The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-21
THE NAVAL WAR GAME
MANoUvREs BEGIN OFF ROCK
PORT, MASS.
Rival Fleets of Admiral Francis ].
Higginson and Commander
John E. Pillsbury are Pitted
Against Each Other.

Rockfort. Mass, Aug. 20-Th1 unique
war game in which the rival fleets OF
Admiral Francis j. Higginson and COM
mander John E. Pillsbury are pitted
against each other began at noon to-
day. The North Atlantic coast is now
threatened by a theoretically powerful
squadron of hostile battleships from the
attack of which an equally able fleet will
attempt to defend. This is the first
series Of manoeuvers in which the ships
will participate and it was under the
direction of the Navy Department alone.
Such practice as follows the conclusion
Of this first contest was the joint work
of the Army and Navy Departments.
Commander Pillsbury's fleet was known
as the White squadron sailed from
Provincetown on Monday and is now at
sea. Its present whereabouts is unknown
to Admiral Higginson, whose force is
known as the blue squadron.
1t was understood that the latter fleet
which made it's appearance in this har-
Dor last Saturday would under the rules
of the contest, remain here until after
noon today. At any time after that
hour Admiral Higgerson was free to sail
in search of the enemy. 1t VIII be the
object of the white squadron to make
landing at some unfortihed place along
the coast as soon as possible after this
fixed hour and occupy the position with
out interference for al least SIX hours II
Is the duty of the defending fleet to pre-
vent the invaders from accomplishing THIS
purpose If Admiral Hgginson finds the
enemy before they get in striking dis
lance the victory is with him. II Plls-
bury with his ships should elude Hlg-
ginson and land his forces. he must oc-
cupy the place he has captured ana b.
free from discovery during the SIX hour
period agreed upon. If he Is LOCATED
before this time limit expires. 1t Is scored
as a defeat for him. In the first series
of manoeuvers is purely technlcai ano
there will be no semblance of an engage
ment between the ships. NO SHOTS Will
be fred except possibly upon the as
covery of the hostile feat at night wheI
the firing would be entirely for signaling
purposes and to announce the discovery o.
Pinsburys squadron.
Admiral higginson lost no time in get
ting under way after the hour agreed
upon for the beginning of the contest nae
arrived. During the forenoon the shlpf
were getting up steam and at about l.
O'Clock they begun to weight anchor and
half an hour later all except the hasshlp
nearsarge had started out
First the Mayfower and one OF the tor
pedc boats headed outside the breakwl-
ter bearing toward the north, A second
torpedo boat followed toward the north
east. The Brooklyn and Olympia moved
out together with the Alabama astern
of the latter. and the Massachusetts at
the end of the line These ships seemed
to make directly east just oefore noon
a torpedo boat came in from the south
and after joining another vessel oil the
class. both steamed out together. accom-
De MED bys the Scorpion. The Thornton
oIfh south
ern passage just before o'clock AT
about the same moment the Montgomery
ACCOMPANIED by the Lyden, moved out 10
the southwest This left the kearsarge
ard one torpedo boat inside the oreakwa-
ter All the ships after going two miles
off shore, dropped their speed and lay
| to. apparently waiting for the hearsaree
| to Join them. Commander f1llspury
squadron includes the auxiliary cruisers
Prairie. Panther and Supply. Rear Ad-
miral Higginson has his flagship, the
IIearsarpo and two other battleships,
the Massachusetts and the Alabama, ana
the cruisers Brooklyn, Olympia and Mont
gon,ery besides seven torpedo poats' Two
unarmed gunboats, two tugs ana the con-
verified Yacht Mayhower and gloucester
The torpedo boats are the SneDetcA, be-
catur destroyer. Thornton, Stock.oh'
Bagley, Barney and Blddle' me
gunbCats are the ocoi pun an 80,
While the vessels of the white squadron
are understood to represent an attdch-
ing force of great power, IN reahty ~
can hardly be compared with the deieho-
in, complement. Commander fHlspuiS
three auxiliary cruisers have an average
disnlacement of 5000 tons and an aver
a. 90 sneed of 10 kots. Admiral Hlsgln.
sons SON sq Iadron includes battleships Of Of
nsarIv II 900 tons average displacement
ar,d nearly II knots average speed the
cruisers the slowest of which is ~
knot vessel and torpedo boats sooo ioi
26 to 20 knots.