Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-07
DOESN'T NATTER WHO WON
NansuvsrI 90 Profitable that Victory i, Of
Minor Consideration
PtoSRs IMPORTANT SECRET CONES OUT
L~ieuteRauts who MADE s~uccessfuI At
tempt ON Mines Tell story OF
Painted Boat and Marvel that
Land ore Didn't Suspect.

$50 ANa1Nho NeAhEl III NAAuhuIt luG tAUEII@
ences OF the days Of war that the oues-
tion OF victory is comparatively of minor
import.
The incident OF last night, when Ave Of the
ships ran into the eastern passage Of Mar
ragansett Bay by Forts Adams and weth-
Grill. without accident Of any kind, is re-
garded as highly successful but dangerous
navigation. While by Itself the run by the
forts would have been as foolhsrdy as II
was brilliant and spectacular, the result
must be Judged by the relation Of the night
movement to the maneuvers Of the after
noon, when Admiral Higginson's ships exc
cuted plans more nearly like the strategy
of war than anything during the week.
These plans included the capture Of naval
stations by Brooklyn and Olympia at Mar
rangansett Pier. and By Montgomery, May
flower and Scorpion at Prices Neck, New
port, and the Smelling of the forts by three
ships from the shelter OF oehre Point, with
a similar performances by Kearsarge and Al
ALBANIA from outside Brenton Reef llghtshlp.
These madeuvers over, the wsrships re-
turned to Block Island. later to return to
Newport for the night attack.
when the Navy PrOhted.
The valuable experiences to the navy re-
ferred to by Admiral Hfgsinson In his state
ment this morning began on the FIRST day
OF hostIlitiee when two companies Of blue
jackets from Alabama captured the signal
station at Block island and thereby estab-
iished the navy base OF operations. 1t was
continued on Tuesday when the larger ships
bornbarded Plum Island and Gardner's
Point; again on "Wednesday when the four
battleships made a descent upon Fort
Wright at Fishers Island. In the latter
1 naga tho rav,f 49, ~. Anw Ao-ooaA . A.,hA
because the warships had actually begun
their passage through the Race before the
forts could reach them. Excellent expert
ence was seen early on Thursday morning
when the ships failed, through error in cal
culation and because of clearing weather to
make another run through the race, from
Block Island, and were forced to retire. On
Thursday night took place the third try at
the Race, With the possible theoretical loss
OF several Of the men-of-war. The bonn
bsrdment Ct Forts Rodman and Newport. the
capture of Montauk Point and the daring bit
OF work early Friday morning Of Lieuten-'
ants Robinson and Hughes In min
ing Newport harbor. furnished incidents nf
note. This last incident was, from the
standpoint Of the navy, the feature event Of
the war game. 90 ~''t}
suecessfui strategic Move.
The details Of the dash Of the gunboat
Peoria into the channels of Narragansett
bay have not appeared, because the story
Of the affair is known only to the partici-
pants. These were Lieutenant Robinson
and Lieutenant 1Averan OF Alabama and
Lieutenant Charles r.. Hughes of Massa-
chusetts., Thursday afternoon Peoriatwas
painted black and a large sail launch from
Massachusetts, vas similarly treated Pro-
vided with mines and cable, PEORIA having
in tow the launch, passed into Nsrragan-.
sett bay, disguised as. a tugboats bring
ing in a disabled schooner. SteRmIns d.
reotly under the guns of Fort Adams,
4 Peoria separated from its tow and grappled
for army mines. At the same time Lieu
tenant Hughes, on the launch, was laying
his mines. and in a moment had connected
1.-THE circuit which exploded them, thereby
blowing up those which the defense might
have laid. The lieutenants marvel today
that the men behind the shore guns were
not suspicious of, the dark-painted craft
busily at work 300 yards from the shore.
searchlights found them, but there was no
idea they were from the camp Of the
enemy. 49, -
The second feature OF the week, the bonn.
bardment Of yesterday. was had in the
working out Of an elaborate plan Of Ad-
mlThl hlkBlnhOu anu MS capthlub. ? AT Z
O'Clock Massachusetts,, Indiana and Puritan
steamed eastward, a. II bound for Menemsha
Blight, but when we'll outside Of ochre
Point they turned quickly to port and
erept back along the shore OF Newport.
Most Like neaI War.
This was one Of the four Important
strokes into which Admiral Higginson's
plan Of action resolved itself The re-
-~aa- 49, "a. -. ..-.. AA.
flower and Montgomery, and they were dis
patched away to she'll and destroy any
and ell range-Anding signal or telegraph
stations from Cokgeshall TO Prices Neck.
This they started to do. Tn movements
Of the day were the least spectacular of
the week. With all the absence of the
dramatic, they Appropriated the geuine war
maneuvers more than anything that had
preceded.
Looking at the week, Of maneuvers d.
rectly from the point Of view Of Alabama,
the most striking Impression was the man
ner in which the entire ships crew fell in
quickly and easily with the spirit Of the
maneuvers. The naval reserves seemed to
have been on the ship for years. Captain
willard H. Brownsoh OF Alabama said
my observation Is that the reserves
grasped the situation quickly, especially in
the handling OF the guns. To my mina, the
practice OF the entire crew in the use OF
batteries was distinctly valuable"
Another impression from Alabama is tina
the s~earehliGhts on shore were used with
success at Newport, but that at Fishers
Island and GARDENERS island they almost
failed In their work. while the glare from
the lights was not. on the whole. a
troublesome to nAvigators- as was expected
Both sides Are satisfied,
NEW LONDON, Conn.,. Sept. e@-Witt
the gam Of war ended. the ofheers and
the men OF the respective commands o.
, Major General Macarthur and Admiral Hig'
ginson are once again in peaceful co-operA'
tion. Early this afternoon the flag shiI
Kearsarge, with Indiana and Alabama, cams
through the Race. made a loop toward thu
hArbor's mouth and then sailed back TOWARD
Newport.
t General Macarthur went out in his zach
5 Kanawha and exchanged salutes With Ad'
' miral Higginson by dipping hags as Kear'
: sarge passed. Panther, with the Connecti'
q cut naval militiamen on board, 10 at an
Choir in New London harbor. The stat
naval reserves were taken ashore durini
the afternoon. and left by special train
for their home stations.
! Through Chief OF stan Thomas Barry
Major General Macarthur today sent
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