Seattle Electric Co.'s battleship decoration welcoming the Great White Fleet hanging above 1st Ave. between Madison and Marion streets, Seattle, May 26, 1908

Shows the Hotel Perrin at 901 1st Ave. Warner 3199 PH Coll 273.227 On May 23, 1908, the Great White Fleet arrives in Seattle. The visit is part of a 14-month cruise around the world by the 16 battleships and 14,000 sailors of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet, a feat never attempted before. The cruise is a exhibition of U.S. fighting abilities, particularly to the Empire of Japan, which had recently defeated Russia in a sea battle. The fleet left Norfolk, Virginia, on December 16, 1907, and arrived in Puget Sound in May by way of South America and San Francisco. The ships visited Port Angeles and Bellingham before arriving in Seattle on May 23. Seattle Mayor John F. Miller presented Rear Admiral C. S. Sperry with the key to the city (made from Klondike gold). Theater owners gave out 3,000 tickets to sailors and the Seattle Electric Co. supplied 50,000 streetcar tickets. Officers and men were feted all over the city. Newspapers were full of stories profiling the ships, the commanders, and Roosevelt's naval and foreign policies. On May 26, 1908, the sailors, along with soldiers, militia, and fraternal orders paraded up 2nd Avenue to the cheers of 300,000 people. (Source: *Subjects (LC

Date

1908-05-26

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

photograph

Original size

640 × 378 pixels

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