The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-06
NEWPORT AROUSED.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAC


all three vessels. two small boats put of
from the Montgomery and started for the
shore. When about 100 yards of, two Cat
ling guns manned by Massachusetts heavy
artillerymen, sputtered few hundred
shots, but the Jackies kept right on and at
6:35 the station was captured.
chusetts, Indiana and Puritan had gone
well up the Seakonet river and put out of
action a signal station on the western
point. Over to the Narragansett shore the
Brooklyn and Olympia worked along near
the beach, keeping up a continual hre on
Fort Greble
After Prices neck station had been cap
tured the Kearsarge and Alabama came
up almost to Brentons Reef lightship and
shelled Forts Adams and Wetherill slowly,
but Fort Grebel not at all. The blue jackets
turned on board the Montgomery. At S
o'clock the entire fleet withdrew and as
sembled about ten miles off shore just at
sunset.
The training ship Newport, with a party
of congressman on board, was in the thick
of the fight, but took no part.
The ships waited for three hours after
dark before again attempting an engage
ment with the defenses of Narragansett
bay. They came in by way of Point Judith
and were discovered by the station at that
point at about $3.50 o'clock. Three rockets
in rapid succession were sent up from Point
Judith, but the ships did not come into
view from Newport until the leading YES
sci, the cruiser Boodklyn, was discovered
inside the line between Beaver Tail light
and Brenton's reef lightship- She was i'm
mediately made the target of three power
full searchlights, but she was well up in
the mouth of the harbor before the first
gun on shore was fired.
Two ten-inch disappearing rifles on Fort
Wetherill were first to speak. The Brook
searchlight, which she sent full in the eyes
of the gunners on Fort Wetherill The
cruiser was a magnificent sight as she
came up the harbor full in the light of the
four or FIVE searchlights, with her battle
flags flying from her two masts. Imme-
diately behind came the Olympia. Ad-
miral Dewey's old flagship. Admiral Hig-
ginson, on the Kearsarge, followed the
Olympia; then came the Massachusetts, and
finally the Alabama. BY the time the
Brooklyn was abreast Fort Wetherili the
gunners on that fertilization had forsaken
the big guns and taken UP the secondary
battery. 1t was then that the Brooklyn's
guns began to speak. This was at 10
o'clock, and for half an hour afterward
there was one continuous roar both from
ships and shore. The fighting was at close
quarters, so that nothing but rapid-fire
guns could be used. Every ship was en-
veloped in sheets of flame. while all along
the shore of Fort Wetherill on the left
and Fort Adam on the right there was a
continuous cannonade. The Brooklyn
reached the head of the harbor at 1920.
All the battleships were well inside a few
minutes later. The battle was one of the
most spectacular affairs ever seen in this
vicinity and the roar shook Newport to it's
foundations.
The attacking ships kept up the harbor
until they were almost under the walls of
Fort Adams and nearly abreast of the
torpedo station. There they appeared to
anchor and every one thought that the
fight was at end. Within half an hour
the five vessels suddenly steamed out of
the harbor in the same formation as that
in which they came.
OFF Goat island throughout the battle
lay the smaller craft i'm squadron forma-
ton. The Indiana and Puritan were not
in sight. Oh the way out the battleships
were attacked by Fort Adams, and when
the Olympia and Brooklyn were abreast
of Beaver Tail light, Fort Greble opened
for the first time tonight. The ships all
used their searchlights, but did not re-
| spond to the gun fire. The fleet was all
outside by Has and in column 1t steamed
| towards Block island.
The battle tonight is considered by I'M
| official observers here to be a decided vic
| tory for the navy The chief point is that
| the Brooklyn was able to reach the mouth
of the harbor before ii was picked up by a
| fort searchlight. II is claimed with the
| fleet within such close range that IL had
| the two forts at its mercy, and to empha-
| size this fact il is pointed out that the
| gunners on Fort Adams were obliged to de-
| sert their big guns within a few minutes
after the battle opened.