10
TE MORNING OREGOXIAX. THURSDAY, MAT 21, 1908.
NAVAL PAGEANT A
PATRIOTIC
LESSON
Stately Procession of Uncle
Sam's Fighting Ships
Thrills Beholder.
MAKES BETTER AMERICANS
Arthur A. Giwne Says Money Fleet
Cost Is Well Spent if Ships Xever
Xeed Fire S ho t In Wa r f are.
Impressions of Spectacle,
BY ARTHUR A. GREENE.
ASTORIA, Or., May 20. (Special Cor
respondence.) I'm a better American to
day than I was yesterday, thank. God.
This is something so certain that you may
bet on the effect produced on those of us
who saw the pasreant of nVhting ships off
the Columbia Kiver bar this afternoon.
Even if that fleet never goes under the
hostile fpins of a foreign foe. It is worth
U the fifty nnd more millions it cost in
Inspiration. When the stanch little ship
Alliance went alongside the majestic
Connecticut, both standing well In toward
Clatsop Boach. every mah Jack of us who
was able to hold up his head for seasick
ness would have welcomed the chance to
punch the head of any one who didn't
agree that Admiral S perry has the finest
armada of modern tlmea, or, for that
matter, that had ever gone down to the
The thousands of Portlanders who
stayed at home and the commercial
bodies' of our town whicta sulked In tneir
tents because the Bhlps did not venture
up the river, are not at all creditable
to those of us who are genuinely fond of
our common country. The shame and the
pity of it! That two cities of Portland
and Astoria's size should turn out but a
meager list of perhaps 300 passengers for
the Alliance and th Roanoke. There
were sundry people on the headlands to
see the spectacle, but these two small
ships carried ail the visible patriotism
which met the greatest fleet that ever
plowed the ocean. The man who cut off
his nose to spite his face was a Socrates
by comparison with those who sought to
administer a rebuke to the Government
by remaining away. It was at once a pa
thetic and amusing display of pettlshness.
Patriotism Bubbles as Colors Dip.
However that may be, those who weTe
on hand were greeted right royally by
the men-of-war, and they saw probably
the greatest marine sDectacle It will ever
fall to their lot to witness. The sight of
those 16 battleships, each witn a chip on
its shoulder tor a foe, but a dip of the
colors for a friend, was something to
make a fellow talk thick and breathe
hard.
I believe every man and woman on the
Alliance except those down and out with
wave complaint, felt the electric thrill
of Inspiration up and down his spine when
the column of ships filed, by. The effect
was an antidote for all the un-American
rot a Lincoln Steffens may write or a
blatant street-corner Socialist may shriek
in the next decade. Those who saw the
fleet, as we saw it today, are walking a
bit etraighter and stepping a bit livelier
than before. It is worth something to be
reminded of the significance of the Stars
and Stripes.
The early morning excursion -train on
the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad
(eight coaches I think there were) was
well-filled by one-tenth the number of
Portlanders who should have gone down
for the occasion. Most of these passen
gers went on to Seaside. A considerable
number, however, boarded the excursion
steamers at Astoria and had .the very
finest possible view of the sea parade.
It was reasonably quiet on the bar,
but at that the Alliance kicked up her heels
like a soubrette when she struck the long
swells just where the Pacific gets a
half-Nelson on the Columbia. A few
patriots here threw up their hands and
everything else detachable and retired to
their staterooms, but others were left to
strain their eyes and crane their necks
to the southward, whence the champions
of the sea were to come.
First Glimpse of War Monsters.
When we were pitching the worst a
nian aloft called down that he made out
seven ships moving abreast somewhere
off in the southwest. "Bill" Souls, emi
nent naval authority, author of "Cruisers
I Have Ucked," and other nautical works,
immediately went into the shrouds with
his binoculars and confirmed, the report.
Before this, however, we had all discov
ered the smoke of many funnels blend
ing wfrth the clouds which hung over
Tillamook Head.
Once veil outside the bar we were
able to distinguish first the upper works
and soon the hulls of many ships, white
below and yellow above, moving in &
column, Indian-fashion. They filed in
stately procession, but so close together
that a strong thrower might toss a base
ball from one to the other.
