The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-11
MANEuvERs 10 cosT s1,Ooo,OOO.
Fleet That VIII Assemble OFF Guile
bra In December.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
Comparatively few people know that
Uncle Sam is planning winter naval ma
neuvers in the Caribbean sea to the
tune Of a round million dollars. The sum-
mer maneuvers off New England ana
Long Island were so much nearer home
that in the general interest they arous-
ed the Porto Rican plan has been rather
overlooked. The warships have taken
their turn one after another In the ory-
dock to be groomed and freshly equip
ped for the coming operations.
December is the date arranged oy the
navy department for the operations to
begin and for two months the entire
force will be busy with attack ana de-
| tense. Although the department mas
been forced to drop from the original hsl
a few warships that have been crippled
by accident, 1t is certain that the nee'
will be the largest and most powerfu.
ever assembled under the stars ano
| Stripes, whether for purposes OF peace OF
war The list as at present arranged In
cudes the following ships Of various
| classes: Arethusa, Alabama Albany,
Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, CINCINNATI
Cugoa, Detroit, Eagle, Gloucester, HIST
illinois, Indiana, Iowa. Kearsarge Mas
sachusetts, Machias, Marietta, Montgom-
cry, Maine, NaS0Nlllot 4NCWdA NJ OiJ ANRAe-s
San Francisco, Scorpion, Texas, Topeka,
Vixen, Wasp, Yankton, Raleigh and
Panther. The golfers in the fleet will be
the Leonidas, Hannibal. Sterling. Leb-
anon Ajax and Brutus, and the follow
ing tugs will also serve as auxiliarles;
Apache, Leyden, Potomac and Osceola'
A large torpedo-boat flotilla will en-
gage in the maneuvers, among the ships
of this type so far assigned being the
Bagley, Birney, Biddle, Decatur, Stock
ton, Thornton, Truxton and Wilkes. To
assemble these ships it will be neces-
sary to consolidate the North Atlantic
the South Atlantic and the European sta
tons under one head.
The fleet is scheduled to arrive on No
vember 20 off the Island Of Culebra
which will be the base of operations and
which, it is expected, will prove the
most available headquarters in future
for the West Indian naval station. AS an
island, Culebra doesn't amount to much.
It take a pretty detailed map to show 1t
at all, and then 1t is merely a dot in the
sea- 1t was ceded with the island of
Vieques by Spain in the treaty of Paris,
and was not considered worth mention
ing but was included in he general
designation, porto Rico and adjacent is
lands" Even in Porto Rico the people
hardly know of its existence
None the less, 1t is beautiful little
| island, as the writer FOUND, When by
| courtesy of Captain Mentz, command
ant of the San Juan navy yard, he ac-
companied Lieut.. B. b. Mccormick OF
the United States steamship Potomac on
trip to and over Culebra. On the rides
over the island Lieut., Leon Harding,
commandant of the United States marine
camp, and Mrs. Harding were of the
party The island lies between the east
ern end of Porto Rico and the island Of
St. Thomas and IT miles from the latter.
It is a bunch of picturesque hills rang
ing in height from 100 to $50 feet. The is
land proper is approximately seven miles
long and three miles wide Reckoned as
part of 1t are several small islets, North
east island, one mile long and two and
one-half miles from the mainland, and
Culebrita about the same size, and three
| and one-quarter miles away. The latter
bears perched on 3O0-foot bluff light
house whose fixed white 18th can be seen
| q miles out at sea.