The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-17
NAVAL MILITIAMEN OFF
To Have Eight Days of DriII on Board
Ship-oficers and Men Number 900
The Daily Routine OF the Trip.

i 4
The Daily Routine of the Trip.
The naval militia of Connecticut, 2Ot
strong, left yesterday for their cruise
on the United States cruiser Prairie
Their departure was made quietly, Their,
: being no street parade, but the wealth.
er could not have been more beautiful
Bright sunny skies and soft balmy all
We're on every hand and the amateur
: tars set off on their trip in high spirits
The local battalion assembled early
at the armory and completed the few
final preparations before leaving. Their
baggage was placed on express wagons
and sent off before o'clock. BY $3.50
everything was in readiness and the
men responded to the muster call of
Boatswain Morris and fell into line. Ar
rayed in their new blue suits they
marched down Meadow street to Water
| and then to Belle dock. Here the
steamer Victor was boarded and the
| reserves sailed over to canal dock to
| pick up the Hartford and Bridgeport
| tars, who had come in on early trains,
which for convenience had been switch
| ed out onto the dock.
At 1890 all was in readiness and the
| Victor cast off the dock line. The sail
| down the harbor occupied but twenty
minutes, and it was not long before the
| men We're climbing up the sides of the
| big cruiser. This steamer had cast an
Choir just inside the breakwater and q
number Of men We're up aloft placing
new topmast The old one had been
broken while the Prairie had been pass
ing under the Brooklyn bridge on the
day before its great height Of sixty
feet from the water line having
brought 1t in contact with the bridge.
The draught of the vessel is nineteen
feet. She Is a massive vessel brist-
ling with six inch guns and six pound
ers and roomy, even with $50 reserves
aboard in addition to the 100 men car
ried all the time as a crew. She Is
fitted up with kitchens and mess rooms
of great size, and with a completely
equipped hospital and dispensary. The
seamen's quarters are equally roOmy,
and the officers of the Connecticut tars
will be well berthed. The prairie was
formerly the Ell Cid, and was a cotton
packet, belonging to the Morgan line,
plying between New York and South
American ports. When the war broke
out she was purchased by the United
States government and ref1tted as an
auxiliary cruiser and as a despatch
boat. Last summer, during hostilities,
she was used in southern waters Her
n a nd nfot, M f1Iy
zie, is well known as naval officer
of high standing, who was formerly in
charge of the converted yacht Mayfiow-
er, now a gunboat When peace was
declared the Prairie was detailed as
naval militia training vessel and has
been on this duty since the spring.
On board the Prairie the Reserves |
were given a hearty welcome by both |
officers and men, and were but a short |
time in becoming accustomed to their |
new quarters. They were assigned to
their quarters at once, and with the as
sistance of the regulars their baggage
was soon slowed away. All the after
noon WIS spent by the men in getting |
acquainted with the ship and their du-
ties, and start was not made until late
last evening.
Before going Captain Mckenzie paid
a formal visit of inspection he Ell
frida, which lay in the Cove He COM
plimented those in charge upon the
yachts splendid condition.
The daily routine of work which will
De required of the Naval Militia on the
Prairie is as follows:
FIRST DAY.
l.30- 10,1 Muster and stations Mt runs III |
structions about training, elevating
and sighting.
0:43- ii :45-Almng drill
80 2:30-Taking apart breech mechanism.
Instruction concerning parts ; cleaning |
returning same.
$50 latter Thinning above)-Contnue aim
ing drill till each man has made a
SECOND DAY.
$50 10:15-Having sent men who were at
VI. inch to the 6-pounder guns and
vice versa; carry out exactly the same
routine as first day.
THIRD DAY.
:30-Muster at stations. Sub-calibcr prac-
trice. Crews drilled as If firing regu- |
larly but each gun acts Independently. | /
Each man fires 10 shots, then shifts
stations
:30-Same as forenoon.
FOURTH DAY. ,
:30-10 :15--MuSer at stations Sub-caliber | ,
practice First and Second Gun cap !
talns fire Commence firing and cease y
firing by bugle, as in regular divisional
drill. ,
drill.
30-2:30-Same as forenoon. After con- |
pleting gun drill finish aiming drill, | I
each man making target. I
FIFTH DAY.
80 = Muster at stations. Each gun fire - \
rounds at target Guns fire In success
sion. ,
morning work.
SIXTH DAY.
,Qn--Nuctor a ct | I
of hfth day, and when completed the I
Naval Militia will be examined in all r
drills, signals, etc.
forenoon work till finished | y
Commander Reynolds of the Reserves is t
Iuai in rank to Captain Mckenzie, though
lie latter will be in charge of the Prairie
uring the trip. Following Is the list of a
ficers of the State battalion and the roster v
the local division as they boarded the ;,
'uiser yesterday morning:
Commander Edward V. Reynolds, New
aYen.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur Fl. Day, :
ew Haven.
Lieetenant Junior Grade, Samuel
punderson, New Haven
Surgeon Lieutenant Levi Bennett Coch-
n, Hartford. =
Paymaster, Lieutenant Junior Grade,
,ederlck L. Averili, New Haven.