The sun., 1896-10-04
THE VIEW CRUISE OF rnE FsnEr.
It IL Expected TO Have Important Uses In
Drill Rook Prncttcr

WASHINGTON. Oct 3.-Two naval courts
internosed this week to tlelav the departuro of
Admiral Bunce's squadron on its present
drill cruise, which will be the final ono. prob
ably, of the present season. One was the
court of inquiry on the grounding OF the
Texas through the failure OF her engineer 10
act properly OIL her CRptain's orders. and the
othec the court martial for the trial of Chief
Engineer Ogden of tho Montgomery. Both
these vessels belong to the squadron. and line
officers as well as engineers are greatly inter-
ested in seeing how the cases will come out.
But tho cruise from Staten Island to Hamp-
ton Roads, nt last undertaken, should prove of
much instructional value. There are eight
fine vessels in the command, the battle ships
lndiana, Massachusetts, Texas, and Maine,
the armored cruiser New York, carrying the
Admirals flag, and the cruisers Columbia.
Raleigh. and Montgomery. There is not a
slow shin In the lot, and some of them are
racers There Is every reas on. therefore, for
being able to repeat the tactical evolutions
which have taken up so much time this sum-
mer, so that practice may make perfect
In aid of this purpose there has been dis.
tribution of the new book OF squadron tactics
prepared hy the Admiral largely from the re-
suit OF the years evolutione From the out
set officers were appointed AMI directed to
observe specially and report upon the various
squadron exercises undertaken. The criti-
cisms and recommendations thus made have
been carefully weighed, and in the coming
cruise all officers are asked to note and com
ment upon the practice of the evoluti ms thus
set down. Many If not all OF these have al
ready been tried again and again
Ihe production of Il new book of squadron
tactcs VIII thus remain AS one result of the
years exercise jf the North Atlantic squadron,
apart aIpniri from the important instruction and
WORK. In general the clapups adp he
eXif;tlnE fleet drill book, which VIII remain in
In regard to adopting the proposed new one,
are in the direction of simplicity, surety and
safety. The plan has been not To make as
what our ships are capable of. hut as few as
are are needed ne fos effective working, and those
cution without undue risk.
lie same general tendency is seen in the
a clear understanding Of the orders signalled.
WI, With minimum possibility of error. and with
signals. and. finally, without uDdue exposure
OF the men signalling on deck or at the mast
head lest they be. picked Off by the enemy.
In making sirnals in the new tactics the effort
has been to reduce the number OF flags needed.
IL has as pee 3een suggested that in future in addi
be arranged. But the flag code itself must as
much as possible he simplifed.
rn ae Run Rnm6ef OF the vessels & EGing out With Ad
pGse POSI- squadron OF eight ships can be sub
binary movements IN line and column those
In columns of divisions can be added and sub
stantially everything that needs to be illus
trated In tactical formations and evolutions
can be carried out.
The reprimand Of Major r. l.. Meade of tho
Marine Corps by Acting Secretary Nc Adoo'
was generally expected. and In fact the prin-
cipal question secme' to be whether the dist
pleasure OF the department should take thia
form or that OF a court to try the case. Tho
point. as already explained, was that Major
Meade declined to receive an order from the
Adjutnnt of the Marine Corps, on this ground
that the latter was his junior, whereas it ap-
peared that the Adiutant. Major Reid. was
acting as comniandant in Col. Heywood's
absence. The department took the ground
that. his orders should have been obeyed as if
coming from Col. Haywood.