The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-28
MILITARY MEN VERY BUSY
PREPARATIONS CONTINUE FOR
 COMING MIMIC WAR.


 nec.ieut Signal Men Distributed at
 Stations from Block Island to Gar.
 diners Point.
 New London, Aug. 27.-Perhaps the hardest worked military men of the service just at this time is the engineer and signal corps in connection with the coming army and navy maneuvers, for they are busy at all hours, day and night, preparing plans for the execu- tion of the part the army is to take in the matter of defense and positions to be maintained as far as the occasion will permit. It is understood that the plans adopted are definite in character, their purpose being to give, test to a. satisfactory degree, of the efficiency of the island forts in case of an attack by foreign fleet. The maneuvers are in- tended as practical school of instruc- tion, not only for the artillerymen, sig nal men and engineers, but to the navy as well.
 While the plans of the navy and army are on lines laid down by the depart ments, the one is kept secret from the other, except in the more essential points of the maneuvers, which specify that there must be a day and night at- tack by the navy, but just when or where in the prescribed limits the at- tack is to be made is known only to Admiral Higginson and his consulting board.
 It is the duty of Major General Mac Arthurs men to be in readiness to meet the enemy from the opening of hostili- ties to the ending thereof, and certainly every effort is being made to be pre- pared to give the admiral decidedly warm reception. The most secrecy, aside from the maneuver announcement published last Tuesday, prevails, and it is absolutely out of the question to ob- tain any official information as to what is to take place and the plans adopted by the army.
 As to the navy branch, whose pre- paratory work is being done elsewhere. the same rule of secrecy prevails. The army officers here are extremely court
  to matters concerning the game of war that is to open with the 'period prep arations" Friday at midnight. This morning thirty-f1ve officers and men of the Signal corps, Connecticut | National Guard. left this city on the Signal corps steamer Unique and were distributed at stations extending from Block Island to Gardiner S Point. at the eastern entrance to Long Island sound some being stationed on MacArthur's s steamer Kanawha and other vessels in the service of the army. These vessels are not to be used in the defense, but simply as signal stations afloat, and will be used as relays, the same as if n actual warfare, where the telegraph and telephone systems could not be | utilized. Three steamers are here for the use of the engineer department, the | latest addition being the vidette. of the New York district. with Major Marshall on board. General Gillespie. chief of engineers, has the lighthouse steamer Iris at his disposal. General Crozier, chief ordnance officer. is here with the steamer Ordnance, while General Gro- tey, chief signal officer, has fast and commodious automobile that can be used as a carrier of signals, if required, or to act as relay n the transmission of dispatches received or to be sent by visual signalling.
 | Captain William F. M. Rogers, signal officer of the Connecticut National Guard, will report for duty with the balance of his command on Friday | corps of Massachusetts and Rhode Is- land will be assigned to duty in their respective states, as they have only vol- unteered for such duty. It is expected that the New York Signal corps will also take part in the maneuvers. They will receive instructions from the regu- lar army signal men
 | Nearly all the afternoon the big guns at Fort Wright were booming and the artillerymen of the several batteries were given an opportunity to show their skill at target firing. The moving l target was kept going over the course some six miles distant. The practice was witnessed by Major-General Mac Arthur. At the conclusion the general left Fort Wright and proceeded to Fort Terry, at Plum Island.
 The electric flashlights were operated last night from Forts Wright, Michie and Terry, and their operations were perfectly satisfactory. They will play an important part in the war game and to great extent the result will be de- | ternined. especially in the night attack by the searchlights. for with them the ships can be sighted, but without them | the land forces are likely to be com l ,alatn1.r sa,,.,a,.isad nd n1,ar11r rlaalrnnd