Show BIG CRUISERS ARE AT first divis on of jacif c fleet casts anchor after a cru se of thirty S x thousand M les san francisco the first division of the pacific fleet vanguard of the american navy which is to assemble in pacific coast waters by order ol 01 the president steamed through the golden gate at sunrise thursday morning the tour four armored cruisers passed the heads in file flie formation led by the flagship west virginia flying at her masthead the two starred flag ot of the commander ot of t the he fleet rear admiral james H dayton five hundred yards to the rear came the colorado followed at like distances by the maryland and the pennsylvania fhe rhe arrival of the four big sister ships marked the end ot of a 36 mile cri celse ise which began at nen newport port R I 1 lasi tast september the squadron was sighted outside the heads at daybreak steaming at half speed out of a coast fog dy by bringing his ships to anchor off the city front a few minutes before 8 clock admiral dayton full filled his promise by wireless the night before arrive some time in the early tore fore noon thousands of people antic the event were gathered along the water front and the hilltops corn coat manding a view of the bay oblivious of the tact fact that they could not be dis from the decks they sig nailed their welcome to the huge white and buff fighting machines by waving their hats and handkerchiefs handLer chiefs and as fleecy puffs puff a of smoke arose and drifted from the mouths of the six saluting gung guns of the west virginia they cheered admiral put off from his flagship the cruiser charleston as soon as the west virginia moored on board the latter vessel the rails were manned and the band struck up a lively air as admiral stepped onto the quarter deck to greet the commander in chief of the fleet the brief formality oer oler the two ad shook hands warmly and at once retired tor for an official conference relative to the departure from this port of the crul cruisers serg california charleston and st loula louis for target practice at magdalena bay capt J B milton commanding the west virginia received a score of newspaper men who had been waiting in launches for an hour to come aboard at I 1 clock thursday afternoon a joint committee of about men prominent in political business and social life of san francisco and near by cities boarded the west virginia to greet and welcome admiral dayton and the officers of the fleet united states senator perkins made a brief formal address addres S of welcome |