New-York tribune., 1902-09-05

the signal station at Montauk Point Signal
station reports 10 have changed position to
point where enemy's shell cannot reach them.
AT 6:SS5 T. IA the enemys feet reported about
-.'Hsi wards from MOntauk station oomaardlng
me f1pld battery in camp al that place.
~ SIS a. ~. ten boatloads of marines are
ported ~ having landed ct the Montauk sig
l5l station from two cruisers about 10 at'aNh
ii signal stations there
Il .i.4.I = m thu Kedr6arse, Alabama ana
Indiana lor Massachussrtsl reported rndnfue- rndn
ring off HarraEansetl pier about four miles
mt
wEARNEss AT FORT II. G, WRIGHT
IN the Judgment of army officers here the day
light attack on Fort Wright yesterday is the
most interesting and seems likely 10 he the most
important single movement Of the entire game.
The plan Of attack followed by Admiral hiS-
ginscn has received unqualified approval from
army strategists. The net result Of all TINS
discussion Is that Fort Wright is az present IN
an incomplete state of fortifcation- 1nat me
attacking feet was able by hug6inE the shVIS
10 keep out of reach of every gun in Fort
Wright except the mortars until within A olS-
lance of less than two miles furnishes a st9iN-
ing commentary on the condition of he works
Al present Mount Prospect entirely blankets
the FIRE Of the fort in an easterly direction ana
ihe consensus of opinion here is that pa'teIS
should he placed there 10 prevent the -e9etiuoi-
in real war Of Admiral Higginsons man@uNreS-
In viewing the movements Of the feet mere
allowance must be made for the fact that lo'
weeks the navy has been studying these waters
and is possessed of information such as no nos
tile feet could obtain Still. with this advan-
fage they have succeeded in developing gun
weakness in Fort II. C. Wright, the main de-
fence Of the entrance to the Sound This IS we
first, and promises to be the most valuable les
son of the weeks warfare.
The following report Of yesterdays attack on
Fort r. Q. Wright was made to-day ny haJ"i
Crawford, commanding the post
Yesterday afternoon and night four large YES
sels Of the feet were anchored south or thlS
point at a range greater than could be reac1s9
bv the guns or rnortars The feet picked
ND at about g. Is a. m this morning. apparently
at anchor in azinuth $50 from fire con1nnander @ ;
station here About (: 30 a. m. the heet moved
ont 70 northeast and turned westward, coming
along south Of Fishers Island and Well III to"-
ard shore, their nasts ano nsnuhs Iols S pe.L.S
plainly visible through the saddle or gap nor @ u
OF Mount Prospect. At q. N. the mortar oe1-
terry was ordered 10 fire at the leading snip aho
fred the first shot at 5:15 a m. at range OF
eaote at leading vessel between $500 yards ara
$500 yards. which latter range was the &C
t-urate range Of vessel she rounded Mount
Prospect and was not the range for when
1nortars were actually laid subtraction oelng
made for prediction Of time OF flight
SHIPS DECLARED OUT OF ACTION.
All batteries we're ordered to fire at leading
vessel the KearsaTge, as soon as she rounded
she point. and continue firing until ordered
70 change target. At 5:24 the first or leading
shin the Kearsarge, was declared out Of action;
the second, the Massachusetts,, at o:59' the
third. the Alabama. at 5:3T. and the fourth, the
Indiana at $40 The assistant nre commander
on duty at the time, and stood 81 the I baI-
,ayv comma nder'g communications With liable
of pointg in hand 70 change the target as eacn
ship was clearly shown to have received more
than required 1000 points The ships were IN
side the first zone for mortars soon after round
ing the point and the battery was ordered 10
leave first ship and fire at the last Whlch was
xriI1 within the mortar zone The 1U-inch bat
rerv's fire was limited by the 12-inch battery
for the first part Of the engagement, but the
e-inch and 12-inch batteries fired at each snip
as she rounded Mount Prospect
Ali the ships were clearly put out by gun IRE
long before reaching the Race On passns
through the Race they turned TO the eastward
into the North Channel. out Of the helo OF the
breechloa ding rifles and were within the mini
mum zone of mortar fire Here they seemed 10
reduce speed and turned about to port, as If 70
prepare for z landing party, which had beel
foreseen and provided for, but no iandlng was
attempted, and all the vessels in single column
sailed back over the Sarr1t course, flrng as they
repaesed The batteries OF the fort. ali the gins
of the batteries returning the FIRE on all the
vessels thus more than doubly insuring their
seIs- between 5000 and 1000 yards, was ad-
uirable for the success Of the defence, and
their speed was very moderate
THE NUMBER OF SHOTS FIRED.
The total number Of shots fired were Nor
tsrs, 1858 single and D salvos; 1G-inch guns.
IS; 12-inch guns, 81 6-inch rapid fire guns, 12e;
single Shots 6-pound rapid fire guns. 25l.
With only fair accuracy, AZ least 50 per cent
Of all breechloading rapid fire shots should have
hit without the of range finders namely, by
che use OF Case I artillery drill regulations.
While the centre Of operations may be tenn
porarfly shifted TO Newport. it is certain that
the feet viii be off here again Saturday.
The last movement Of the war. which ends
on Saturday at noon. viii be the passage of the
feet down the entire lre OF the coast forts test
sng their charts they go. At whatever point
they end the campaign they will proceed from
there to the other end. Accordingly, Fort H. G.
Wright is likely to be the finish of the great
nianoeuvres. Nev-LonGon still remains the
source Of all official information and Fort Trum-
bull the headquarters OF General Macarthur.