The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-24
SAILORS GROWING NERVOUS
FEAR PILLsBURY HAS SPIES ASHORE
AND MAY YET WIN.
His Ships Reported to Have Been Seer
of the Isle of ShoaIs-Suspicious
Signals Noticed.

RoCKPORT, Mass. Aug. 2S.-The line of
battleships of Admiral Higginson's fleet,
which are defending a lengthy strip of
New England coast from a foreign fleet,
put to sea under urgent orders, at $50
o'clock tonight, indicating that some news
has been received of Commander Pillsbury.
The weather conditions at 10 o'clock were
slightly in favor of the enemy, the sky
being overcast and an easterly blow pre-
Vailing.
Many dispatches came during the early
evening, the tenor of them indicating that
the white squadron was not far at sea off
the Isle of Shoals, off Portsmouth At 10
o'clock tonight the cruiser Olympia was
inside the islands, the Brooklyn was cruis-
ing to seward off the shore and the De-
catur was patrolling Portsmouth harbor.
With Admiral Higginson's battleships
bound northward, it would appear that
Commander Pillsbury is expected to make
his run in toward land tonight, off either
Portsmouth or York harbor.
This afternoon it was understood that
one of Commander Pillsbury's cruisers had
been reported off Rockland Me- This is a
long distance beyond the northerly limit
of the blockade line, but it was suggested
that either the enemy was making a feint
to draw a prepondersnc nee of fighting
strength of Admiral HiGginson's fleet to
Portland so that quick counter dash could
be made into Massachusetts bay, or else
Commander Pillsbury desired information
as TO the blockade situation.
The blue squadron officers are certain
that the enemy has it own intelligence
bureau along the shores, and has landed
officers at Rockland Me-, and Province
town, Mass. Suspicious signals at Cape
Porpoise, on the Isles of Shoals and even
here at ROckpOrt indicate that the block
ade running plan has not been entirely
drawn I'D at sea.
ABOARD THE FLAGSHIP.
The correspondent on board the Kear-
sarge, flagship of Admiral Higginson's
squadron, says: THE whereabouts of Com
mander Pillsbury, the game he is playing
and the point of his contemplated attempt
to strike the New England coast are uncer-
tainties which, aboard this ship and among
the officers and men in general, are causing
a remarkably severe tension. For days
they have been on constant watch, anxious
lest some condition hitherto unthought of
might develop, and their anxiety is telling
on them. Still il is the general belief that
| if Commander Pillsbury hopes to wear out
his enemy by a waiting game, he is in
error. This theory was advanced and was
| later rejected on the grounds that no man
knows better than does Commander Pills
bury the waiting qualities of the Yankee
| sailors and IL is considered exceedingly i'm
| probable that he would attempt such a
move.
The appearance of the cruiser Brooklyn
| ana olympia away out TO sea to-day caused
| much excitement aboard this shin on
! which everything was in readiness for in
| slant departure. Captain Hemphill, Execu-
| i've Ohlcer Wood, Admiral Higginson and
| Flag Liuetenant Evans were all on the
| bridge. The anchor chain was ordered
| shortened 10 thirty fathOms. Everybody on
| duty went to his post and the signal hal
yards were kept busy with the sending of
| messages which could not be read by the
| Brooklyn. The Biddle went off shore at a
twenty -hVe-knot clip, and arriving within
| easy challenging distance of the Brook
| Ign, the latter reported no news which
| answer was quickly brought back to Ad-
| miral H1gglnSOn. 1t was not long after this
| that the Brooklyn and Olympia steamed
| back to the eastward. During the later aft
| ernoon the anchor chain was placed at
| steam was kept on in the boilers. The
| feeling seems to be that if the enemy does
| not appear it will be a great surprise. as it
| was believed Commander Pnlsburv would
| not wait until the last night of his time
| before making his attack
| During the afternoon the trial of the
Maine engaged the attention of both the
| sailors and the landsmen on the Kearsarge.
| The enemy was not forgotten by any
| means but eyes of both men and officers
were kept on the horizon as the Maine
| went by on it's speed trial. About this time
one of the torpedo boats under the lee of
the Kearsarge received orders to be trans
| mitted to the Brooklyn. on receipt of
these orders both cruisers went In a north
| erly direction. A dispatch had reached
| Admiral Higinson that one of the enemy 5
ships had been sighted off Rockand. Me,
and 1t was to that point that the cruisers
| set sail.
A signalman Of the blue squadron at II
| O'Clock tonight reported to the naval base
| officers that he sighted three large vessels
going TO the nOrthward at a fourteen knot
| clip. but they were too far off shore for
| him to identify them.
Many of the naval officers have coniec-
| tured that Commander Pillsbury would de-
| lay his attack as long possible and then
| by strategy endeavOr to strike the naval
base Something appeared TO have gone
| wrong with the line of communication dur
| ing the evening, rather perpleXing the ma
| val intelligence officers. The wires at sew.
eral points are reported crossed or cut and
some messages received were rather mixed
An extraordinary order was being made
at late hour TO determine if the breaks
along the line were from natural causes OF
the result of the enemys plans. In view
of what had happened in the central sta.
tiOns here, there is now some wonderment
II Admiral HigginsOn will find the White
Squadron at the north end of his line
A