The Topeka state journal., 1902-08-25

battleships Kearsarge Alabama, and
Massachusetts, Scorpion and torpedo
boat, overwhelmed the forty-five points
represented by the auxiliary cruisers
Prairie. Panther, and Supply. To speak
from a theOretic standpoint, the white
squadron was entirely destroyed by the
guns of the defending battleships.
Thus, on the fourth night, the game
of naval strategy was brought to an
end, it having covered period of un-
ceasing toll, sleepless nights. of anxious
and wearing vigil and of grave uncer-
tainty to its participants.
The destruction of Pillsbury's squad
ron occurred at a point just within the
outer limit of Gloucester harbOr, not
over eight miles southerly from Thatch-
er'S island, off which had been anchored
since Wednesday, when the war game
was declared opened, the three powerful
battleships of the blue squadron.
The surrounding and putting out Of
action of the squadron in command of
Pillsbury was the eliminating chapters
in the peace history of the American
navy. For the placing in operation OF
the maneuvers of the warships OF the
coast of New England the navy had
long prepared itself and had long looked
forward with keen anticipation.
As planned by the naval authorities
at Washington, two sQuadrons were to
be put into the game, one the blue, the
defending fleet, and the other the white,
to be hostile feet, bent upon effectinE
an anchorage in some unprotected har-
Dor on the coast from Cape Elizabeth
to Cape Cod, opposed all the time by the
first named fleet This anchorage had to
be maintined against the defenders for
a period of six hours,
Commander Pillsbury's white squad
ron consisting of auxiliary cruisers
Prairie (hagship), Panther and Supply.
The two former boats were each assign
ed twenty points of fighting strength.
while the Supply was assumed to repre-
sent five points Admiral Higginson's
fleet was actually superior in the num-
ber of its members, and, by the same
| arrangements made as to the Pillsbury
ships, it represented a grand total of
ninety-seven points of strength. The
Kearsarge, the Alabama and the Mas
! sachusetts, batt1eships, were given
| twenty, the cruisers Brooklyn and
Olympia eight each, the Cincinnati and
| Montgomery, Gloucester, Mayfiower and
| Scorpion three points each, while num-
| Der of torpedo boats made up the re-
| naming numbers. To win in the mimic
| war, the blue squadron had to bring
! against the attacking vessels, as it did
early today, warships superior in their
combined assumed fighting power.
Each side had the right to capture in
| dividual craft of the other fleet by over
| coming them in point of strength and
under the rules of the game, the cap
/ tured vessels were to retire altogether
| from the field of action.
| In the defeat of Pillsbury, the defense.
| with three battleShips, the Scorpion and
with a single torpedo boat, had sixty
four points, so that the balance was
against the attacking squadron.
/ Throughout the mimic war there was
/ placed in operation system of coast
defense which was admittedly of credik
| to those engaged in it.
| The problem was SO complicated that
on the war vessels here tonight the
| weeks work is viewed with satisfaction
for the one reason if for no other. that
| the squadron has had invaluable prac-
tice.
The final event of these war moves
was the sequence of many complicated
| developments.
The capture came at the end of a
| night slled with rumors as to the loca-
| ton of the attacking squadron. At $3.50
O'Clock last night three batt1eships OF
the blue squadron got under way in a
| hurry and sailed to the eastward. The
intention was to move on to Portland
and, if that had been carried out Ad-
miral Higginson. as it later developed
would have swung the balance of his
fighting force to that end of the coast
line as Pillsbury had intended he should
but which was not done on account OF
heavy seas running outside Cape Eliz
abeth. Hfgginson, however, DETECTED his
course back to Gloucester. after q
swing seaward. in response to a report
that the enemy had not been sighted
when it was believed he had been. bu1
in the last hours of the night Pillsbury
sailed toward Cape Ann from the out
side and, as it proved, right under the
| very guns of the defending squadron
Commander pillsbury when still out tt
sea, after maneuvering, headed straight
flor Salem harbor But the desired
| vantage point was never reached.
| When his boats had arrived off Mag
| nolia they were sighted by the sigma
station on Bakers island. A message
! was sent to the station at Rockpor
: here and the torpedo boat Barney wal
. sent out to notify the blue squadron
; | The station here had before this beel
, Informed that Higginson's battleship
had been sighted off Gloucester ant
that later they had returned to thei
! | berths under the lee of Harpers island
. The Barney's commander was mysti
, | fed therefore, when, rounding Straits
mouth. he saw no evidence of the pres
ence of the Kearsarge. On a hazard
| the Barney was Steered southerly. AZ
ter Higginson's ships had cruised Vi
. and down the coast. they went to tbei
anchor off Thatcher's island. At thi
!, time the officer on the deck of tn
KearSarge was Lieutenant Ray Stone
: Puleston as the junior officer in com
| mand. In contrast to others, the morn
! ing was clear and starbright On tn
bridge a dozen iackies stood upon tn
| lookout. One of these was DAME
Staehle, an apprentice of the first class
:, He stood well forward peering on tn
a lee side. The flagship was just fa1lin
s down into trough when he notifie
the ensign at MS size tndl he cOulQ Sc
a the enemy. The officer Of the dec
e called Lieutenant Evans and Flag Sec
: retary Bristol, and it was but the wor
a of moment to inform Admiral Hie
l. ginson of the probability that the tim
d for decisive action was at hand.
1t was rea, war then. General Qual
ters were sounded There was a quic
rush of many feet, the manning of
hundred posts. the clank of the anche
o chain, the ringing of bells, the giving {
,,~7o nd ri oriy For o.
ton. Not many moments passed befol
i the flagship was under way, steamin
d at IA knots. with the Alabama an
y Massachusetts many lengths in the rea
: Some distance back was the Barne,
r rapidly overhauling the ships ahead.
G At $40 O'Clock the three battleshiI
e aided by the converted yacht Scorpiol
: which had chased in from the south /
e time to be in at the finish, and IL
{ Barney. which had overtaken the flee
s | fo,rr,aad horseshoe abnllt the " hi