The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-11

SQUADRON, chose the spot for a practice
camp. Half a mile below the Great
Point light the strip of sand narrows
N less than hundred yards in width,
and there, year or so ago, the inroll-
ing surf from the ocean broke across
the spit and left the level space, which
has recently been occupied for week
nv the tents and guns of Camp Higgin-
son. 1t is a dreary place, the long
sweep of bare sand being broken only
by the beach grass that rises in stray
Cling punches along the higher ground
in the center of the strip, and by the
occasional duck hunters shack that
shares with the life-saving station and
the light house the tenancy of Great
Point But If 1T is dreary of aspect, it
has the merit as a camp location of
being free from the distractions of town
possibilities. Nothing was there to in
terest the men in camp but their work
and such amusements as their own in
genuity could devise.
The camp was made in furtherance
Of the plans of the General Board of
the Navy, of which Admiral Dewey is
at the head. 1t is we'll recognized among
naval officers that the training which
both officers and men get from such
work will be of the greatest value in
case of war with a strong naval power.
The plans of the General Board con-
template the study of the waters of the
inner line of defense all along the At
lantic coast. Warships of such great
draft as those of Admiral Higginson's
squadron have never before been man
euvered about the Massachusetts
shoals. Able naval authorities estimate
that the advantage which will result
from the knowledge thus gained will
be worth thirty per cent of the enemy's
force in battleships in case of war with
power having strong navy.
Nantucket weather was responsible
for the failure of part of the plan for
work at Camp Higgfnson, but the re-
suits achieved gave great satisfaction
TO the admiral and his officers 1t was
intended to simulate the establishment
of an advanced base. Men and stores
were landed and guns We're mounted
for land defense. Mine fields were to
have been planted. and then there was
TO have been practice at countermining
and clearing the field by other means
which have never been tried by our
service. When the camp was located it
was not known that the great peculiar
ity of Nantucket is that from which
tNci ulIeCtlOL the W1IQ comes IL brings
heavy fog with it. If by chance there
happens to be little spell of clear
weather it is almost certain to be too
rough to undertake practice with such
expensive and dangerous instruments
as mines. And as fog or rough weather
prevailed during nearly the entire stay
OF the squadron at Camp Higginson.
the drill with mines was almost
completely prevented. The other work
was put through. however, with snap
and energy that was of the highest
value.
Two five-inch rifles were landed One
belonged to the Kearsarge and the
other had been sent from Washington,
along with two six and two three
FOUNDER guns, two torpedo tubes, from
the Newport station, and a lot of
mines. The big gun from Washington
was put on board the Alabama for
transportation. There is great rivalry
between the men and officers of the
kearsarge and the Alabama. Those of
each ship think their own big fighting
machine the best that ever mounted
gun. AS a result there is a race of
the hottest sort whenever they meet.
The squadron anchored off Great Point
hght at o'clock in the afternoon, and
as soon as the anchors were down the
boats were called away for the landing.
The I'll mari1es who were to occupy
the cansYCcTe under the command of
Capt. G. G. Long, who was brevetted
major for his gallantry in the Chinese
campaign of last summer. Half of the
blue Jackets of the squadron and nearly
all the officers of the three ships were
charged with landing and mounting
the guns. The men from the Massa-
chusetts took care of the six and three
Founders, so that the Kearsarge and
Alabama men had nothing to distract
them from their task with the big
rifles. And that was a plenty for them.
The Alabama's gun. not being in po-
sltion on the ship, was more easily
loaded into the sailing launch that
was to transport it to the beach than
that from the flagship, which had to
be taken from its position in the bat
terry. Alabama had another advantage
which finally won her the race. She
mad prepared a great skid. after the
FASHION of launching ways In use at a
shipyard, to assist in getting the gun
from the beach to it's position in the
battery. Kearsarge had ordered pair
OF regulation gun wheels. but the con-
tractor was not able to deliver them
IN time. and she had to get along with
out them. depending on pure muscle to
pun the gun into place.
The tents of the marines were pitch
ed on the fat. open space where the
storm had knocked down the ridge that
runs along the center of the point Just
10 the southwark of them the big guns
We're posted on. the edge of the ridge
racing the open sea. The ridge there
IS about twenty-five feet high, break
ing sharply toward the outside beach.
and rising gradually from the inside.
10 the north OF the camp the six
Founders were set up and the little
tnree- Founders were mounted south or
the five-inch rifles. 1t was an easy
matter comparatively to mount the
smaller guns, and the marines had
nothing unusual to do in making their
camp. The great race was with the
big guns.
Two methods Of mounting were en-
ployed. Alabama used a double plat
form of oak. The lower platform was
built of solid planking. six or eight
inches in thickness. and was sunk in
the sand to a depth of three feet or
more. Through this ran number or
long bolts an inch and half in dame
Ter. Sand was tamped solidly in on
Iop of this platform for about three
ieet, and then the upper platform. also
OF heavy planklng. was set over the
nolts. The tie piece. a disk of steel,
mat fitted the bottom of the gun pc
oestal. came next, and on that the pc
destal was set up. the long bolts from
me lower platform passing through the
VIC piece and the pedestal, and being