Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-08-23
Higginson Still Continued to
Watch For the "Ene-
my's Fleet.
ATTArK WAS HOURLY EXPECTED
LnGer the huies CT the Contest Pills
bury Was rue Near the Coast.
Movements CT the Ships That
Were Watching.

ROcRpUrt, Mass, Aug. E0.-NueH
the sun came up yesterday the at
mosphere was as clear as 1t could be,
and extended observations were made
from all signal and lookout stations.
Each reported that all was we'll and
that there was no sign Of the enemy.
The receipt of these early messages
Interrupted the quiet which had pre-
vailed at the naval headquarters here
since a. m, unbroken save by one
leport received from Portland at
3:45 q. m. This report was like most
others sent in, that all was quiet. The
report added that scout boats were
sighted outside the harbor.
II was not long after sunrise that
the fog set in. 1t was a dense cloud
and first impenetrable to the eye be
y0nd a distance Of 10 or II feet. Just
before o'clock there were indica,
ticns that the SIN was burning
through the mist on shore.
Little Kncwn on Shore.
Aside from the fact that the Kear-
sarge, at least, was still at anchor off
this place. little was actually known
here as to the positions of the ships
Of Admiral Higginson's squadron.
Scouts had been reported off Port
land. The cruiser Brooklyn skirted
he end of Cape Cod early in the fore
noon and went across to Plymouth.
i hus both ends Of the line Of defense
were found to be we'll guarded. and as
he naval experts here felt reasonably
sure that the Alabama and Massachu.
sets were with the Kearsarge of
Straits Mouth Point, the center was
thought to be safe. The station keep
crs here have been advised that the
lookout line has been extended to
Sankaty Head, on Nantucket, where
the wireless telegraph station Is To-
Gated. From there all incoming ships
will be queried as to whether or not
they have seen any of Commander
Pillsbury's ships and the results OF
these Investigations will be signalled
20 the scout boats Of the land sta
tiCns.
BY II o'clock the fog had lifted and
the battleships were seen in their
usual positions. Observation in the
distance, however, was impossible,
ewing to haze which hung low over
tie water. All the signal and look
cut stations ,cported during the fore
Eoon, showing that the message sys
lem was intact All the scout boats
were heard from before II o'clock,
either at the station here or on board
the Kearsarge.
It is larned that the rules Of the
manoeuvres permit the destruction Of
the ships of the opposing squadron
and it appears that the fear that
Tllsbury may dash in and disable
Cne of his vessels is one reason why
the defending fleet is kept so com.
Tact by Admiral Higginson.
Weather Conditions Were ChaageabIe.
In the afternoon the weather condi.
lions again were changeable. At 3
o'clock the fog deserted Rockport and
-assed far out beyond the battleships,
hanging away in the east more in the
form of smeke.
From Straits Mouth Point the trio
Of warships could be discerned very
plainly. Then suddenly it seemed as
if the bank Of fog were engaged in
q race m tho coact line again The
hattleships could now no longer sig
nal each other and the stations on
Pigeon Hill and Straits Mouth were
rendered for the time being out OF
action.
During the time that the fog pre-
vailed the steel fighters remained mo-
tionless. Then confronting Admiral
'ligginson and his co-workers was the
Danger in NAVIGATING their vessels