The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-08-28
MIMIC NAVAL BATTLE |SOvER
PILLSBURY WAS WORSTED.
The Battle Between the Hue and the
white Was Quickly Ended-Wns
an Exciting Mntch-COuld Not Get
Z" Our Coast and Wns Compelled
to Surrender.

Rockport, Mass. Aug 26-The naval
search problem of the New England
coast was terminated by the signal, Sur
render, demand unconditional" from
Rear Admiral Higginsons flagship and
the reply, Accept surrender" from the
fore truck of the Prairie, Commander
Pillsburys flagship. The battle between
the blue. or defending squadron, and the
white, or attacking squadron, was thus
quickly ended, eight miles south of
Thatchers island. The enemy had al
most signally failed to make harbor.
having for its objective point Salem. A
lively 81 points, represented by the bat
tleships kearsarge, Alabama and Massa-
chusetts, Scorpion and a torpedo boat
overwhelmed the As points represented by
the auxiliary cruisers Prairie, Panther
and Supply. To speak from a theoretic
tirely destroyed by the guns of the de-
Tending battleships. Thus, on the fourth
night, the game of naval strategy was
brought to an end, it having covered
period of unceasing toll, sleepless nights
and of anxious and wearing vigil and of
grave uncertainty to its participants.
The destruction of Pilsbury's squadron
occurred at a point just within the outer
limit of Gloucester harbor, not over eight
miles south from Thatcher's island, off
which it had been anchored since We'd
nesday, when the war game was de-
clared opened.
The surrounding and putting out Of
action" of the squadron in command of
Commander Pillsbury was the culminat-
ing incident in one of the most exacting
chapters in the peace history of the
American navy. For the placing in oper-
alton of the maneuvers of the warships
off the coast of New England. the navy
had long prepared itself and had looked
forward with keen anticipation.
AS planned by the naval authorities at
Washington, two squadrons were to be
put into the game, one the blue. the de-
Tending fleet; and the other. the white to
be hostile fleet bent upon effecting an
anchorage in some unprotected harbor on
the coast from Cape Elizabeth to Cape
Cod, opposed all the time by the first
fleet This anchorage had to be MAIN
tanned against the defenders for a period
of six hours. Commander Pillsbury's
white squadron consisted of the auxiliary
cruisers Prairie, Panther and Supply.
The two former boats were each assigned
20 points of fighting strength, while the
Supply was assumed to represent five
points. Admiral Higginson's fleet was
actually superior in the number of its
vessels, and by the same arrangements
made as to the Pillsbury ships, it repre-
scented a grand total of 81 points of
strength. The Kearsarge the Alabama
and the Massachusetts,. battleships, were
given 90 the cruisers Brooklyn and Olym-
pit eight each. the Cincinnati. Montgom-
cry, Gloucester, Mayfiower and Scorpion
three points each, and number of tor
pedo boats made up the remaining num-
bers.
Rules Of the Game.
To win the mimic war the blue squad
ron had to bring against the attacking
vessels. as 1t did. warships superior in
their combined assumed fighting power.
Each side had the right to capture indi-
vidual crafts of the other fleet by over
coming them in point of strength. and
under the rules Of the game the captured
vessels were to fetire altogether from
the field OF action
In the defeat OF Pillsbury the defense,
with three battleships. the Scorpion and
single torpedo boat. had "a points, so
that the balance was against the attack
ing squadron. Throughout the mimic war
there was placed in operation system
of coast defense which was admittedly
OF credit to those who engaged in 1t.
The problem was SO complicated that
on the war vessels here tonight the
weeks work is viewed with satisfaction
for the one reason. II no other, that the
squadron. has had invaluable practice.
The final event Of these war moves was
the sequence of many complicated devel-
opmcnts.
PiIlsbnry Had had Luck.
The capture came at the end OF a night
filled with rumors as to the location OF
the attacking squadron. At $3.50 O'Clock
Saturday night three battleships Of the
blue squadron got under way In hurry
and sailed to the eastward. The intention
was to move on to Portland, and VI that
had been carried out. Admiral Higginson
as 1t later developed. would have swung
the balance Of his lighting force to that
end Of the coast line. as Pillsbury had
intended he should. but which was not
done on account OF heavy seas running
outside Cape Elizabeth. Higginson. how