Here was the pageantry and the glory
which have Inspired poets and painters
and warriors since the Roman triremes
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KIKST-CLASS BVTTLESHIP COMNECTICXT, ADMIRAL SPKRBl'S FLAGSHIP, AS AX OREGOMAX PHOTOG
RAPHER CAt'CHT HER OFF THE COLUMBIA RIVER.
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first set out to conquer the Mediter
ranean The wa was rough enough to try small
conclusions with the floating craft and
the splendid Connecticut, holding high the
blue badge of the Admiral's courage,
poked her nose into the swell and threw
a great furrow of blue water on either
side. Apparently all hands were mus
tered, for the decks and .even the fighting
tops were blue with men in their coun
try's garb.
The flagship greeted us with a deep
whistle, a baritone "hello." Then did
the little Alliance strain her lungs. Cap
tain Olson, son of the sons of the Vi
kings, was proud to do his bravest and
put on his courtliest manner in the pres
ence of these newest monarchs of the sea.
The Connecticut dipped her colors and
swept on imperiously, casting the white
caps aside, continently pursuing her
course, the pace-maker of the fleet.
Inspires New Awe for Xative Land.
And following her came the Kansas.
I'm from the state whose name she
bears,' and as this amazon queen of
the seas, sister ship to the Connecti
cut, swept by all the stupid Jokes
about grasshoppers and cyclones that
have been current for a generation,
were avenged, I felt like "hollering"
all over the place.
Next came the Minnesota, and in turn
the Vermont, Georgia, Rhode Island
and Kearsarge, recalling - brave old
tales, marched grandly by, followed by
the rest in order.
I have lived in the white tents of
20,000 fighting men, have marched with
an army corps and have seen some
ships of the line. Military and naval
circumstance Is no novelty to me, but,
as all others who beheld it, I felt a
strange, new awe and a high new
reverence for my native land. I know
that now, after watching the parade
of those 16 great gladiators, I'm a bet
ter citizen. When the band plays "The
Star-Spangled Banner" I shall feel a
better thrill and shall doff my hat in
more sincere homage than ever before.
So went the passsing of the ships,
and when the Relief, hospital ship, a
converted Fall River liner, brought up
the rear, all of us felt that we had
been given an object-lesson in Amer
icanism. Almost before we were aware, the
fleet had changed its formation, and
oft' to the north, having crossed our
bows we saw again the company of
great ships, guiding always on the
Connecticut, In a head-on charge like
a military company-front deploy going
gunwales-deep through the heavy roll
ers on its way to the Sound. Carl
Kelty suggested the simile, and it de
scribes, the picture. He called It a
poster effect. Sixteen mighty floating
fortresses sailing on and on, . all
abreast, the smoke from many funnels
rising in as many spirals to seek the
sky, melting at last into a vanishing
streamer of black athwart the sky. It
was like a poster which an Impression
istic artist might have made of flre
breathtng giants going out to war. the
smoke of their nostrils smooting black
the firmament.
To those of us who are loyal and
ORFXJOMAN PHOTOGRAPH OP THIS VANISHING FLEET, TAKEN FROM HURRICANE DECK OF EXCURSION BOAT, ALLIANCE.
proud of our land, the sight of them
was an inspiration and a source of the
Joy of sheer strength big brothers to
see that no harm befalls us. To un
friendly eyes as they steamed away
from us they might easily have been
destroying demons or gods aroused to
wrath.
And so I think those of who saw the
fleet will longest remember the time
and the significance of It as the
passing, one by one in long array, of
mighty fighters, thrice-armed with
worthy steel; and having passed in
slow and formal state, reforming into
a Nation's rush-line, moving shoulder
to shoulder, conquering the sea and
the elements as they will some day
when need be, conquer a foe at once
the realization of a dream and the Jus
tification of a boast we will remem
ber it as the most wonderful impres
sionistic poster we have ever seen.
And so our fleet passed on.
SHIPS ENTERING PUGET SOUND
Atlantic Fleet Expected to Round
Cape Flattery Last Night,
SEATTLE, May 0. The Atlantic
battleship fleet is off Cape Flattery
tonight and at 3 o'clock tomorrow
morning it will round the extreme
Northwestern point of the Uailefl
States mainland and enter the Strait
of Juan de Fuca, proceeding to a
peaceful conquest of the cities on the
forest-lined shores of Puget Sound.
