New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-02

sighed on Point Judith exchanging Signals WIFI
vessels further 10 the west. At $40 the feet
reported drawing close to the shore OF
Block Island. and a few minutes later the ex-
pected attack an the signal station there be-
gan.
II was o'clock when a landing party clam
lered up the steep shore OF the island and capt
ured the wireless station Beacon Hill 1he
following message apprised General Macarthur
of the movement:
Beacon Hill signal station captured at
o'clock by landing party; all hut two escaped
The next message was in the nature Of
surprise and came at about 10 o'clock 1t read
Woods Hole signal station destroyed by the
Olympia AT 9.;S1
Two hours later the signal men al POM
Judith caught the fash of heliograph on Block
Island and communication was re-estapllsheu
and has continued ever since
This is a concise history of the war from M
i,oin. of view of the army for the first eighteen
hours The net result of this first day has heeh
entirely satisfactory to the land party Inc
Toast NJ the fleet made frequently that thFS
could steal past Point Judith unobserved has
l-e~n proven false All night the signal men
:hnrp followed them clearly. As for the capture
az Block Island. nothing vital has heen iosi'
When the Gloucester went in Ia coal this after
noon, going alongside the collier in the inner
operations from the deck of an excursion
steamer when the Indiana rejoined the fleet
After little run during the afternoon she was
passed by the same excursion boat. Two hours
later the exact details of these happenings were
told to the same reporter by Captain Edgar
Russell. chief signal officer. At his headquarters
in New-London- Thus lift and accurate has
been the work Of the signal corps. and thus
perfectly has the army been able to follow the
sI7o 7op+
WORK OF WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.
Late in the afternoon marvellous example
Of the work that the wireless instruments are
doing was furnished. a message received
from Montauk that converted yacht believed
70 he the Mayfcwer, had been sighted of that
point This wireless message sent TO
station and relayed on = regular telegraph wire
The message going by way of New-York. It
took exactly four minutes to transmit this mes
sage This is fair sample of the of work
the army is doing at the present time
The seizure Of Block Island has given To Ad-
1niral Higginson q base Of operations-a place
at which 70 coal II has also owing to his
failure to capture the signal men. placed him
self under the direct vision the army. If he
makes the slightest move. the news Of the start
of the direction of the fleet and the names Of
the ships will instantly he sent to General Mac
Arthur by helioEraph or by night rockets. This
IS the programme Of the signal men, and this
the navy does not yet know
SHIPS IDLE IN THE DAY
All day long their ships have been lying idly
along the shore of the island and the ma
Iines who have been landed on q point which
suggests the position held at Guantanamo. have
been enjoying a swim in the ocean. but no ef-
<.r, has been made TO set hold of the concealed
signal men.
Scouting expeditions have been made 10y the
soorpor, along the shore west Of Narragansett
She was sighted about noon fe" n1iles south
OF Watch Hill by Captain Kelly. OF the steamer
Flock Island This officer reports that a snort
time before he had passed the Unique, the tug
boat which has been equipped with wireless
arrsrat,Is round the western end OF Fishers
Island The tug with the signal men. under
the command of Lieutenant Clark. returned 10
this port tonight.
shortly before shutdown the feet was sighted
by a Tribune correspondent still lying OF BLOCK
Island, and showing signs of moving AT
that time the Olympia had not Yet returned
from, Woods Hole and the May1ower was also
missing 1t is believed at the signal stations
that no move viii he made until after dark
4 CHANCE FOR THE FLEET
The weather continues to thicken. To-day
heavy haze hung over the islands. and the ships
Of The feet as they lay off Block Island were
hidden Tonight there is promise Of STORM
for all the afternoon the southwesteTiy "lho
has been freshening- and the indications point
10 q Storm This means that Admiral Hlsgih-
son will have an opportunity offered to him TO
night to make dash for Plum Gut or the Hace-
Through the haze the searchlightS are OF little
value and ideal CONDITION Tor a swift on
slaueht is offered If this dash comes off 1t IS
believed that Newport VIII be the ob1ecNF+
point The fleet is lying not more than twenty
miles from the entrance 10 Nara ea1seff' Us
inactivity throughout the Gay would seem 10 "a
their present position as starting point for the
nights action. and Newport is the nearest place
they can reach l., .r
,ined 20 be captured. This is as certain as was
the taking Of Block Island. which The TRIBUNE
forecasted on Sunday. Fort Mansfield is STU
80 -, Nsnatree Point. long peninsula
stretching out along the Rhode isiaTn snore ~
r,osjte Westerly. and commanding tae ~ 49, %
= Fssbe7.c Island Sound. The batteries here are
nou1ted on en1place.nents, but are unsupported
Inv earthworks. and the garrison at TINS POM .s
slender The capture OF snhs to e' mass up Fish
erss Island Sound and take Fort H. u "iisi' III
the rear
The following dispatch WAS sent by General
Macarthur:
Adjutant General. War Department "aS"i's
ton D. g -. 1,;rr.
.cou. Of the enemy sighted east OF Point Ju9ith
al 1925 a m Fleet of seven vessels stood 90, ~
and headed east in column formation al -
prootlvn end Indiana bornbarded Block lsIand
and collier entered harbor there at 6:lo BROOK
lvn landed troops. presumably to scout ana CAP
ture signal stations there Beacon H1 asr,a
ing party All escaped except two. Fleet has
esta hlished base at Block Island WOODS Hole
signal station is destroyed by Olympia at ":4i
Above &c result OF operations of enemy's feet
I'D &c noon to-day VIII wire you daily At noon
result of preceding twenty-four hours opera
tions Posts in both districts are properly
manned and all in excellent condition of pre-
~ redness and ready for any emergency Nine