The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-16
FLYING SQUADRON RETURNS
SUCCESSFUL MANOEUVERING FIF-
 TEEN MILES ODT TO SEA,

NN-N
 Heavy Battleships Massachusetts and
 Texas Being Especially and Surprisingly
 Ouick-Line of Battle Formed-Call to
 Quarters and Battle Calls Given.
 Fort Monroe, Va, April 15 (On board the flagship Brooklyn.)-The flying squadron, the departure of which caus- ed so much excitement on Wednesday, returned to anchorage at Fort Monroe after having completed two days and two nights of arduous labor, with sat- isfaction to its commanding officer. Commander Schley wanted the cap- tains of the fleet to know each other in the movement of their vessels and to be able to answer quickly to all signals for movements liable to be made in an engagement. Running down to Cape Henry on Wednesday afternoon, the squadron was taken fifteen miles out to sea, at the same time manoeuvering in response to the signals from the flagship. All the big vessels responded quickly, the heavy battleships Massachusetts and Texas being especially and surprisingly quick. Line of battle was formed with. the Brooklyn on the right, the Massachu- setts to the left of the Brooklyn the Minneapolis to the left of the Massa- chusetts. the Columbia next and the on, ho wi Ioft eli al to anchor in line was obeyed so well that an almost perfect alignment was obtained Anchorage was made on Wednesday night fifteen miles east of Cape Charles light, near the southern drill ground.
 Thursday morning found very unfav- orable conditions for either manoeuver- ing or using the guns, there being a heavy rain, a hail storm and a high sea, but Commodore Schley decided to begin the manoeuvering The Massa- chusetts dipped her low nose in the water time after time, taking up tons of water but was handled beautifully coming up to the alignment more quickly than light cruiser. The other vessels also were quick to respond to signals. This drill was kept up all day and at nightfall anchorage was made at point thirteen miles from Cape Charles. After dark signal work by electric light was pcacticed for two hours.
 At 9 o'clock when most of the off, cers and men had prepared to retire, the call to quarters and battle calls | were sounded On the Brooklyn so 1 quickly was the work done that every | division officer had reported ready" in four minutes and the ship was ready | for battle, with water tight compart- ments closed, ammunition hoisted to guns, turrets swinging.Lattle matches 1 down and the crews at the guns ready | to shoot. The other ships reported all most as quickly.
 Friday morning was given up to lSpractice at the guns, all the ships put | ting out targets at 800 yards. The gum ners on the Brooklyn cut the flag from the top of their target within twenty minutes, remarkable work when it is l considered that the target was but l eighteen inches square. At 1 o'clock 1 the ships headed for Hampton Roads | for anchorage with the exception of the | Texas, who remained out to try her 1 big guns. The rest of the squadron anchored off Fort Monroe at about 5 | o'clock.
 Commodore Schley expressed himself as very much pleased with the work of
 the captains of the vessels. The man. oeuvers of the boats and the work of the crews at the guns were both highly
 pleasing. He called particular atten-
 tion to the rapidity with which 'call
 to arms" was responded to. The Texas
 ran into Hampton Roads about
 o'clock and joined the squadron. Cap
 tain Phillip said that the new turret
 arrangement had worked satisfactorily
 and the big guns could be loaded by l Lieutenant Hausler's new automatic
 arrangement at any angle and very | quickly.