Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-05
WARsH|PS MOVING
Eight of Them Anchored Near
Point Judith To-Day.
SIGNAL STATION MEN ON ALERT

Major General Macarthur Announced
Some Important Decisions This
Morning Excluding searchlights, He
Says That Battleships Suffered Sc
gerely in Attempted Attack on Fort
Niche Yesterday.
New London, Sept Sat II O'Clock
this morning Major General MacAr-
thur, commanding department of the
e1st, made public the following war
news of public interest, covering the
period since the last news reported at
+ headquarters.
AT 10:25 a. N. Sept 4, the Brooklyn,
which had been reported aground. was
sighted OF Cuttyhunk, sailing south,
heading towards Block Island; the
Olympia leaving her anchorage at
Block Island, steaming in the direction
OF the Brooklyn
Al 1:U4 p. m four battleshfps were
reported going west and at 1:25 they
were reported approaching Fort H G.
wright from southeast, distant about
1900 yards. At 2:10 o. m. Prospect
dlu reported them within range of
Fort wright and approaching rapidly.
AT zOS the mortars and 12-inch guns
from Fort Wright opened upon the
hearsarge, the fire commander claim
ing that she was put out of action. The
HeeL disappeared in the fog at 2:35.
at 4;4O p. m. Fort Adams reported
all Wen and that the ships of the enemy
Were southwest about ten miles. At
$40 p. m Point Judith reported feet
moving rapidly towards Fort Mans
neid. and at $50 p. m. four vessels
We're reported moving rapidly from the
east towards Fort Wright, the three
IN the rear having extinguished their
hgnts At ITO suspicious vessels
We're sighted south of Prospect Hill
Fort Wrfght-probably placed to give
range or turning point, and at 9:1O
Iour suspicious lights were sighted from
Fort Wright in the direction of Block
Island, moving rapidly towards the
Race At 9:15 all these lights were
OUT except the leading one which was.
moving rapidly westward, and at 9.20
Ardols signals We're seen. At 1904 the
range OF the leading light was 5000
yards, ana at 1905 the Brooklyn was
SHOWN up by the searchlights. At
tu.oa the action commenced at Wright.
al 1o:io the ships replied, the Brook
iyn, Olympia and small cruiser using
searchlights in the direction of the
Tort At 1918 three cruisers passed
the Race; maneuver supposed to be
1or the destruction of shore Search
ilghts, thus preparing way for battle
ships. The Kearsarge, Massacbu-
setts and Indiana ran the Race at 10.45
the first being discovered by fbe
searchl1ghts at 1887, seventeen min
utes after the cruisers passed. Wright
ceased hr1ng shortly after IL D. m.
having fired 329 shots of all calibres.
nre commander claiming the destruc-
ton of the entire fleet bv three or
four times the number of noints ra-
quired. The ranges were from three
TO six thousand yards.
Fort Niche discovered the Brnol-s
lyn at 10:06, range 5,375 Yards. All
batteries fired at all ships unfiIs II 10
when last ship was out of range, Mich
le claiming to have put out the Brook
lyn, Indiana and Alabama. Terry in
the meantime, engaged at long range.
IL was very clear and bright star
light night. and even if all searchligbfs
are ruled out by the fire from the
cruisers, the battleships were easily
seen and suffered severely from the
batteries at Wright and Michie.
The fleet after passing throuob tbe
Race proceeded some thousand wards
westward OF Fort Terry and took po-
SIMON there, and at 10:45 a. m. Sept <
tney We're still there apparently at an
cnor At a. N. the three battIesbins
9nd Two cruisers which passed in last
night We're reported northwest of Ter
fy, going eastward. At 6:24 a. m. the
cruiser Montgomery was reported four
miles south of Block Island. sailing
easI; the auxiliaries Panther and
PraIrIe are at anchor in Nepeague Bay:
the hearsarge, Alabama, NIassachl-
setfs for Indiana), Brooklyn and OIym-
PA are coming through the Race from
Long Island Sound, returning undoubt-
edly to Block Island. No firing was
done by the ships and none bv Fort
Wright.
At 40 a. m. the Kearsarge, Massa-
chusetts, Alabama and BROOKLYN are
reported north of Block Island. poino
northeast, the Olympia having left the
Meet and sailing to the southwark. west
OF Block Island; the Indiana, Puritan
ana Montgomery are west of Block
Island; the panther and Prairie stfl
anchored north of Montal-s Point
AT 9:2O the Panther, Prairie and
May1ower have left their ANCHORAGE
north of Montauk and are moving east.
AT 9.23 a. N. the Kearsarge, Indiana.
Alabama, Brooklyn and Massachusetts
In line, i've miles southwest of Point
Judith. heading east
Point Judith, R. T., Sept 5.-Eight
ships of war, the Kearsarge, BROOKLYN,
alabama, Massachusetts, Indiana.
Puritan. Montgomery and Topeka.
came to anchor three miles southeast
Of here during the forenoon. The
suqadron left the anchorage at New
Harbor. Block Island, at O'Clock this
morning The battleships moved slow
" in the direction of Point Judith. but
the other vessels made a detour. some
arriving from the westward and 9th
ers from the southwark.
The officers and men at the signal
station were using t1e utmost vigilance
and every precaution has been taken
by Colonel Reber to ward off or eyade
a seizure Of the station. AS soon as
the vessels had anchored all the cap
taius went aboard fhe flagship.
While the war balloon was being
removed from its hiding place inland
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