When Port Angeles is passed at 9
A. M the Louisiana, Virginia, Mis
souri and Ohio will turn out of the
line and drop anchor in that harbor.
Opposite Port Townsend the Illinois,
Kearsarge,- Wisconsin, Nebraska and
Kentucky will turn to the right. The
two former will anchor at Port Town
send, while the two latter will go on
to the Navy-Yard at Bremerton. The
remaining vessels of the "fleet, led by
the Connecticut, will continue on
through Oeception Pass to the City of
Bellingham.
On the morning of May 23 all the
vessels will raise their anchors and
assemble at Port Townsend and steam
to Seattle for a visit of several days
before proceeding to Tacoma.
SHIPS PASS IN THE NIGHT
Coos Bay Gets Glimpse of Lights
Which May Have Been Fleet.
MARSHFIEL.D, Or.. May 20. (Spe
cial.) Coos Bay people were disappoint
ed in not seeing the fleet as it passed
here. There was uncertainty as to when
the fleet would pass, and It was not
known until last evening that it was ex-
pected to pass during the night. About
100 people, however, gathered on the
beach and built bonfires and made a gen
eral picnic of the occasion. About 10
o'clock someone saw lights which were
thought to be the ships.
It had been promised that the fleet
would stop off Coos Bay in the daytime,
and the people were disappointed. The
extensive plans which had been made for
a welcome were abandoned.
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ASTORIA
GETS
OF FLEET
Continued from Page 1.
tugs from Astoria, crossed the bar out
to sea about 10 o'clock. Thirty gaso
line launches and small steamers from
Astoria took thousands of passengers
across the river to Fort Canby. About
150 fishing boats sailed across the
river. All these spectators swarmed
up on North Head, Cape Disappoint
ment and other points of vantage
near the river's mouth, where the pass
ing fleet was In plain view.
i
Fifteen Thousand See the Ships. .
Trains to Seaside were crowded and
many left Astoria for south beach points
in carriages and automobiles. Hundreds
of people climbed to the summit of
Tillamook Head, where an old Indian
trail has been cut out and made passa
ble during the past week by residents
of Seaside. Thousands of people viewed
the passing fleet from the Seaside beach.
There was an endleBs parade on the
board walk along the ocean-front. Fif
teen thousand people saw the spectacle
from the various points at the mouth of
the liver and the excursion steamers.
The people came from all parts of Ore
gon and many from the Inland Empire.
Despite the enormous crowds, not a
serious accident happened and' no one
was hurt What came near being a mis
hap was the breaking of the machinery
of the little launch Tourist, while on its
way to' Fort Canby from Astoria. The
hapless craft drifted Into the breakers
at the mouth of the river, but was res
cued by the Cape Disappointment life
saving crew, which went after the dis
FLEET'S COMMANDING OFFICERS
'Following is a list of the flag and
commanding officers with th fleet
which passed the Columbia River
yesterday:
Rear-Admlral C. S. Sperry, United
States Navy. commander-in-chief
United States Atlantic fleet.
Rear-Admlral W. H. Emory, United
States Navy, commanding second
squadron. United States Atlantic
fleet.
Captain S. Schroeder, United States
Navy, commanding fourth division
United States Atlantic fleet.
Captain R. Walnwright, United
States Navy, commanding second di
vision United States Atlantic fleet.
Captain H. Osterhaua, United
States Navy, commanding U. S. S.
Connecticut.
Captain C. B. Vreeland. United
States Navy, commanding U. S. S,
Kansas.
Captain "W. P. Potter. United
States Navy, commanding U. S. S,
Vermont.
Captain J. Hubbard. United States
Navy, commanding U. B. S. Minne
sota. Captain H. McCrea, United States
Navy, commanding U. S. a Georgia
Captain R. F. Nicholson, United
States Navy, commanding U. S. S.
Nebraska.
Captain W. H H. Souther-land,
United States Navy, commanding U.
S. S. New Jersey.
Captain J. B. Murdock, United
States Navy, commanding U. 8. S.
Rhode Island.
Captain K. Nilea. United States
Navy, commanding U. S. S. -Louisiana.
