New-York tribune., 1902-09-05
ALL FORTS UNDER FIRE.
HIGGINSON AGAIN ATTEMPTS
TO FORCE THE RACE.
FIGHT EXTENDS OVER THE WHOLE
LINE OF DEFENCE GUNS BOOM
IN THREE STATES.
tBT TELEGRAPH To THE 7RrBrNE.I


New-London, Conn. sept 4-For the second
Tune the fleet of Admiral Higginson is fore
ing the passage OF the Race \ reconpofS-
sance by the Olympia. the BROOKLYN and an nm
identified ship followed by a dash on the
part Of the battleships Kearsarge and Indiana
Tor the entrance to Long Island sound Be-
tween the two attacks there was a slight Iul1
Then for half an hour the entire armament %
Forts Mtchie and r. g. Wright were eueaged-
The feet of five ships passed through the Racs
the smaller vessels leading To t2e army oea
GERS the manoeuvre seems to mean that Admiral
Higg1nson sacrificed three cruisers in an at
tempt TO silence the forts. and then followed IN
the attack with a dash
Along the front of twenty-five miles What
promises to he the fercest and most Spectacular
conflict OF the war game has been raging. From
Fort Mansfield To Fort Terry cannon in thras
States are flashing and the broad beams Of tha
searchhgh1s are illuminating the heavens.
general attack on all the forts in the Newton
don districts is evidently going on
From the old ramparts of Fort Trumbuu
General Macarthur with his starf Is WATCHING
the struggle. Despite the heavy firing the wind
carries away the sound. and only an occasional
grumble of a Pinch gun can be heard The
first warning of the attack came az $40 O'Clock.
when Colonel Reber OF the Signal Corps sent
the following message from Point Judith:
Fleet moving rapidly toward Mansfield sighted
at $40"
The first warning that the vignant watchers
at Fort Wright had that third attack was
threatening in that quarter came al a little
after o'clock. when fleet Of seven vessels
was seen moving rapidly toward the fort. The
vessels had put out their lights. but the signal
men on Mount Prospect identified two OF the
vessels as the Olympia and the Brooklyn They
were sighted at distance of ten thousand
yards. The news that the battle was on reached
General Macarthur at 1905 o'clock. in the fol-
lowing dispatch from Fort Wright: Brooklyn
and Olympia attacking Fort Wright. fort rs-
plying"
\ later dispatch informed the commanding
general that "a third ship OF the fleet had come
into action BY this time the guns of Forts
Niche and Terry had come to the support Of
Wright and the firing along the entire line had
become general Almost simultaneously with
the opening of the night at the western end OF
Fishers Island came the bonn arduent of Fort
Mansfield, at the eastern end In the distance
the continuous flashing OF the cannon could be
plainly seen.
The firing appeared to be much hotter than
at Wright where the cannonading was de-
lberate- The whole sky was lighted UP by
the flashes. and now and again the flame OF the
discharge could be plainly seen. AS Fort
Mansfield is the weakest OF The defencss Of
Long Island Sound. it has been believed that
this place would be the scene of the landing
operation, and that the fort would BE- actually
captured after the guns had been siIsnced.
At the time this fight was in progress word
was received that Fort Terry. guarding the en-
trance TO Plum Gut, was also in action Evi-
IDENTIFY Admiral Higginson was making a des-
peraJe attack at all points along the entrance tn
the Sound. feinting at either end and delivering
the main attack at the centre At midnight no
official report had been received of the result OF
the action The weather seemed to favor the
fleet All day long thick fog hung outside.
and behind this the ships of the fleet had been
manoeuvring of Fort H. G. Wright since early
morning.
AT 1880 o'clock the cruiser Brooklyn vas
in hot pursuit of the tug Unique. which is
with wireless telegraph instruments
and manned by signal corps men The capture
Of the Unique would be A valuable stroke for
the enemy, the tug has made a practice or
cruising outside the Race and sending in word
Block island was occupied the Unique went
within two miles of Admiral HisginsOn's nag
ship, and brought back exact information of the
II captured she would be COustruC-
lively out of the game for the rest Of the cam
paign.
At / O'Clock General Macarthur. who went to
the scene Of the fight on the yacht kanawha-
had not returned. and official report had
been issued. The ships had moved out INTO the
Sound in the direction of Fort Terry, evidently
intending to make an attack in the rear or thai
fOrtffCatiOn and pass out through Plum Gut
The report was current here at a late hour that
the signal station Mount Prospect had been
put out of action by the rapid fire guns, and
therefore would be unable 70 communicate with
headquarters for twelve hours.