The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-02-18
MANOEUvREs ARE OVER
And the Remaining Days Will be Devoted to
FeastAg and Pleasure.
THE FLEET WILL Be DISlNTEGRArEO
And as Usual Will Look in at 1Ennhp.i
ton Roads ana Then Seek Their:
Pleasure Ground ut New York
Mntnc nnd yexnyius VIII Go SOuiIay
Result OF tho Prncticc.

Charleston, S. c.. Feb. lit is under,
stood that the minocuvres OF Admiral
Bunce's fleet off Charleston are about:
over. and the remaining two days tha t
the fieet will remain III these waters WIFE
be spent in fcastng and pleasures
TO COME TO HAMPTON ROADS.
The Dolphin came into port this morn
Ing: 1t Is understood that the New
York, Columbia, Massachusetts,, Indi-5s
ana, and Fern will proceed direct to
Hampton Roads FOR coal and thence to:
New York, where they will arrive not
later than March .. The Dolphin ana
VesuVius Will so to the Florida coast.
will proceed to New Orleans.
Should the Terror join the fleet in the
meantime she will go to Norfolk with
the flagship. The Amphitritc will re-
main here until Monday.
tomorrow Secretary Herbert, Attor-
ney General Harmon, Admiral Gherardi
and distinguished party Of ladies and
gentlemen will arrive in the city. They
viii be the guests Of Charleston during
their stay here.
RECEPTION TO SEC'IoY HERBER R'r.
Governor w. II. Ellerbe, and all the
chicf officials and members or both
houses OF the General Assembly Will
also be In the city for the occasion A
public reception will he held by Secre-
tary Herbert in the City Hail. and at
night dinner will be given by the
Chamber of Commerce Speeches will
be made by Secretary Herbert, Attorney
General Harmon, Mayor Smith, and
others. Friday military and naval
ball will be given the visitors by the
city. And this will probably conclude
the blockade Of the port Of Charleston.
RESULT OF A1ANOEUVRES.
t is impossible just now to rightly es-
t.mate the result Of the manoeuvres.
Ofiicers Who will discuss the matter at
all. express grca satisfaction a all that
has occurred. This consisted mainly in
exercises with the searchllghts and guns
or the ships. Nightly there was practi-
cng with the lights OH ships boats sent
out for the special purpose. The ship
would picl; the boat up. and then follow
ing II with the light, record would be
made of the observations taken 1T all
distances until the limit of the light was
reached. The pract!cing with the main
batteries was especially important and
Interesting.
GREAT GUN PRACTICE.
with the smaller guns considerable ac-
curacS was developed, some Of the ships
striking their floating targets frequently.
The work With the heavy pieces was
less accurate. but far more Instructive,
as the men needed this practice mos;
the New York. for instance. struck her
target no less than twenty times during
the practice with both of her batteries
While the officers do not say so, it IS
probable that the work with the search
lights was somewha; disappointing at
times. On clear nights the lights
achieved powerful results but they
proved utterly inadequate to cope with
heavy fog or mist. On the night which
the Eesuvius ran the blockade, the lights
did not carry 400 yards
TWO VESSELS GO SOUTH.
The Maine will leave the fleet to-mor-
row, and proceed to Port Royal, where
she will coal. II Is stated positively by
persons in position to know OF what
they speak that the ships stood the firing
Of the great guns we'll, neither the guns,
turrets, nor gear Of any kind receiving
any injury.
From an official source 1t was learned
tonight that two shots, remarkable in
the annals or gtlnnery, were fired from
the main battery OF the massachusetts
during the exercises yesterday. The
battleShip used for her target on this
occasion n slender rod capped by a
streamer only to render it visible 1t
was placed 1000 yards from the ship
and twice during the day the miniature
flagstaff was struck. once with shot
a thirteen-inch gun.
The latter feat is possibly unpavallc.l-
ed in the annals of gunncry, but this
Information is secured from source
which should render it entirely trust
worthy.