The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-25

n naval search problem on the New
II England coast was terminated at
$40 o'clock this morning by the signal,
surrender, demand unconditional"
from Rear Admiral Higginson's flag
ship. and the reply. Accept surren-
der" from the foretruck of the Prairie
Commander Pinsbury's flagship. The
battle between the blue, or defending
squadron, and the white, or attacking
squadron, was thus quickly ended
eight miles south of Thatcher's island.
The enemy had most signally failed to
make a harbor, having for its objec-
tive Salem.
Enemy Totally Destroyed.
A preponderance of fighting strength.
relatively siNty-four points. represent
ed by the hattleships Kearsarge, Ala
bama and Massachusetts,. Scorpion and
a torpedo boat. overwhelmed the
forty-five points represented by the
auxiliary cruisers Prairie, Panther and
supply To speak from a theoretic
standpoint, the white squadron was
entirely destroyed by the guns of the
defending battleships. Thus, on the
fourth night. the game of naval
strategy was brought to an end, it hav-
ing covered a period of unceasing toll,
sleepless nights. and of anxious and
wearing vigil and of grave uncertainty
TO its participants.
The destruction of Pillsbury's squad
don occurred at point just within the
outer limit of Gloucester harbor not
over eight miles south from Thatcher
island. or which had been anchored
since Wednesday. when the war game
was declared opened, the three power
full battleships of the blue squadron.
An Exciting Incident
The surrounding and putting out of
action" of the squadron in command
Of Commander PHlsbury was the cul-
minating incident in one of the most
eXacting chapters in the peace history
Of the American navy. For the plac-
ing in operation of the maneuvers of
the warships off the coast of New
England the navy had long prepared
itself and had looked forward with
keen anticipation AS planned by the
naval authorities at Washington two
sqUadrons were to be put into the
game, one the blue, the defending fleet,
and the other. the white, to be a hos
tile feet, bent upon effecting an an
chorage in some unprotected harbor on
the coast from Cape Elizabeth to Cape
Cod. opposed all the time by the first
fleet This anchorage had to be main
tanned against the defenders for a
period of six hours.
Strength of Rival Fleets.
Commander PiIlsburys white squad
ron consisted of the auxiliary cruisers
Prairie, Panther and Supply. The two
former boats were each assigned TWEEN
~ points of fighting strength, while
the Supply was assumed to represent
five points. Admiral Higginson's fleet
was actually superior in the number of
its members, and, by the same ar
engagements made as to the PTlsbury
ships, IL represented a grand total of
ninety seven points Of strength. The
Kesrsarge, the Alabama and the Mas
sachusetts, battleships. We're given
twenty, the cruisers Brooklyn and
Olympia eight each. the Cincinnati.
Montgomery, Gloucester, Mayhower
and Scorpion three points each, and a
number of torpedo boats made up the
remaining numbers.
To win the mimic war the blue
squadron had to bring against the at
lacking vessels. as il did early today,
warships superior in their combined
assumed fighting power. Each side had
the right to capture individual craft
of the other fleet by overcoming them
in point Of strength and, under the
rules of the game, the captured YES
sells were TO retire altogether from the
field of action.
In the defeat of Pillsbury, the de-
.ense. with three battleships. the Scor-
pion and a single torpedo boat, had
siXty-four points, so that the balance
was against the tracking squadron.
Throughout the mimic war there was
placed in operation a system Of coast
defense which was admittedly of credit
10 those who engaged in IT.
Complicated Problem.
The problem was so complicated that
on the war vessels here tonight the
weeks work is viewed with satfsfsc.
ton. for the one reason. if for no other
that the squadron has had invaluable
practice.
The final event of these war move,
was the sequence of many complicat.
ed developments. The capture came a
The end of a night filed with rumor.
as to the location of the attackins
squadron. At $3.50 o'clock last nigh
three battleships of the blue squadron
got under way in a hurry and saileC
90 the eastward. The intention was I,
move on to Portland, and if that haC
been carried out, Admiral Higginson
as IL later developed. would hav,
swung the balance of his fighting fore,
to that end OF the coast line. as Pills
bury had intended he should. bu
which was not done on account o
heavy seas running outside Cape Eliz
aheth. HigginsOn, however. DETECTED
his course back to Gloucester after
swing seward in response to d repor
that the enemy had not been sighteC
when il was believed he had been, bu
in the last hours of the night Pillsbur,
sailed toward cape Ann from the out
side and, as il proved, right under tn
very guns Of the defending squadron
Commander PiIlsbury, when still out L