Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-21
FLEETS N N|A|C War
Admiral Higginson's Big Ships
Move Out to Meet the
Enemy.
Will Try to Prevent the White
Squadron From Making AT.
tack on Coast.
Pillsbury is Stealing Up the
Coast, But Location is
Unknown.

ROCKFORD. Mass. Aug. 2l.-Admiral
Francis j. Hisginsons fleet. known as
1 the Bite squadron, moved out of the
harbor 1t noon yesterday To cruise in
search Of the attacking White Squad
ron" under the leadershipofCom
| er John l.. pillsbury. The presence of
the enemy is unknown and the fleet
! Will watch for his coming and attempt
| to prevent his entrance into the harbor
slong the coast.
| First the Maynower and one of the
torpedo boats headed outside the
breallwater, bearing toward the north.
| a second torpedo boat followed toward
1.-THE northeast. The BROOKLYN and the
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 before noon 4 torpedo boat
came in from the south and after join
ing another vessel of the same class,
both steamed out together. accom-
panied 10y the Scorpion
The Thornton and Gloucester went
out by che southern passage. just be-
fore > o clock. Al about the same mo-
ment the Montgomery, accompanied by
the Leyden. moved out TO the south
west This left the Kears;rge and one
torpedo boat inside the breakwater. All
the shos after going two miles off
10.
apparently waiting for the kearSarge
to join Them.
The big vessels of the squadron when
the morning sun broke upon them We're
rs motionless and gave as little sign of
life rs the rocks on the near-by shore.
The little torpedo boats We're no. far
from the larger craft. AS the forenoon
advanced various signs of a prospective
movement We're noted Signals were
exchanged and small craft We're lodg-
ing about. The torpedo boats began
To throw out black smoke and the larg-
er vessels showed that their fires We're
being freshened. The crowd of specta-
tors increased and from every advan-
tageous point the proceedings were
eagerly watched.
Commander Pillsbury's squadron in
cludes me auxiliary cruisers Prairie
Panther, and Supply.
Rear ADMIRAL Higginson has his flag
ship, the kearsarge. and two other bat
tie ships-the Massachusetts and the
Alabama-and the cruisers Brooklyn,
Olympia ana Montgomery besides seN-
en- torpedo boats, two unarmed gum
boats, Two tugs ana the CONVEX ted
NJ.,>r
The torpedo boats are the Shuberck,
Decatur ldestroyer). Thornton, Stock
ton, Ba gley, Barney and Biddle. The
gunboa,s are the Scorpion and Peoria.
While the vessels of the White
squadron are understood TO represent
an attacking force of great power, in
reality t can hardly be compared With
the defending complement. Comman-
der Pillsbury's three auxiliary cruisers
have an average displacement of 5000
tons and an average speed of 13 knots.
Admiral Higginson's squadron includes
battleships of nearly 1000 tons aver
age displacement and nearly IL knots
average speed. cruisers, the slowest of
which is 4 19-knot vessel, and torpedo
boats good for &c to % knots.
If Pillsbury with his ships should
elude Higgnson, and land his force. he
must occupy the place he has captured,
and be free from discovery, during the
siN-hour period agreed upon. If he is
located before this time limit expires it
is scored as a defeat for him. The first
series of naneuvers is purely technical,
and there will be no semblance of an
engagement between the ships. No
shots will be fired except positively up
on the discovery of the hostile fleet at
night, when the firing would be entirely
for signaling purposes and to announce
the discovery of Pillsbury's squadron.