The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-05
A DASH THROUGH THE RACE
SENDS FIVE VESSELS
 INTO THE SOUND.

That Reported Accident to
 the BrookIym Was Rusc by the Navy
 to Throw the Army on Its Guard
 Cruiser Led the Other Warships
 Through the Passage at About 10
 o'clock Last Night.
 Fishers Island, N. T., Sept. 4.-At five minutes after ten o'clock tonight a general alarm rang out over Fort Wright and all the troops were called to arms. At that hour searchlight No. picked up the cruiser Brooklyn as she was speeding to the westward toward The Race. At first 1t was supposed that the cruiser was on her way to New York for repairs, but she came so close to the island that a warning shot was fired, and to the surprise of the officers she replied vigorously. This action leads to the belief that the reported ac- cident to the Brooklyn has been exag- gerated by the navy officials for the purpose of throwing the defenders or the fort off their guard.
 The firing had been on but few mo- ments when the Olympia was sighted closely following the Brooklyn, and she, too, opened up with every available gun on the forts. After these two vessels passed in through The Race three bat tleships were picked up by the search lights, and fears that a landing would be made caused the officers to send the rof cyfI11 to the dock, the only safe place atwhich a landing can be made. | The battleships were soon recognized as the Kearsarge, Massachusetts and 1 Alabama, and they were proceeding to- ward The Race in the order named. As they passed the forts they opened fire. Every gun at Fort Wright was now blazing away, and Forts Terry and
 Michie were also making valiant at- l tempt to put the ships out of business.
 The range was about four thousand
 yards. The dense smoke both from the guns of the battleships and forts now
 enveloped the former. The ships soon took advantage of this and scudded away through The Race. At 11:15 the
 ten-inch emplacement announced that the ships had anchored five miles of the island to the westward. .. / | The second relief was hurriedly re- IcalIed five minutes later. It Is the be lief here that the maneuvers of the fivt ships was for the purpose of keeping the attention of the defenders to tht west end of the island while an attemp will be made to land party on the eas lend. .>-s @>>.9 I It Is confidently expected that aiidat tempt will be made to land tonight ant
 every preeautfoll has been taken to re pei the invaders. The ships to the west
 ward will be kept in sight by tn
 searchlights, and the troops will no
 assemble at that part of the island un
 til it becomes evident that that is tn
 point which the navy really intends t
 attack.
 At midnight Forts Terry and Michi
 were firing an occasional shot witt
 their long-range guns.
 The first shot was fired at 10:10 fror
 a 10-inch gun, and the order to ceas firing was given at 11:15. The shir were. therefore, under an incessant fir for exactly one hour and five minute The 6-inch battery fired 116 shot all tol' The 10-inch battery fired 31 shots at tt Brooklyn and seven at the Olympi The mortars were brought into play 0 the battleships.
 The Olympia turned her searchligh | on the range finders station and ft some time made it impossible for tf t men stationed there to use their tel, scopes.
 The men on duty are ready at m 5 ment's notice to man the guns and u \ second relief is sleeping besides the g firearms.
 p