Captain A. Sharp, United States
Navy, commanding U. 8. S. Vir
ginia. Captain C TV. Barlett, United
States Navy. . commanding U. 8. 6.
Ohio.
Captain G. A. Merriam. United,
States Navy. - commanding U. 8. S.
Missouri.
Captain H. Morrell. United State
Navy, commanding U. S. 8. Wiscon
sin. Captain J. M. Bowyer, United
States Navy, commanading U. S. S.
Illinois.
Captain H. Hutch ins. United States
Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kear
sarge. Captain W. C. Cowles, United
States Navy, commanding U. S. S.
Kentucky.
HEW
abled launch and towed it to shore with
the lifeboat.
Two Hours With the Fleet.
The excursion-boats kept close to the
battle-Bhips for two hours, being within
speaking distance of tae vanguard for
almost the entire time: While there was
a slight sea running, the water was not
rough enough to mar the occasion and
few on the excursion-steamers experi
enced any Inconvenience.
While the war vessels did not stop,
wireless communication was maintained
during the entire time and many mes
sages of felicitation were exchanged.
Mayor Wise of Astoria was on board
the Roanoke, and shortly after crossing
the bar, he received the following mes
sage from Rear Admiral Sperry:
Message From Admiral Sperry.
Mayor Wise: Will pass light vessel at
12:XO. SPERRY.
Mayor Wise then invited the Admiral
and his staff to come on board the Roan
oke to exchange greetings, and asked
if It would be practicable. Admiral
Sperry wired in reply :
Many thanks for th invitation, but it is
quit. Impossible to visit the Roanoke to
day. Later in the day. as the excursion
boats were about to drop out of line.
Mayor wise sent Admiral Sperry a mes
sage as follows:
This is a glorious spectscl.. God bless
the United States Navv. Good bye.
To this Admiral Sperry replied :
Manv thanks for vnur kind mMmv.
which Is highly appreciated.
TOO FAR OFF TO COUNT THEM
Newport Can't Decide - Just How
Many Ships Went By.
NEWPORT, Or.. May 20. (Special.)
A flag of smoKe on the horizon just at
dawn marked the coming of the big fleet
into view off Yaquina Bay this morning.
For three miles up and down the bluffs,
thousands of people watched the flag
slowly unfuri and lengthen, until the
naked eye could distinguish three vessels
creeping up the coast, followed at inter
vals by either 12 or 13 more. There is
great variance of opinion today as to how
many ships there were, some people
counting 15 and some 16.
This shows how small a- glimpse Ya
quina Bay got of the fleet that was so
confidently expected to stay part of a
day close to the shore and give the citi
zens . of the Upper Willamette Valley
their only sight of the famous fleet. All
day Monday and yesterday people from
all Lincoln County came in throngs to
Newport. Yesterday 200 people came
down from Albany, Corvallis and inter
mediate points in hopes of catching at
least a glimpse of the warships. The
glimpse was all they got, but that seemed
to satisfy them.
The morning was cool and cloudy, yet
clear enough to see the 16 miles that sep
arated the squadron from the shore. Most
of the watchers stayed on the bluffs all
night or danced away the hours at the
ball given by the Commercial Club in
THE KEARSARGE AS SHE
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honor of the occasion. Every few min
utes word was sent to the llfesavers'
lookout to see whether any ships had
been sighted. When word was Anally
rece ived It was 3 u s t d awn .
There was great disappointment here
over the outcome of the efforts to get
the fleet to come to anchor. This dis
appointment was intensified when it was
found at the last moment that most Im
portant message sent by the Commercial
Club had not been delivered, owing to
an error. When the error was finally
discovered. It was too late. However, the
people of Lincoln County generally feel
that they have been repaid for their ef
forts In getting the fleet to stop by the
advertising the whole community has re
ceived and the harmony evinced In the
united efforts.
SPLENDID NAVAL SPECTACLE
Parade of Fleet Off Oregon Coast
Proves a Grand Success,
ON BOARD STEAMSHIP ALLIANCE,
Columbia River, May 20. The parade of
the Atlantic fleet off Clapsop Beach, the
mouth of the Columbia River and Long
Beach was a splendid success. Sixteen
battleships, with Rear-Admiral Sperry's
flagship Conneotlcut in the lead, filed
past, and the hospital ship Relief brought
up the rear. The spectacle was one
which will never be forgotten by those
who were fortunate enough to obtain a
view, either from the excursion ships "or
from the points on north and south
beaches.
