The Washington times., 1901-07-17
CAMP HIGGINSON NO MORE.
The Nantucket Defences Disman-
tied in Short Order.
All Except the Big Five-Inch Guns
Taken Back to the Battleships-
Rivalry Between the Crews of the
kearsarRe and the Alabn nma.

Rivalry Between the Crews of the
kearsarge nnd the Alabama.
NANTUCKET, Mass. July 16.-Camp
Higginson is once more helpless stretch
Of beach grass. covered sand. stripped of
defenders and means of defence. The or
der to break camp this morning at Z
O'Clock was issued yesterday and what
preparations could be made beforehand
were all looked out for.
1t had been planned to spend the day in
work with defence mines, and early yes
terday morning boats were sent away
from all the ships with mines in them.
The mines Were all cased ready for ship
ment and It was the intention to land
them on the beach and assemble them
for service; then plant them. But the
weather conditions prohibited it. The sea
was so rough that after one mine had
been landed from the Kearsarge and one
from the Alabama the attempt was given
up and the boats returned to the ships.
This morning the boats were away from
the ships sharply at I o'clock: some of
them before that. The sea was rough and
there was a fresh breeze, but the day
was fine and clear. with no sign of fog.
for a wonder. 1t was too rough to at
to the ships, but the orders were TO get
them dismounted and on the beach at the
waters edge ready to load into the boats
for transportation as soon as the breeze
died down enough to permit it.
About 400 bluejackets were sent ashore
for the work The men from the Massa-
,husetts had a comparatively easy task
with their three and six FOUNDERS and the
two torpedo tubes. 1t was with the big
guns that the pinch came
There is the keenest sort of rivalry be-
tween the officers and men of the kear-
sarge and the Alabama. The Alabama
wen the race in mounting the guns and
the men from the flagship were determin-
ed to finish ahead in the dismounting
The Alabama men had a regular skid,
built after the plan of launching ways
at shipyard. and 1t worked to such per-
fection in the mounting of the guns that
they were first by several minutes.
In the wardroom of the Kearsarge there
was much discussion of this problem and
the forecastle had plenty of opportunity
to talk the matter over. There was no
doubt on the flagship that the mounting
of the Alabama's gun was unsatisfactory
and 1t was declared that the dismount-
ing would prove it. The revelations of
this mornings work seem to have borne
out this contention.
Today it was letting the guns down in
stead OF hauling them up. There was no
chance for either ships men to get an
advantage over the others by ioosening
bolts and stays, for both guns were fired
several times with fun service charge be-
fore the dismounting began. Both SEEM
ed to be solidly planted, but there was a
little more motion of the AIabamas gun
than of the Kearsarge. After five rounds
had been fired from the five-inch guns,
the three-pounders were fired few times.
Admiral Higginsor and Captain Nc
Cana ~vnr ashore from the kearsars.
early and Captain Brownson, of the Ala
bama, was there to encourage his men.
As soon as the three-pounders had been
fired Captain McCalla gave the order to
his men to dismount their fiye-inch gun
and they went at il on the run. The
tenants Foyer ard George, with Gunner
Vinderbeck and the other warrant officers.
The Alabama men were directed by
Lieutenant Comm ander Badger and Lieu
tenants Clark and Robinson.
The place was thick with cadets. all the
youngsters. apparently. from both ships
eeing about The landing had been wet
one. nearly eyeiy yoOdy having been oblig-
ed to jump out before the boats could be
hauled up and run through the surf. The
Alabama men made such haste in erect
ing the shears for the guns that the i'm
proyised derrick got a poor footing and
slipped out of place topping over toward
the outer beach.
The mishap gave :he more fortunate
Kcarsarge men a good lead, and they
hoisted their gun out of its saddle and
swung Ii down outside their makeshift
ways well ahead of the Alabama men,
Then the big line from the shears from
the beach was made fast and the sailors
swarmed iEto the tug of war. They walk
I'd the big gun down handsomely and had
it on the beach before the Alabama's gun
was away from It's battery position. Then
Alabama made squirt and caught up Fin
slowed in the boats and We're waiting for
tow back to their ship before the Ala
bama jacks had finished.
The three-pounders were simply man
handled. As soon as they were taken off
their pedestals half dozen of the husky
tars of the Massachusetts picked each one
up and walked with 1t down to the beach,
out through the surf. and hoisted it into
the big sailing launch. waiting there TO
receive ii. Mounts and pedestals fol-
which they had stood was dragged down
into the water and made fast astern of
the launch to be towed out
This work was under the direction of
Lieutenant Hughes. The gunner and
boatswain Of the Massachusetts looked
after the six-pounders. They had their
men drag hat-bottomed punt up on the
ridge and the guns. when they were dis
mounted were slowed aboard and the
whole outfit. guns. mounts. and pedestals,
Were dragged down to the beach and
slowed in one of the ships boats to be
taken off.
sERGEANr cONNEII, RURIFD