The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-04-19
CRUISERS AT DRILL.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE NEW
AMERICAN NAVY.
White-Hulled Ships Of War Preparing
for the Grand Columbian Review
Drill at Sea.

FORTRESS MONROE (Va.), April o.
The most notable evolutions of the
ships of the new navy are over. They
have taken place at sea off the capes at
the mouth of Chesapeake bay during
Tuesday, Wednesday and to day. They
were not only the most notable exercise
in fleet drilling, but were far more i'm.
portant than that. If they were not
the first experiments of this kind in our
navy, they are certainly the first on so
large a scale since the war.
Here, off Hampton Roads, are eight
new steel cruisers and gunboats assem-
bled in a squadron of two divisions and
ordered to sea to drill steadily for three
days. 1t is not only the most import
ant, but the most novel incident in the
new naval development. Rear Ad
miral Walker has been in command of
the fleet, whose mere hull cost more
than $1,000, 900, whose best vessels are
unequaled in the other navies of the
world, and whose effect in small squad
ron movements has excited the admir-
alton of the four greater naval powers
of Europe.
Owing to the pressure of routine du-
ties connected with the forthcoming
great review in New York harbor, the
F. Commander-in-C Chief, Rear Admiral
Chirardi remains in Hampton Roads
with his splendid flagship, the Philadel-
phia Rear Admiral Walker, therefore,
formed his squadron in two divisions,
composed as follows: First Division
Flagship Chicago, with the Admiral in
command, the Baltimore, Charleston
and Yorktown. Second Division--The
San Francisco leading, the Atlanta,
Concord ond Vesuvius.
Down on the famous Lynn Haven
oyster grounds Inside the capes this
magnificent troop of sea cavalry began
its work. The squadron made mag
niicent picture, each white hull, with its
graceful lines, stood boldly out against
the water and the effect of SO great a
number of new vessels was not only inn
pressive but beautiful The big white
fleet stood out to sea at a uniform
speed of eight knots an hour.
The first movement ordered from
the flagship was to determine the
angle at which each ship must set her
helm in order to turn in the same circle
as that of the Charleston, which always
describes the biggest circle in turning
all the way round when her helm is
hard over. Such circle is called the
tactical diameter of ship. This drill
was absolutely necessary in view of
the requirements of harmonious action
in the great Columbian operations.
Moreover, it tended to familiarize each
set of officers with their ship Such a
drill has a still more serious value, for
warships must be unanswered in this
way SO that their captains can tell
before entering an engagement how
they can turn their helms to fight the
enemy from the inside or from the
outside.
When all had done the work on the
starboard tack the flagship signalled for
the same evolution on the port tack.
The signaling was constant among all
the ships. On one end of each fore
mast yard were Geographic signals con-
sisting of many colored penants that were
changed so constantly as to keep two
men busy. On the other end of the
yard were speed signals, consisting of a
ball and pennant. These were changed
with every change of the engines, and
the speed of each ship was changed to
meet the changes of speed of the guide
ship.
At the same time the Admiral on the
guide ship was necessarily telegraphing
signals to all the squadron, giving orders
and warnings of orders that were short,
ly to come. At the same time wig
wag" signals with hand flags were kept
up on the flagship These commune
cations we're concerning routine matter:
connected with the squadron-daiIy
reports from all ships, comments on re
ports, requests for explanations that the
Admiral demanded and a myriad o.
small matters.
All day the great signal flags rose
and fell at all the foremost heads anc
the wig wagging went on When nigh
came rockets and colored electric Ian
terms kept up an incessant but noiseles'
talk by telegraph without any stopping
of the engines.
Another feature of the feet drill wa!
taken up later. The ships we're made
to practice forming column, then Il
swing into company front by deviation
from the columnar course at an angle
Of forty-hve degrees. In the navy they
call it Column formation" when the
ships are behind one another, and slime
formation" is putting the ships side by
side. The drill was, therefore, techni
cally called swinging from column int
line. They then presented splendid
spectacle. From the deck of the yes
sci in the center the squadron exhibited
such a jungle of masts and tunnels anC
fighting tops and spars that no one
could say whether there were eight o
fifty-eight sea monsters in the assembly
Admiral Walker then Signaled order
for the return to column formation
The trick of turning into line was trieC
again. This time it was done so mucl