New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-22
NIGHT FAVORS ENEMY.
HIGGINsON FEARS DESCENT UNDER
COVER OF CLOUDS.
HE LEARNS THAT PILLsBURY HAS SPIES
ASHORE-ACTIVITY OF DEFEND
ERS REDOUBLED-

Rockport Mass Aug. 22.-At midnight thir-
ty-six hours had passed Of the possible I-o Tor
the naval conflict between the attacking squad
ron in charge of Commander Pilsbury. and the
defending squadron, commanded by Rear Al
rniral Higgnscn. After a day devoid OF sensa-
tons the night, thick and cloudy, with the
moon obscured developed 50 many confusing
situations and so many extraordinary reports
that the defending squadron had cause for grave
uneasiness Somehow the feeling grew that
n would not be such difficult attainment after
all for the White squadron to slip in and anchor
at some harbor, protected by the inviting dark
ness
Perhaps the greatest danger to Admiral Hig-
ginson was that of yielding TO the temptation
to withdraw the Kearsarge and go in search
Of the enemy, reported sighted at many
points Early in the night the station on the
Isles Of Shoals informed the nearest mainland
point by torches that a large strange two
masted craft had been sighted outside the
shoals.
Admiral Higginson's system of signals worked
to perfection Almost in a moment, ii seemed,
the destroyer Decatur was signaled from Ports
mouth to pursue the mysterious vessel, and IN
another moment the Decatur. with the smoke
belching from her four great stacks. was plough
ing furiously through the heavy seas The
stranger fed full speed. and this led to the
decision that she was of the attacking fleet
on scout duty
At II o'clock came another report Of strange
ship sighted south Of Eastern Point light,
Gloucester Admiral Higginson at once ordered
the torpedo boat Bagley to Investigate, but the
Bagley found, to her surprise, that it was the
cruiser Brooklyn. which had come down from
her northern station pursuant to the privilege
extended by Admiral Higginson.
The reason the admiral steadfastly refused to
| leave his anchorage in the harbor here was that
| he dared not leave Rockport exposed TO the
| enemy which, taking advantage of the needless
| passage of the defending battleships to another
| port might easily creep in and drop anchor at
! the very heart of the operations of the Blue
| Souadron It all these considerations that
| forced Admiral Higginson to decide that only
| the surest authority would he leave the Rock
| port station TO join other members Of his squad
| ron IN the work of putting the enemy out of
action.
The complications which developed to-day in
the shape OF undoubted news that Commander
P,lIshurv had secretly landed Of his
| cers 70 spy on the Blue Squadron served only to
| increase the perpexity of Admiral Higginsons
| nos,,ton and this reported shore system Of spy
| ing was one of the things which led the Admiral
| to establish the new signal station off Straits
/ mouth Point and also to remove his ships. as he
/ did early in the evening, 10 point just inside
| Thatcher's Island. In the early morning the
/ position of these boats had not changed The
| Kearsarge held the outer berth and the Massa-
| chusetts was innermost.
All conditions at the beginning of the day
| were favorable TO the defending fleet, as IL
would be inviting detection were Commander
| Pillsbury to attempt to approach the coast
under the cioudless sky and with absolutely no