The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-25
SHAM BATTLE AT NEWPORT.
Torpedo Boats Make Night Attack
on Big Warships.

state OF war exists at Newport and VIII
continue until the problems laid out by
the Naval War College are worked out
probably taking three or four days. In
saying that a state of war exists. 1t may
be explained that the conditions that would
place in actual warfare will be adhered
to except that the guns of the ships will
not be shot and the torpedo boats and the
submarine boat Holland will not FIRE any
deadly torpedoes. The problem is to be
worked out under the cover OF darkness.
its chief reason to determine the worth
OF searchlights in attacks of this kind
The departure of the Kentucky yesterday
made it necessary to attach the bat.leship
Kesrsarge to the red feet, and in conse-
quence Captain Folger will be in command
OF that fleet. At 2:20 o'clock the ships of
the red feet. consisting of the battleship
Kearsarge, flagship Indiana, Texas, Scor-
pion, and Eagle, got under way and pro-
ceeded out to sea, where they took up their
positions on the blockade, each sending
aioft her battlefag At shutdown the ships
could be seen in the. offing waiting for
darkness, when the searchlights were to
be turned on and lookout kept for an
attack by the torpedo boats.
The inner harbor was made as light as
day. and the blue or home feet. under the
command of Rear Admiral Farquhar.
had double duty to perform. Not only
had they TO look out for the attack from
the red feet. but the Holland was lilbls
to creep up ON them at any moment.
Other than the ships of the blus fleet.
there were few craft moving ab5ut the
harhOr after dark
launch Columbia set out early and. sock
UP position at Castle Hill, where it was
impossible for anything to get out or in
without their detecting it. The torpedo
boat fotilla, with the Porter as flagship.
with Lieutenant Miller in command. went
out to sea ahead of the red fleet, and
from this 1t was taken that the passage
of the forts would be made tonight. In
the torpedo fleet were the Porter, Ou
pont, Dahlgren. Gwynn. Morris, and
Stiletto.
1t was an ideal night for an attack of
the kind, it being dark the moon being In
its last quarter The home. or blue fleet.
consisting CT the flagship New York. bat
tleship Massachusetts,, gunbobat Vicksburg,
and tug Leyden. took up its position a t i
point that would command the entrance Of
the bay. The west passage, Dutch Island,
as 1t is called, was closed to other than
torpedo boats. and If the boats could steal
past the Qualifications there 1t could go
around the Island of Conanicut and attack
the blue feet in the rear. The passage Is
not wide, however. and it was not thought
likely that 1t would be successful II at
The shore batteries with which the ships
had to contend are as follows: Fort Adams.
a 12-inch mortar battery of twelve guns,
.wo Pinch disappearing guns, and several
; and 10-inch guns Of an old pattern; Fort
Wetherell, two 12-inch disappearing guns,
and at Fort Greble two 12-inch disappear
ing guns. There are also several rapid
firing guns at each place. None of the
guns were served or fired, the small naval
guns being used in their place. Guns
squads. however. manned the big guns, and
went through the motions OF loading and
firing
As was expected early in the day. the
scheme tonight was the passage of the
hips and torpedo boats past the forts, and
here is more or less question as to the
success of the affair. There will be no
way of ascertaining the result tonight,
tut the work Of the torpedo fiotilla can be
;umed up.
At $3.50 those on shore saw torpedo
BOAT sneak in close to the shore, but she
Jaw there was no chance to get by the
,ickets and she turned tail and again put
o sea. On the point was a squad Of troops
rom Fort Adams acting as a signal corps.
They had connection by telephone with the
OFT They had expected that there would
,e landing party and that an attempt
would be made to cut the cable. but no
uch move was made
At Gas the battle opened, the scene of
lction being Fort Greble. on the west side
IT the bay. The torpedo boats were the
ause of all the trouble. the Porter lead
ng and the others following in single col
INN. The Porter was ruled out at Fort
treble by the umpire on board. 1t is
question if the Morris got by, but if she +
S allowed it. she later torpedoed the flag
hip New York, coming upon the ships
ear The Gwynn and Rodgers got by Fort /!
treble, and at the north point the Yicks- /
,urg put out the Gwynn only TO be tor (
,edoed by the Rodgers, the latter con-
inuing down the bay and being PICKED up /
" the New York and put out OF business. I
The Dahlgren and Stiletto came in the +
asst passage and were first attacked by /
he picket boats. There was fierce fire /
between these boats. but the torpedo
cats kept on. When off Castle Hill the I
)ahlgren ran into a picket boat, but +
Ieither was injured. She then [. ntinued 4
m, and made for the Massachusetts, |
which she torpedoed.
The Stiletto. it is laimed. was put out |
y Fort Wetherell. but her officers claim
lot and continued on fer the Massachu-
etts She made a fine run, getting clean
n On top of her and fred a torpedo.
The searchlight of the Massachusetts,
vas then turned on the Stiletto and in
he glare the little boat could rot see
rhere she was going. and she went crash
ng into the stone dock which runs out
IL : 10 4 hl hat
ON before she fetched up or she you'll
ave been left a mass of metal and wood
n the beach. When she struck Lieuten-
mt Lincoln, the umpire on board was
brown over the side. and 2 seaman
umped overheard after him, and they
Tere fshed on board.
Two of the crew were thrown forward
v the force of the collision and when the
oat got to her dock they were sent to the
ospital The Stiletto's bows were stove in
nd some of her boilers were misplaced,
ut she was able to go TO her dock after
he was hauled off. The torpedo boats did
ood work and it is safe to say that had
been actual warfare either the New York
Massachusetts, would have been lying at
lie bottom of Narragansett Bay.
There was a long wait after the torpedo
pat attack before the fleet showed any
gins of coming in. Finally at 11;14 the
rst one was seen coming up the channel.
) big as a house. All her searchlights
ere brought into play to bother the aim Of
le gunners as she faced directly up the
ltrance. As soon as she came within
lie and a half both forts and ships opened
re and the sight was one that will not
,on be forgotten. Flames leaped from
.th her sides as her rapid firing guns
,lched forth her shot, and her turret
IFS. fred more slowly, also helped on
lie spectacle.
The forts and defending ships fired as
-. -. IL oap,a into pnod ronUa apd had