Evening star., 1934-07-02
PRESIDENT GIVEN
ROYAL SEND-0F{
Small Pleasure Craft in Bay
Sound Sirens, Horns
and Whistles.

While naval ceremony and fam
fare over the Presidents departure
aboard the Houston last evening were
cut to minimum. small pleasure
craft in Chesapeake Bay gave him
a royal send-off, accompanied by their
sirens, horns and whistles, with anna
teur shippers maneuvering their boats
as close to the big cruiser and the
two deStroyers as their knowledge
and their sometimes splitting motors
permitted.
AS early as S pm. two hours and
a half before the President left the
dock at the Naval Academy. pleasure
craft we're gathering around the
Houston. which lay at anchor about
seven miles out from Annapolis in the
bay. Most of them spent the time
circling the cruiser. and sailor sta
toned at the flag aft on the Houston
had a busy afternoon acknowledging
their salutes. An excursion steamer,
Baltimore bound, passed within few
yards of the big ship and the excur-
sionists, who packed her decks, ex-
changed noisy greetings with the gobs.
Early Preparations.
Preparations to receive the Presi-
dent aboard the Houston began hours
before the President reached Annapo-
lis. Sailors on the cruiser formed at
their stations and were inspected by
their officers, then stood at ease. A
subchaSer put out from Annapolis with
movie men aboard and new activity
began aboard the Houston. AS the
subchaSer came alongside, signals were
exchanged and the crew of the Hous-
ton manned the rail while the sub
chaser circled the ship several times,
movie cameras grinding away.
The flotilla of small boatS-ranging
from large pleasure yachts to couple
of row boats with outboard motors and
containing a pretty fair representa-
ton of the craft of Chesapeake Bay
moved in closer to the cruiser while
the ceremony for the movies was in
progress. Then, when the subchaser
moved off. a long wait of an hour
and a half began. The Houston's
crew remained lined up at the rails,
and the officers stood at the starboard
Underwriting.
The ships band undertook a con-
cert. The small boats shippers Shut
off their throbbing motors and after
each tune the spectators applauded.
Finally the band got tired and quit.
The sun set over Annapolis. sharply
bringing the Naval Academy dome.
the church steeples and the State
House into dark silhouette against a
patch of crimson sky.
The Houston pulled down her flag.
while the sailors stood at salute. All
the small craft pulled down their
flags. The cruisers riding lights
went on-and all the small craft
turned theirs on.
Steams Into Position.
The destroyer Williamson, anchored
some distance from the Houston,
pulled up her hook and steamed
slowly into position nearer the cruiser.
Far of toward Annapolis the running
lights of the Gilmer, which had re-
ceived the President aboard at the
Academy dock, could be seen moving
against the darker background of the
city's skyline.
The Gilmer steamed slowly seaward
in the narrow Annapolis harbor chan
nel then turned and made large
circle which brought her into posi-
ton to come up alongside the Hous-
ton. She steamed very slowly. the
small boats making room, and tied
up. Small boats maneuvered fran
tically to get into position to see the
President-and failed, so close were
the two ships together. The Presi-
dent stepped from the destroyer's
deck to the cruiser while boatswain
piped and the sailors stood stifdy at
attention. Some skipper blasted a
greeting with his siren, and the small
boats took it up. Then the Gilmer
backed slowly away, after warning
toot from her whistle A few minutes
later the Houston's anchor was pulled
up, her running lights showed and
she steamed slowly south, followed
by her conveying destroyers. The
f1otilla of small boats disbanded, some
heading up the Bay for Baltimore,
others heading South toward Thomas
Light and the Bay resorts, others
returning to Annapolis.