The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-10
ATTACK ON COAST
ARMY AND NAvY'S ELABORATE
MANEUVERS.
FLEET WILL GUARD DEFENSES
WHILE SWIFT VESSELS SEEK TO
PENETRATE LINE.

Two Distinct Sets of Maneuvers on
the PrOgramme-The First Is for
the Navy Alone, While Army AMI
National Guard VIII Participate
in the Second-FIeet viii Attack "A
Point on North Atlantic Coast,
which the Army Will Defend-Un-
tried Appliances of War TO BE Test
ed-The Mancuvers of European
Fleets and Armies Recalled by
Preparations Now in Progress.
Washington, July beyond gem
eral idea of the character of the army
and naval maneuvers, which will take
place on the Atlantic coast this sum-
mer, nothing bearing official authenti-
or War Departments. However, from
a high official source, a general sketch
of the exercises has been obtained.
There are to be two distinct sets Of
maneuvers. The first will be purely
naval and will consume the greater
part of the month of August, probably
the first three weeks. Two, or per-
haps three of the vessels belonging to
the North Atlantic station will
represent an enemys fleet
and will attempt to elude a
defensive squadron, commanded by
Rear Admiral Higginson, ard accom-
plish a landing at some point on the
New England coast inside of limits
not yet prescribed. The duty of the
defending squadron will be to send
out scouts to locate the "enemy's"
vessels before they reach the coast.
Big Fleet to Participate.
The vessels participating in these
maneuvers will include the battleships
Kearsarge, Alabama, Massachusetts,
and Olympia, comprising the North
Atlantic squadron, as well as the
Montgomery Scorpion, Marblehead,
Hist, and such other vessels as can
be spared at the time. At these naval
maneuvers the officials also hope to ex-
pertinent with wireless telegraphy and
there also WILL it is said. be expert
ments in coaling ship, transporting
supplies, and other comparatively mi
non features of naval warfare.
The second and more important set
of summer maneuverS will consist OF
a naval attack upon a point on the
North Atlantic coast by supposedly
hostile fleet, which is to be met by a
joint defense by the army and militia
assisted by a small number of naval
vessels detached for the purpose from
the North Atlantic squadron.
ia
Active preparations are in progress
by the army for its part in the coming
maneuvers. The defense will be under
the general direction of the command
ing officer of the Department of the
East, though the actual work devolves
upon the coast artillery, whose Off
GERS in the districts which are to be
attacked, will be in active command.
1t has been determined that the at
tack will be made at New Bedford,
Mass, on the east. and the eastern
defenses of Long Island Sound. This
will include the artillery district of
Narragansett, commanded by Col.
Henry C. Hasbrouck, and the district
of New London, commanded by Lieut..
Col. 7. NJ. K. Davis.
The Narragansett district includes
Forts Adams, Wetherill and Greble,
Rhode Island, and Rodman, Mass. The
New London district is composed of
Forts Trumbull. Conn, Mansfield, r.
L.; H G.. Wright, Niche and Terry,
New York. The New York forts are
situated at the entrance of Long Is
land Sound and are located for the
purpose of defending all the cities of
the sound, as well as the upper APP
proach of New York City.
STAFF Ollie ON the Spot.
All the engineer officers available
have been ordered to these districts
and are directing the preparation of
such portion of the defense as would
come under their charge. Ordnance Of
ficers have been directed to give at
quantities of ammunition with blank
the various forts. Not only
will the defense consist Of
handling and firing the guns, but it
also will be "a test of the appliances,
such as rangefinders, Geographic ia
cilities, signal operations and every
thing else that is necessary in per-
feet seacoast fort.
Within the radius of the operations
the army will have no notice of where
and when the attack will be made. The
army must find that out for itself.
The signal corps will be utilized for
this purpose, as well as all telegraph
and telephone stations along the
coast The navy will take every pre-
caution to conceal the point of attack
and the army will do it's utmost to find
out just where the fleet will approach
the coast and also at what time.
Owing to the secrecy to be maintain
ed by the navy, the troops in the diff
ferent forts will be kept in a state of
readiness either for day or night at
tack.