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Show " ROOSEVELT SAILS FOR EAST AFRICA M SEAM OF From Home at Oyster Bay to Steamship Dock in Hoboken, Ex-President's Route Resembles a Triumphal March Italian Chamber of Com- merce, New York, Pays Him Tribute He Is Caught in Crush on Pier, and Loses His Hat and Leather Case ,scw York, March 23 Theodore Roosevelt sailed today at 11;0C on the steamer Hamburg on the first stage ot his Journey to the wilds or East Africa Afri-ca In search of big game. From his coantry hroe at Oyster Hay to the bteamshtp'dock iu Hoboken. the ex-presldent's ex-presldent's route resembled a triumphal triumph-al march, the greetings of the crowds which had gathered to wish him good Jtick being expressed all along th way in enthusiastic cheers. A feature fea-ture of the trip was that Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt rode 'for' tbo first time In the tunnel under the Hudson, from New York to Jersey City. One of the last things Mr. Roosevelt did, before the steamer left the dock, was to uend a telegram to President Tart acknowledging acknowl-edging the receipt of several line pictures pic-tures and a message of good cheer. The telegram read: "Parting thanks, love and sincerity." sincer-ity." When he arrived at the Hamburg-American Hamburg-American line pier, where be boarded board-ed the steamship Hamburg, the ex-President ex-President found a densely packed throng of his fellow countrymen gathered, gath-ered, and as he appeared, loud cheers greeted him. He smiled and bowed, right and lpft, in cordial .acknowledgment .acknowledg-ment of . the salutations of the assemblage, as-semblage, and evidently was much pleased at tho warmth and sincerity of the demonstration in his honor. . i Mr, Roosevelt gave a short talk to the newspapermen on board the Ham-'burg. Ham-'burg. Ho greeted them at the doorway door-way of his suite. "Now. gentlemen. I am glad to set you," be said. "What cau I tell you.' Oh, y-s. there Is tpat picture (pointing (point-ing to a portrait of Mr. Taft). It Is very interesting and very fine, don t tlcle was passed to him. He bowed thanks, and smilingly called: "I'm all right," The crowd, becoming quiet, Mr. Roosevelt said: "I want to thank tho representatives representa-tives from Pittsburg, who have come all this distance to see me off. 1 am indeed grateful and am touched by their thoughtfulness and their klnrt-ress klnrt-ress In coming such a long way. 1 want to thank also my fellow citizens who c'amo to see mo off. God bless you all." Mr. Roosevelt then retired to tho steamer's deck. ' I On his return to the steamer, before his departure, Mr. Roosevelt found many friends who wished to bid him Ood speed. A lino was formed leadlug to tho outer door of his suite and tho i ex-President stood there and shook the hands of tho multitude that passed, j among them being not a few women. To all, he expressed his thanks. Ev- ery where he moved outside his apart- . ments, he could not escape the leavo takers. More than once he was nearly j Jostled ofT his feet, and on one oc- ; caslon. was saved by a policeman from a fall at the edge of a short flight of steps. Through it all, he was the soul of cordiality and fearlessness, and his broad smile never left blm, testifying unmistakably to his pleasure ; at the manner of his leave-taking, and anticipation of tho stirring trip ahead of him. Oyster Bay, N. T., March 23. Cheered by fellow townsmen who gathered at the station to bid him ! god-speed, ex-president Theodore-'Roosevelt Theodore-'Roosevelt left here shortly after 7 o'clock Ibis morning for New York, to begin his long journey across the seas to hunt in the wilderness of , British East Africa for the next year, j Because of tho earllnnes of the hour, there was only a small gathering at ! the station to see Mr. Roosevelt off. ! He shook hands w ith those who press- i ed about him for a parting greeting, and there was a lusty cheer as tho train moved out. ' Mr. Roosevelt bade good-bye to the famih at the house and drove down to the station with Kcrralt and little Archie, who sat on the front seat with 1 Noah Seaman, the family driver. . The ex-President wore his light buff armv coat with the colonel's insignia on the sleeve, and Kermlt wore a coat of similar cloth and pattern. At the station, Mr. Roosevelt kissed Archie goodbye and there was a trace of tears in his eyes as he said farewell. fare-well. Mr. Roosevelt and Kermlt took seats in the day coach of the train and engaged themselves In reading on the , trip to New York. J on the steamer was a tribute to tn cx-Piesldent by the Italian chamber of commerce