New-York tribune., 1902-09-06
HIGGNSON'S CANPAIGN.
DETAILS OF THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO
FORCE THE RACE
GBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE.l

ny TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE-]
Nev-London, Conn. Sept. with last nights
furious attack on all the forts at the entrance
20 the Sound active military action in this dis
trict. it is believed. came to an end. Contrary
TO the general imp ession that Admiral Higgin-
son would divide his efforts between Newport
and this place, he has concentrated his energies
on Forts Wright. Terry and Niche. and in three
different forms Of attack has sought TO force the
entrance 10 Long Island Sound Last nights
attack. described in The Tribune this morn
ing, was an effort TO silence the batteries and
destroy the sesrchlights ar the sacrifice of in
ferior ships, and then make the main attack
with the battleshps. This was an exemplifica-
ton Of the desperate hazards that might be
taken by an enemy bent on reaching New-York.
1t is too early to get correct idea Of the re
suits of this attack AS usual, the army de-
clares that il a complete victory, and pre-
sents q convincing array Of official dispatches.
STILL it is one thing TO succeed in mimic war
fare and quite another in real battle. Even If
the feet loses according 20 the rules Of the game
It is still possible that IL would have succeeded
had the fight been real Too much praise can
NOT be given to Admiral Higginson for the skill
with which he has conducted these attacks.
The end of the war is at hand. Probably it
Will come at Newport in the shape Of general
attack tonight or tomorrow morning. Then
VIII follow the review. The entire feet will sail
St goes. The official limit Of war is tomorrow
noon.
THE MOVEMENT IN DETAIL.
Colonel Davis, at Fort Wright. this morning
made the following report to General 3IacAr-
thur OF last nights engagement, which explains
sn detail Admiral Higginson's movement:
AZ 1928 a. m the Brooklyn which had been
reported aground, was sighted off Guilty hunk,
sailing south. heading toward Block Island, the
z-f-,or Hoy-
Sad eteaning in the direction Of the Brooklyn
At 1:o4 2. NJ. four battleships were reported
ported approaching Fort H. G Wright from the
southeast distant about twelve thousand yards
At 2:l0 D Prospect Hill reported them within
range OF Fort Wright and approachIng rapidly
At 2:0S o'clock the morta-s and l2-inch guns
from Fort Wright opened upon the hearsarge,
the fire commander claiming that she was put
out OF action The feet disappeared in -he fog
at 2:35 o'clock.
At 7:4O D m. Fort Adams reported all well
and thar the ships of the enemy were south
west about ten miles. At 40 P m. Point
Judith reported feet moving rapidly toward
FSc~r ssnsfeld and at $50 o m four vessels
were reported moving rapidly from the east
toward Fort Wright. the three in the rear hav-
st 10 . m suspicious vessels were sighted
south OF Prospect Hill. Fort Wright, probably
placed 10 give range or turning point and at
e:lo O'Clock four suspicious lights were sighted
from Fcrt Wright in the direction OF Block
the Race AT e:I5 al those lights were out ex-
cept the leading one. which moving rapidly
westward. and at $40 Ardois signals were seen.
At lG:o4 the range OF the leading light was
eight thousand yards. Al l0.05 the Brooklyn
wss shown up by the searchlights- AT 1907
the action began Fort Wright At
1910 the ships replied the Brooklyn. Olympia
end small cruiser using searchlights in the
direction of the fort.
At 10:15 three cruisers passed the Race; the
nnanoeuvre is supposed 70 be for the destruction
Of shore searchlights. thus preparing the way
for the battleships- The kearsarge. Massachu-
setts and Indiana ran the Race at 1915. the
first being discovered by the searchlights at
Io:SG, seventeen minutes after the cruisers had
passed. Fort Wright ceased firing shortly after
II D. n having ired 500 shots Of all calibre
the FIRE commander claiming the destruction
Of the entire feet by three four times the
number Of points required. The ranges were
from three TO six thousand yards.
LOSS OF SEARCHLIGHTS UNIMPORTANT.
Fort Niche discovered the Brooklyn at 1906
range 1915 yards. All the batteries fired at all
the ships until 11:19. when the last ship
out OF range, Fort Niche claiming TO have put
ont the Brooklyn. Indiana and Alabama Fort
Terry in the mean time, engaged at long range.
II was a very clear and bright starlit night.
and even If all searchlights ruled out by
the fire from the cruisers. the battleships were
easily seen and suffered severely from the bat
reries of Forts Wright and Niche.
The fleet. after passing through the Race, pro-
ceeded some thousand yards westward Of Fort
Terry and took k,sition there. and at 40 nj.
they were still tire apparently at anchor. At
q. 70. the three battieships and two cruisers