The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-26
Progress ofthe Annual Sum
mer Cruise on Board
the U. S. S. Prairie.
OFFICERS IN COMMAND
Extensive Practice in Gunnery
Experts Praise the Jer-
seymen's Shooting.

Especial to 1.-The Jersey City News.
II. S. s. PRAIRIE, GARDENERS BAY,
L.. l.. July "a, 1S99.-The New Jersey NaVai
Reserves. on their annual cruise on the
II. S. S. Prairie, are at anchor in GardIn-
erss Bav. L. l.. safe and sound, especially
sound. as they are engaged in sub-calfbre
gun practice as this is being written The
cruise thus far has been one OF interest
as well as instruction to the amateur sail
ors. although perhaps they ought not to
be termed amateurs, as 95 per cent. OF
+hem served during the late Spanish war,
either aboard the U. s. S. Badger or Y
{ I Resolute. The Prairie was formerly
4he freighter Ell Sol of the Morgan line
She was among the first OF the merchant
men which the Government purehdseo
when the war clouds began to gather III
the spring of 1888. Originally puht 70
carry freight, her cabin accommodations
are not as elaborate as those OF some Of
4he messenger steamers which were trans
formed into auxiliary cruisers. ms
greater part of the officers have rooms
an the spar deck and the others are IN the
ward room which is on the berth deck
as they say on shipboard. but when on
shore would be described as being the sec-
ond floor below. The men sleep IN nam
mocks swung on the berth deck IN the ior7
ward part of the ship. The chief petty
officers swing their hammocks on the gun
deck. which is between the spar ana perrin
decks. The Prairie is armed, having d
main battery of eight six-inch modern
p,,n and businesslfke looking objects
they are. too. four being on each SIDE on
The p,,n deck. The secondary battery con-
sists of six six-pounder rapid fire guns
arranged one on each side, fore, aft and
amidships. These are sauey looking wea-
pons and appear capable OF giving d soou
account of themselves
TIL Prairie is a single screw steamer
and * rumored to be able 10 make ff-
4een knots under natural draft, although
we have seen nothing Of It yet. me snip
ss omamn by Commander NJ. r. 5.
Mackenzie, U. S. N. Lieut.. w Truxton
: executive officer and Lieutenant +. K.
Hill. Navigator. The other officers are
Surgeon S. H. Griffith. Paymaster w I,
GRAY. r.. H. Chapel, Acting Chief Engl-
neer; Naval Cadet F. L. Pinney-
AS told in The Jersey City News OF
Wednesday last the Reserves went
board that morning. There were 1865 OF
them all told, II officers and So men from
the battalion of the West and 5 officers
and IS men from the Battalion Of the
FAST. The North Jersey. or Eastern Bat
alion's officers aboard are Washington
Irving. Commander; r. H. Mclean, Lieu
tenant Commander; Charles M. Vreeland,
Senior Lieutenant; A. w. Kemble and ..
J. soper, Ensigns; while those of the
m. Tau.s p potter willis De
7Ioaa- n finger q. s. Braddaok.
$50 rtau+on.nts. Iobn A Gorgas and
= W. T,niar T5eu+aranfs. ?. Y.
- { N,ror,ss rnsirns. II
.,aa,, hosoas anchor was
~ - 1ra;r;a s+ar4a7 Down the
-alrtaa ~ Ia wav n
so4.n~ ,.h3stles and
eanas $50 $50 71ook her nrow
r'pp'nS - IL ~, +h.+ riob+
c@S -. rs,reaav after
e -. 49, Narro oansa+
i.psn z az - v;navar5
nnoa's ~ IN -
raven apone sugpet ~ o,.ra
'hH- 1afiy nitpss - nns.u.a staamad
was Fes'nleo aha "a aaSsad
1nrohsh Vi'7yaf' a,r4t -
Ne"post' - ~
fesh1 1uoa'ft 'ishl y
ienaef came 'ae = az
= crew wa az
81 tAs Tan 70 WINES VIZ
ctose ana eteieshs -.
isneer fooKeo 20 oe aneaa' ppt tae "a
safs sahp mat the coiuihpla aao =
s@heaee owing 70 her post'ion =
70 me w9nd- II was a pretty sisn'' ~
TWO grea4 yaehts with lhelr IMMENSE
spread OF snow white canvas lonoWeu
by a fleet \of yachts OF az sizes ana ries'
steam yachts. tugs and two OF Uncle
vans sNorpedo boats a httie Whlte pan
was seen rapidly climbing to the extreme
TOP Of the tan mast. Wnen Il
reached the peak II broke out INTO Wnat
looked ike a cloud OF heece ana the
saiiormen salo she mad spfeaa her Top
salt n next moment the defenders
staysaii was seen 10 crop m a neap on
deck and the experts said It had been car
REG away. me DeQehoer seemed 10 staAe
slh4' "hlie tne Soiuhpia ne" aheao at q
Iaplu rate lhal eldea the rage ana the
Ftairle contlhueo on her course ana came
70 anchor ID me pay ABOUT SIX O'Clock.
During tne voyage on FRIDAY the WORK
with tho O11nG 1000 H. in 10 1nCN M fIh1G