The times., 1897-09-10
Practice Work of the Squadron
Under Admiral Sicard.
An ADMIRABLE SHOWING
L xceIient Target Work of the
BatFIeship Iowa Day Signals
With Japanese Fireworks
Successfui Use Of Carrier Pigeons
10 Convey the News to Norfolk.

taTy Roosevelt return ed mere TINS dlieI-
noon in the dispatch boat Dolphin after
witnessing Two days of hard work by the
North Atlantic Squadron Of evolution. IL
was at AIR. Roosevelt S suggestion that the
maneuyeTs were carried out by squad
ron composed exclusively of heavily ar
mored vessels, and he na turally took an
intense pride in sesi = what had been
accomplished OF a practical character since
the idea was put into execution. All the
exercises for the two days took place
out of sight Of land, and Were 50 salts
factory that the Assistant Secretary eX.
pressed enthusiastic commendation.
Tie program was Ia the nature OF re-
feaiss4lof he squadron 'ssummer work, and
It's successful rendition showed hat 4 d:iiral
Sicard and The officers of Tie yarioas slnps
had rot wasted their time. The trim little
Dolphin picked up the squadron IN the
forenoon Tuesday and anchored 1bont
thirty miles east OF tie Virginia capes.
ADMIRAL Sicard came aboard the Dolphin
to pay his respects U MIR. Roosevelt and
TO learn his wishes about the exercises.
When he returned TO bis flagship, the
arinored cruiser New York signals were
made TO capt. amps1n, of the battleship
o.
United States, and when the Assistant
Secretary boarded the floating mass of
iron and steel the decks had been cleared
for action and everything as IN readiness
TO have target practice under conditions
that would pertain in action witn an enemy
The additional interest was given TO the
matter by the fact uhatthe Iowa hadnever
inaalged in target practice Many OF her
men lad never heard modern great guns
at close range SOME or them were
nervous gncn the practice began, but ;his
sooR wore away and the jaCkies appeared
to enjoy their new experience, although
firing heavy rifles on siipboard is some
thing tnat even an enthusiastic sailor man
with a burning desire TO take crack at
foreign n,an-of-war does not relish as
regular thing.
When Mr Roosevelt went on the bridge
Of tie Iowa with Capt. Sampsonthe alarm
gongs were rung and officers and men
ScaInpeTed to their stations. Hatchways
had been slowed away. battle plates
screwed down, the small boats put in
places where only tile least cuncusSion
would be felt and a target placed out in
The ocean ., 800 yards from the ship. A
tliunderous report tnat shook the ship
fIom stem to stern followed TIE firing
Of an eight-inch gun. and those on board
saw "A mass of white spray throw up in
the air as the shell struck the water a
short distance in front OF the target. y
second shot went nearer, and when the
GUT ners cot their hands in the results
We're excellent.
a hostile vessel would Favt Jared badly
in thai shower of heavy missiles. For a
! first attempt the practice was more than
satisfactory and the bg ironclsd stood the
cuncussion caused by the firing OF Ter 2
| inch rifles IL manner that demons rated
/ her stable qualities. 4 whaleboat was put
out Of service, some skAHghts We're broken
and a door or two was unhinged, but
no serious damage resulted. These things
We're expected. ana on the whole the Iowa
! behaved excellently under her baptism OF
cannonadng.
The Brooklyn also had some target
! practice curing the afternoon for Mr..
RooseveI,'s henefit.
On Tuesday evening the flagship New
| York tried her secondary battery on tar
/ get, representing faaciful fleet OF hostile
torpedo boats. Search lights were used
10 pick out the enemy, and the gun practic,
was excellent. a searchIight drill by all
/ OF the vessels OF the squadron concluded
the days program.
Mr.. Roosevelt and his party witnessed
il from the Dolphin, which lay at anchor
in the center Of the big ships.
A flock Of carrier pigeons released
from the Kew York carried the news to
the Norfolk navy yard and through its
conlmandanu to the Navy Department
that tie program FOR Wednesday had be
gun. THIS consisted OF squadron ma
neavers with the Dolphin for a central
point One OF the most interesting things
IL connection with this work was the
use of japanese fireworks FOR signaling
from the flagship to the other vessels
Mr. Roosevelt considers this system as
an important addition TO squadron opera
tons because of its yalIe in action when
the most ordinary methods of signaling
| are almost certain to be ineffective.
A visit by the Assistant Secretary tc
the armored cruiser Brooklyn, to see the
comparative working of the electric al anC
steam turret turning gear. the entertain
u,ent of the captains Of the seven ironclads
at tea on bo ard the Dolphin, dinner tr
Mr. Roosevelt by Admiral Sicard on tn,
New York. and night target practice by
/
tie rest of the day.
Early this morning the Dolphin got unde
way and steamed 10 the anchorage OF tn
monitor Puritan. which had run into
sheltered position off Cape Henry on aC
court Of the probability OF heavy weather
After inspecting the Puritan and seem
her . inch guns used on target, Mr
Roosevelt returned to the Dolphin, whicl
started immediately for Fort Monroe
To a reporter who accompanied him o
the inspection trip. Mr.. Roosevelt sumnie'
up liIs experience in this way:
Tie trip has been in every way NOR
than satisfactory. The target practict
urder service conditions, the fleet manen
vers. the practice with the search light
at night in discovering and sinking drift
ing taTgets, have each and all been don
in way that reflects high credit upoI
the admiral, his captains and their officer
and crews. TIE signaling. both at nigh
ard in the daytime, including the da,
signals with the japanese fireworks, ha
, been excellent.
THE rapidity and precision of tn,
practice with the rapid fire guns and th
extraordinary accuracy with which tn
huge Uurret guns were fired wer
equally noteworthy. There were severe
matters Of less Importance. like the sue
cessful Use Of carrier pigeons, which ais
deserve Comment.
In shoct, there is every reason TO be sat
isfied with every detail of the mana gemeu
of the huge warships, from the oonnin
towers to the engine rooms and gun turret,
This is the first time that such equadro
Of modern irJnclads has ever been unde
command of an American admiral; indeed