The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-04
VICTORY CLAIMED BY BOTH
NAVY'S ATTEMPT TO REACH
 LONG ISLAND SOUND.
Army Declares It Has Completely Frus- trated the Effort While the Navy Claims Otheryise-The ships Went Through the Race-Make Loop and Head for the Passage.

New London. Conn.,, Sept. 3. The third attack on the forts of the New London district took place this morn ing an hour after sunrise. The four battleships engaged were the Rear sarge, Massachusetts, Alabama and h. diana, and they concentrated their force gainst Fort Wright, Fishers Island, al- though Fort Michie at Gull Island, sided in the defence very effectively, the com manding officer claiming to have put the Massachusetts out of action at the beginning of the conflict. Fort Wright is considered the strongest fort on the coast and the contest was fierce and continuous, lasting just two hours. The army claims complete victory and 1t is said that the navy will make similar claims.
 | The warships had been in the vicinity of Block Island all the previous after noon and night, making an early start direct for Fort Wright. The ships came through The Race and when within firing distance the first ship, the Massa- chusetts, was greeted by the big guns at Fort Michie. Several shots were 1 fired and the Massachusetts gave prompt return without changing the di- rection of her course. After making a loop the ships went off toward The
 Race Suddenly turning they again at tackled the forts by similar movement
 but included tactical turn to attempt
 landing, one of the ships taking posi- ton inside the line of the other ships in order to cover the landing party. This move was frustrated, however, by the troops.
 During the manoeuvring of the bat
 tleships, the big guns and mortars bat
 teries were keeping up an incessant fire Land with force sufficient, says an army
 authority, to sink all the ships before
 the completion of the first attack.
 Navy men do not admit such condi-
 ton, but believe that they reduced Fort
 Wright on the first attack and com
 pletely annihilated the defenders on the
 second attack, when they bombarded
 the fort, although not within a regula-
 ton distance for effective bombarding.
 After the conflict the ships sailed out
 through the Race, and were reported al
 9:25 going into New Harbor, the maya
 base.
 From an unofficial but apparently re- liable source it was learned tonight that Admiral Higginson conceived 8 clever ruse in an attempt to catch the
 men at Fort Wright mapping, but he found them wideawake and watching It is said that the four battleshios un- der cover oe the darkness ran in frCn the vicinity of Block Island to the soutf side of Fishers Island. being hidder ; from view by the high promonitorJ known as Prospect Hill. Just as day } dawned the ships started on a quick trip to Fort Wright. The route ta!.er is rarely traversed by deep draugh 5 vessels, and is not considered saft F passage. There are 1-2 fathoms o1 water there at low tide. It was higl l water when Higginson came through.
 Inquiry at headquarters to-nigh brought a denial of the alleged ruse O Admiral Higginson, regarding the hid ing on the south side of Fishers Island at Prospect Hill and the going to For Wright by the passage between Rac Rock light and the point of Fisher } Island. The fact that the fleet huggec | well into the shore probably caused tn | | report.