Upon making Tillamook Light, the col
umn swun g In toward Clatsop Beach,
and passed Seaside and Gearhart not
more than two miles from the beach.
Running under a slow bell, the battle
ships were visible for more than an hour,
and everybody got a splendid view of
them. An exact distance of 750 feet
was maintained between the vessels in
the line, all the ships proceeding at ex
actly the same speed.
The fleet passed off the mouth of the
Columbia River in the same formation,
and about half way between the lightship
and the bar. The Connecticut, led and
was followed by the Kansas. The Min
nesota, Vermont, Georgia, Nebraska, New
Jersey. Rhode Island, Louisiana, Virginia,
Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kear
sarge, Kentucky and hospital ship Relief
followed in the order named.
After clearing the shoals off the mouth
of the river, the ships again veered in
toward shore, so the people on the north
beaches could see them.
Excursion Steamers Sight Fleet.
The fleet was first made out about 20
miles to the southwest of the Columbia
River at 11 o'clock by the lookouts on
the Roanoke and Alliance. They were
steaming north in single column, and
making eight knots. The schedule of the
fleet was for It to arrive off the river
at noon Wednesday, and the vessels un
der Rear-Admiral Sperry made the time
of a railroad train.
The excursion steamers Roanoke and
Alliance carried 600 Portlanders and
Astoria people out over the bar to see
APPEARED IN LIKE, TAKEN BY AN
-Why
Is
It
So?
Why do the Colum
bia Tailors make
more clothes than all
the others?
"Why do more 'men
wear Columbia Tai
lored clothes?
Why are Columbia
Tailored men better
satisfied?
Why do Columbia
Tailored men appear
better dressed ?
Why do Columbia
Tailored men wear
the latest in material,
cut and patfern?
Why is it easy to
pick out a Columbia
dressed man in a
crowd?
Simply because Co
lumbia Tailors are
more advanced than
the others in stock,
skill in measuring,
cutting, fitting, and
alive with a desire to
satisfy every custom
er. That's all.
D,UC9
Grant Phegley, Mgr.
Seventh and Stark
Streets.
the warships. The vessels sailed from
Astoria at 10:15 A. M. The steamer Sue
H. Elmore, bound lor Tillamook, was the
first vessel leaving the Columbia River to
salute the advance craft of the battleship
fleet. The Elmore blew three whistles
and dipped her colors to the flagship. The
salute was promptly answered. Then
followed the Roanoke and Alliance, which
crossed the bar and proceeded as far
south as Clatsop Beach, where the Con
necticut was passed. The excursion
steamers passed within haillng distance
of each battleship. Patriotism 'of spec
tators was aroused to the highest pitch,
and as each ship of the line dipped her
colors, flirt to the Roanoke, then to the
Alliance, she was greeted with a cheer.
MAKES THEM ALL AMERICANS
Sight or Old Glory Stirs Patriotism
In Cosmopolitan Throng.
SEASIDES. Or., May 20. (Special.) This
was field day for Seaside. Special trains
last night and this forenoon brought in
hosts of enthusiastic citizens to see the
fleet pass up the coast. In the early
morning hours the trail to Tillamook
Head was full to overflowing with men,
women and children. The Head and the
whole face of the cliff was packed with
people. They were of all nationalities
Japanese, Chinese, Laps. Scandinavians
and Finns. Ail were bubbling over wilh
patriotism, all were Americans. There
was not one single foreigner in the crowd.
When the battleships came into view, a
mighty shout went up from a thousand
throats. Every heart In tile vast crowd,
throbbed in unison.
The boulevard on the Beach was also
filled with an excited throng that cheered
the fleet to the echo. Old men and wom
en vied with each other In their
patriotic shouts, and gray-haired veterans
shed tears at the sight of Old Glory as
she waved in the breeze.
Some valuable farthing were oM at
Sotheby's auction-rooms (London recently.
A Charles II pewter farthing sold for $50,
OREG O.MAN PHOTOGRAPHER.