The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-02-10
ADMIRAL 8UNCE SETS SAIL.
The HiockadipG Fleet cn is W@y to Char
lesion.

WAsHIyGToH, Feb. Admiral
8unce is now eu routa 10 Charleston.
The ileet OF war ships belonging to
the North Atlantic squadron sailed
cut OF Hampton Roads TO day, healed
bv the flagship New York, with Ad-
miral Buace in command The YES
sells which followed the New York
were tie battle ship Indiana, the ar
morad cruiser Maine, the turret ship
Amph;;rite, the cruiser Columbia,
and the dispatch boat Fern. The
Admiral telesraphed the fact OF his
departure to tie navy department,
and added that the Marbiehead, which
is some where outside the Capes, would
be ordered 10 fall N line, if sighted.
The doubie-!urrete3 monitors Puritan
and Terror are also expected to join
the squadron, and by the time the &C.
tual blockade tactics begin there will
probably ce ctaer additions to the
force OF vessels. The squadron will
probably put ia some time during the
favorable weather drilling Oft the
Capes and on the way scuthward,
and it is not expected that the ships
will be Off Charleston before the 6!h
instant, unless the weather forces
change in the programme. the Tex
as, Massachusetts, and .Brooklny are
disabled, and they will not be able 10
participate in the blockade o. Charles
ton harbor. The Raleigh, Newark
and Dolphin now engaged in patroll-
ing the Florida coast may be ordered
10 ioin the squadron at Charleston,
provided they can be spared from
their present duty. The Cuban agita-
ton along the coast is subsiding, and
Secretary Herbert will allow Admiral
Bunce 10 use his discretion as 10 the
advisability Of drawing the ships last
named further north for heet drill.
Admiral Ramsey, chief of lhe bu-
reau Of navigation and detail, says
that Admiral Bunce has been invested
with full authority 10 employ the YES
sells Of the squadron as he may deem
sro6er under the circumstances. On
ihe cruise down the coast to Charles
ton the Admiral will practice new
set of manoeuvres and d1llls IN hand
ling war ships at sea. Admiral Ram
sew SAYS it is difficult to describe the
proposed manoeuvres, but the idea is
to test the capacity OF the respective
ships for getting into action, sustain
inc sister ships in case OF emergency,
and indulging in other evoiutions at
sea on the same principle that regl-
iment Of infantry would be drilled on
land. Some vessels can 60 about and
come up in line quicker than others.
These details have to be carefully
timed and measured, so that when the
flagship gives certain commands 1t can
he ascertained to the minute how long
each snip will take to get into the
position assigned it. Under the cir
cumstances week or ten days may
be thus employed before the great
event-the blockading OF Charleston
harbor-will De attempted.
When the fleet reaches Charleston
If will be divided into two divisions.
Half of the fleet viii be assigned to
duty to guard the entrances to the
harbor. The oter half will be desig-
mated as the attacking party. While
the rival divisions are manoeuverlng
ore of the swiftest ships will try to
run the blockade. The following day
the assignments OF the two divisions
will be changed, and some other yes.
sels will try TO get through the blocade.
The officers and men of the fleet are
greatly interested in the sea game,
which strikes US land lubbers as being
something on the style Of modern
foot ball. All OF the vessels that can
cross the Bar will rendezvous IN
Charleston harbor, where Secretary
Herbert will review the fleet.
Whiie in the hsrbor boat race BE-
tween the rival ships crew might be
made an interesting feature. Anyone
who has ever witnessed a boat race be-
tween the crews OF several men-of-"ar
in double banked cutters will never
| forget the scene. Each one OF these
war ships have in constant training a
cutter or gig crew prepared to row
race at pop Of the gun. Thls sug-
eestion is thrown out for the benefit
of the committee in charge OF the
Charleston end of the demonstration.
News and Courier.