Evening star., 1900-10-10
REDS AND THE BLUES
ANENT SlU TREATY STRIKERS IN RIOT REDS AND THE BLUES
OF
GarlK
RETRE FORMER POSITION TROUBLE OCCURRED At ONEIDA PS DETECTED BOATS
and of
The Recent Naval Maneuvers OF
Newport.
PICKETS DETECTED TORPEDO BOATS
Zeal and Enthusiasm of the Par
ticipants.
TEST OF THE HOLLAND D

The Navy Department has received Ad-
miral Farauhar's report on the recent ma
neuvers of the North Atlantic squadron off
Newport. The admiral comments primarily
on the zeal and enthusiasm which the
mimic naval warfare awakened among the
officers and men, The exercises proper be-
gan September "a. when the red squadron.
consisting of the Kearsarge. Indiana,
Texas Scorpion and Eagle, accompanied by
six torpedo boats, put to sea to establish
blockade Of Newport. The remaining ves-
sels the New York, Massachusetts,. Leyden
and vicksburg. were stationed as defend
ers Of the harbor, and constituted the blue
squadron.
The Plan.
Admiral Farquhar says:
THE general plan followed by the blue
Cnside) squadron was to place battle
ship on each side Of. and just inside. the
mouth of the harbor. concealed from In
coming vessels, with steam up battery
trained forward. and everything ready to
fire into and ram any vessel succeeding In
passing the forts. One battle ship, the
Vicksburg was placed just to the south
ward of Gould Island. Picket boats. armed
with Tapid-tire guns and sharpshooters
hundred yards apart All picket boats
were provided with a system of signals to
warn all hands of the approach OF the
enemy. The New York was, placed well
inside, commanding the full length Of the
main channel. and In position to go to
any part of the field. Picket boats were
placed on each side Of the eastern pas
sage, out of the rays Of the searchnghts
prepared to destroy cripple torpedo
boats, and to report their approach. A
lookout signal station was also placed at
Beaver Tail lighthouse. The eastern pas
sage was kept lighted by Searchlights from
the torpedo station Fort Adams and Fort
Wetherell. The western passage was l1ght-
ed by a powerful searchlight at Fort Gre
BILE.
teries prepared and manned. and every
condition OF battle simulated as nearly as
possible though firing only blank charges
from small rapid-f1re guns.
Enthusiasm of the Participants.
"While so much was wanting, both in
time and material, to carry out maneuvers
on q large scale. there was no lack OF zeal
and enthusia SIN among the men and OFF,
GERS engaged and a number OF very i'm
portant professional points were brought
out that will no doubt be Of great value in
the future.
"The army officers were particularly I'M
pressed with the value of searchlights, and
they had an opportunity of seeing some
thing of their effect when used on board
vessels passing forts.
The general plan followed by all vessels
was not to turn on searchlights until the
approach of torpedo boat was reported by
a picket boat.
Every Torpedo Boat Detected.
1.-The plan Of placing picket boats was
very successful: not a single torpedo boat
got by them without being reported. With
a sufficient number of searchlights on shore
1t is doubtful if vessels could be piloted into
harbor at night that was at all difficult
of entrance.
The bow wave and wake of torpedo
boats was the first object that aided in
picking them up in the darkness. In this
connection | would suggest the advisabil.ty
OF the departments keeping as many tor
pedo boats or ue5; 5;royers as practicable with
the squadron at all times to accustom both
officers and men with their general charac-
teriStiCS, movements, etc, and in order to
carry on exercises wi h them In all the vari-
Gus ports visited.
1.-The Holland unfortunately in her attack
upon the Kearsarge the second night did
not reach there until after several torpedo
boats did
Reds Attacked by Torpedo Boats.
1.-The second nights operations consisted
in an attack upon the outside or red squad
ron by five torpedo boats and the Holland.
AS a rule. the torpedo boats were success
full. although this would scarcely have been
the case with an efficient picket boat serv-
ice"
In an accompanying report Captain D.
ger says: THE Holland type Will play a
serious Dart In future naval warfare -