Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-21
SQUADRONS PLAY At WAR
Pursuit Of the White by the Blue Begins
Near Rookport,
FIVE DAYS TO FIND A HIDING PLACE
HigElnsOn Must Hold Sheltered Port
SIX Hours Before Next Monday
or BE Branded with
Defeat.

or BE Branded with
Defeat.
RoCKPoRT, Mass, Aug 2O.-The unique
war game in which the rival fleets Of Ad-
miral Francis ]. Higginson and Comman-
der John E. Pillsbury are pitted against
each other began at noon today.
The north Atlantic coast is now threat
ened by theoretically powerful squadron
Of hostile ships, from the attack Of which
an equally able feet will attempt to de-
fend. This is the first series Of maneuvers
In which the ships will participate and It
will be under the direction Of the Navy
department alone
such practice as follows the conclusion
OF this first contest will be the Joint work
Of the Army and Navy departments. Com
mander Pillsbury's feet, which is known
as the White squadron, sailed from
Provincetown on Monday and is now at
sea- It's present whereabouts is unknown
to Admiral Higginson, whose force is
known as the Blue squadron.
The first series of mansuvers is purely
technical and there will be no semblance of
an engagement between the ships No
shots will be fired except possibly upon
the discovery Of the hostile fleet at night,
when the firing would be entirely for sig
| mailing purposes and to announce the dis
covery Of Pillsburys squadron.
Admiral Higgtnson lost no time In getting
under way after the hour agreed upon for
the beginning of the contest had arrived
During the forenoon the ships we're getting
up steam, and at about IL o'clock they
began to weigh anchor, and half an hour
later all except the flagship Kearsarge
started out.
On the Move.
First May1ower and one Of the torpedo
boats headed outside the breakwater bear
Ing toward the north. A second torpedo
boat followed toward the northwest. Brook
lyn and Olympia moved out together, with
Alabama astern OF the latter and Massa-
chusetts at the end OF the line. These ships
seemed to make directly east. Just before
noon torpedo boat came in from the south
and after Joining another vessel Of the same
class both steamed out together, accom-
panied by Scorpion. Thornton and Glouces-
ter went out by the southern passage just
before o'clock. At about the same moment
Montgomery, accompanied by Leyden, moved
out to the southwest. This left Kearsarge
and one torpedo boat inside the breakwater.
All the searchers, after going two miles off
shore, dropped their speed and lay to- ap-
Commander Pillsbury's squadron includes
the auxiliary cruisers Prairie, Panther and
Supply. Rear Admiral Higginson has his
flagship, Kearsarge. and two other battle
ships, Massachusetts and Alabama, and the
cruisers Brooklyn, Olympia and Montgom-
cry, besides seven torpedo boats, two un-
armed gunboats, two tugs and the converted
yachts Mayflower and Gloucester. The tor
pedo boats are the Shubrick, Decatur (de-
stroyer). Thornton, Stockton, Bagley, Bar
ney and Biddle The gunboats are Scorpion
and Peoria.
Flagship Under Steam.
The flagship Kearsarge weighed anchor
at 215 p. m. and slowly steamed out of
the harbor, proceeding by the north pass
age from the harbor of refuge Outside
IL Joined Massachusetts,, Alabama and
Gloucester The ships formed in line led
by Massachusetts,, Alabama being second
and the flagship last, with Gloucester
alongside. and moved slowly southwark
The three battleships returned to the
bay this evening. but did not anchor. All
the evening they were kept under steam
ing conditions. moving slowly northward
for short distance and then to the south
ward, the moving serving as a patrol Of
Massachusetts bay from a point of Minots
was evident that when Kearsarge returned
much of Admiral Higginson's work had
been accomplished He had cruised sea-
ward for a considerable distance with his
feet had dispatched the cruisers Brook
lyn and Olympia, with several torpedo
boats, to patrol the waters of Portland
and sent several other vessels to stations
of the tip end Of Cape Cod to serve as an
outer picket line for Massachusetts, bay
Thus Admiral Higginson had guarded the
extreme points of the coast line in danger
After the flagship Kearsarge had come
into the harbor Gloucester came in, but
was later sent OF in a southerIy direc-
tion.
Naval Base at ROckport.
The naval base is established here in
hockport and the station is in charge of
Ensign Berry. One of the incidents was
the construction by the navy Of a temper
airy telephone line from a grocery store to
shed. This telephone Is the center Of the
naval intelligence service which extends
for this occasion from Portland to Prov
incetown with main stations at Portsmouth
and Boston.
The night was not favorable for any at
tempt on Commander Pillsbury's part, as
1t was clear. with a brilliant moon At
midnight the battleships could be discerned
moving about in the bay, and the probabil-
ity was that an attack by the hostile feet
might not be expected until tomorrow night.
Sighted at Famous Points.
KENNEBUNKPoRT. Me-, Aug. 2O.-l
Brooklyn, Olympia, Mayhower and shubrick
arrived on Cape Porpoise just before
o'clock this afternoon. The larger vessels
remained well on shore. but the torpedo
ran in and anchored near the cape remain
ing there about half an hour. Just before
leaving a marine was put ashore and the
little vessel steamed out to where its com
panions were lying and the four proceeded
| to the eastward.
PORTLAND, Me-, Aug. 2O.-Two large
warships and a torpedo boat were on the
harbor Just before dark. The warships
| turned and proceeded toward the south
ward while the torpedo boat ran into the
harbor. The large vessels were we'll out
| side
PRoVINCEToWN. Mass. Aug. 2O.-TAe
| torpedo boat Stockton, representing the
blue" squadron, arrived here tonight The