The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-10
P|lLSBURY'S FLEET TAKEN
The Attacking Squadron Caught Rum
ming For Salem Harbor.
NAVAL STRATEGY GAME EN0ED
Tho Capture was Made or Thatehsr's
Island. Msss.-rhe Dsmand OF Uncoa-
ditionai Surrender Accepted BY tho
Enemy - Emeiency Of Coast Defsnssl
System shovp-satlsfactory Results. L

System Showp-Satlsfactory Results.
Rockport. Mass.-The naval war
game on the New England coast was
ended ut 40 o'clock a. m. by the order.
Surrender. unconditional" from Rear
Admiral Higgirson's flagship. and the
reply. Accept surrender" from theI
fore truck OF the Prairie. Commander
Pillsbury's fasship. The battle I've
tween the Blue. or defending. squad-o1I
and the White. or attacking. squadron.
was thus quickly ended eight mllesI
south of Thatcher's Island. The enemy
had most slgnaliy failed to make Salem
harbor. hts objective point.
A preponderance Of fighting strength.
relatively sixty -four points. represented
by the battleships kearsargc. Alabama
and Massachusetts. the Scorpion and al
torpedo boat OF Admiral Higginson's|
feet. had overwhelmed the forty-fve|
points represented by the auxiliary
cruisers Prairie. Panther and Supply.
under Commander Pillsbury. Theo-
retically. the White Squadron was del
stroyed by the guns OF the defending
battleships.
The destruction OF Commander Pills
bury's squadron occurred just withiu|
the outer limit OF Gloucester Harbor.
not over eight miles south Of Thatch.
er's Island. of which had been an
chored since Wednesday. when the war
game was declared opened. the three
powerful battlcships Of the Blue
Squadron. The surrounding and put
ting out Of action" of the White Squad
ron was the eliminating incident In
one OF the most interesting chapters
In the pence history Of the American
Navy. For the maneuvres or the
coast Of New England the Navy had
long been preparing itself. and had
looked forward TO them with keen an
ticipation.
AZ planned b. the naval authorities
at Washington. two sQuadrons were In
the game. one. the Blue. the defending
fleet. and the other. the White. n hos
tile feet. bent on effecting an anchor
age in some unprotected harbor be-
tween Cape Elizabeth and Cape Cod.
This anchorage had to be maintained
against the defenders for six hours.
Commander PIlisbury's White Squad.
ron consisted Of the auxiliary cruisers
Prairie. his flagship: the Panther andi
the Supply. To the two former boatsl
was assigned twenty points each Oh
lighting strength. while the Supply
was represented at five points.
Admiral Higginson's fleet was act
ually superior In numbers and repre-.
sented n total Of ninety seven points.
The batttleships Kearsarge. Alabama
and Massachusetts counted twenty
each. the cruisers Brooklyn and
Olympia eight each. and the Leyden
and Montgomery. Gloucester. Mayhow-
er and Scorpion three points each.
while number OF torpedo boats made
up the balance.
To win In the mimic war the Blue
Squadron had to bring against the at
tacking vessels. as 1t did. warsbips
superior IN their combined assumed
lighting power. Each side had the
right to capture individual craft Of the
other feet by OverpOwering them In
point of strength. and under the rules
the captured vessels were to re,ss al.
together from the field OF action.
On the morning OF the capture the
defense. with three battleships. the
Scorpion and a single torpedo boat
had sixty-four points. so that the bal.
ance was against the attacking squad
ron. Throughout the game there was
In operation a system Of coast defense
FOR which those who were engaged In 1t
received great credit.