of New York. This body presented a bronze tablet, bearing on one sldo a portrait of tho ox-PrcBldent and on the other, the scene or the Sicilian earthquake, and a representation representa-tion of the Goddess of Peace placing a wreath on Roosevelt's head. The tablet tab-let was Inscribed: "To Theodore Roosevelt, to you and the United States, a tribute of thanksgiving thanks-giving from Italo-Amerlcans for generous gen-erous help tn their stricken brethren of Calabria and Sicily." Soveral delegations from Italian societies so-cieties were present, bringing a band, a floral offering and a largo banner, which was erected on tho pier. It bore the inscription; "Italo-Amerlcans, let us shout 'Long live President Roosevelt and the United Unit-ed States.' A trlbuto of thanksgiving on behalf of our brethren or) Sicily and Calabria. Let us solemnly condemn con-demn any crime staining Italy's name. Let ub here pledge our loyalty to American institutions. Long live America." Am-erica." Shortly before the steamer sailed, Mr. Roosevelt, escorted by a detachment detach-ment of local police, appeared at the after gangway, which led to the pier. The police had cleared an open space across the pier to the point where tho Italian-American organization had a bronze tablet in readiness to present him The appearance of Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt was the signal for tremenduoua cheering by the crowds on the pier and on the steamer's deck.. As he came down the gangway, the choortas continued and a party of college boys from Stevens' institute, in Hoboken, let loose their college yell. On tho, way across the pier, tho lines of police, po-lice, escorting Mr. Roosevelt, were i broken through by the pressure or the eager crowd and the ex-President was swept towards the tablet by the rush. The crowd closed In solidly behind him, and while the police were endeavoring to fight off the on-rushlng crowd, Mr, Roosevelt a6ked the speakers speak-ers to make the presentation ceremony cere-mony very brief. The Italian orator cut short his lengthy address, bnpriy stating that the tablet was presentnd by the Italians in appreciation or what Mr. Roosevelt had caused to be done for the suffering people of Southern Italy and Calabria. Mr. Roosevelt,. In reply, said: "I appreciate this very much. I want to thank you all. I cannot toll you how deeply touched 1 am." ( Mr. Roosevelt, seeing that the crowd was , becoming unmanageable, gave directions that the tablet be sent to Mrs. Roosevelt and turned back toward to-ward the forward gang plank or the ntainer. The police did their best to clear a way for him, but the crowd became demonstrative, and many per-nonR per-nonR tried to shake the ex-President's hand. The police took .a firm grip on the situation, pushed back the crowd and rushed Mr. Roosevelt toward the 6teamer. In tho process, two or the policemen were knocked off their reet, but were not injured. As he nearod the gang plank, Mr. Roosevelt's hat flew off, and a vacuum bottle, which had been presented him by Pittsburg friends at the pier, was knocked rrom his hand. Mr. . Roosevelt kept right on and reached tho t;ang plank in safety. Tho crowd yelled and chear-cd. chear-cd. and amid the hubbub, his lost ar- you think so? "Oh. gentlemen, there Is one thin that I desire very much lo have von say for nio. There is an Immense mass of mall on board this phlp which has come to me and which I have not been able to open, and much or which 1 will not be able to open ror some j time. I have no stenographer with mo. Since I left tbe While House, I I have received about 5.000 or 6,000 let- ! iters. Four-fifths of those 1 have not even seen. My thanks to tho peoplo i who s-ent them is. however, none the less. Now, I wish that you 'would sav for me that it will be only a waste ,.'r time for anyone to write to me while j 1 am in Africa Again. 1 will say that I deeply appreciate tho courtesy of thbse who have written me, and take this occasion to give them my i thankB." One of the reporters In tho party-broke party-broke into the conversation with tho I Interjection: j "Some one told me. colonel, that yn ' were going to be our next president." Mr. Roosevelt immediately throw up I both hands and exclaimed: J ' "Good-bye, gentlemen, good-bye." j But ho was Btlll smiling when th! i interview closed. I M. JuPserand, the French anibassa- ' dor, and Mrs. Jusuerand, went aboard the steamer shortly after Mr.' Roosevelt's Roose-velt's party arrived, and wore escorted escort-ed to the Roosevelt quarters, i hev conversed with Mr. Roosevelt, for somo ' time. 1 A notable feature of the reception, 1 |
