the hotel for the
night This morning they will go to
the navy yard, where the Presidential
yacht Mayfower awaits them
The Mayf1ower will set out up the
Sound on their arrival and put in at
some port, whence President Harding
will motor to Piping Rock for some
golf. He expects to spend the day on
this excursion and to start back to
Washington tomorrow.
The run of 120 miles from the Sea
View Country Club in Atlantic City
to Perth Amboy was made in two hours
and a half. There was a brief DELAY
at Perth Amboy before the party got
aboard the ferryboat that had been
reserved for them, and Mrs. Harding
employed it in making friends with
the horse of Perth Amboy policeman.
The President was busy dashing off
autographs for those who thronged
about him.
New York's welcome to the Presi-
dent extended to the furthcst bound
airy he reached, fourteen motorcycle
Policemen being stationed at Totem
vile to await the ferrybogt from Perth
Amboy. They acted as escort during
the trip across the island to st.
George.
Harbor Craft Welcome Party
Grover A. Whalen, Commissioner of
Plant and Structures, met the party at
Eltingville and fell in with his car
arriving with them at the ferry house
in St. George Mayor Hylan was wait
ing for them there with the Municipal
ferry boat Queens, which had been re-
served for the use of the party.
1t was o'clock when the Queens
pulled out of the slip at St. George,
bound for South Ferry. All the boats
in the vicinity beloved a welcome with
! their whistles in response to the de-
parting whistle Of the Queens, and the
tumult spread across the bay as the
Queens proceeded. Steam plumes bios
somed upon the whistles of tugs and
| lighters, ferryboats and excursion
steamers, and the dingy tramps off the
Statue of Liberty saluted gruff1y and
dipped their flags as the Queens glided
past.
The police boat John F. Hyan fol-
| lowed in the wake of the Queens, and
two destroyers came foaming up from
the Narrows and took stations, one on
each side of the road-beamed ferry
boat.
Harding in Pilot House
Mayor Hylan and Commissioner
Whalen took the President and Mrs.
Harding to the forward pilot house of
the Queens, where they stood alongside
the steersman during the trip across
the bay. Mayor Hylan suggested that
President Harding might like to take
the wheel himself for part of the trip.
"No, l wouldn't assume any such au-
thority," said the President, smiling
"but if this was little bit of boat
might take chance on steering it,"
AS the Queens, decked with flags and
the whistle roaring reply to the din
of river craft, surged up to its slip at
the Battery, another ferryboat from
Staten Island was seeking it's slip and
one bound for St. George was pulling
out. The passengers on both of them
clustered at the rails until the boats
listed beneath their weight and cheered
and slung their hats in the air at sight
of the bare-headed man in the pilot
house, who bowed and waved in reply.
Inspector John O'Brien and a spe
cial detail of traffic police and a pla-
toon from the Old Slip police station
were waiting at the ferry house and
CONTINUED next pasc)