Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-08-28
A MIMIC NAVAL WAR.
It Was Begun At Noon Yesterday
BY Two American Fleets.
INSTRUCTIONS TO The COMMANDERS

The Two Fleets Delegated sBius'' anG
"White," Admiral HIsginson Being %
the Head Of the First and Command
Or Pillseufy Of the Second.
Washington. Aug. 21.-The mimic
naval war began at noon yesterday.
Admiral Higginson and Commander
Pillsbury, in command of the rival
fleets, respectively, designated "blue~
and "white," the latter under COM
mand Of Commander Pillsbury, being
the attacking feet, were supplied
with confidential instructions which
went into effect at noon. The prob
lem for the white" feet, which 10
at sea, is to effect Q landing between
Portland, Me-, and Cape Cod before
August Is. To be successful the a.
lacking feet must seize some unde-
Tended anchorage between the points
named-Portland harbor being In
cluded, but not Casco bay-and hold
1t for six hours without being ousted
by superior force. The instructions
define the harbors seized as one that
must be capable Of gun and mine de-
Tense, with not less than six fathoms
Of water, anchorage for several large
ships, and in all respects suitable for
an advance base for an enemy's feet,
including heavy ships.
Under the instructions defining the
character Of the harbor he must
seize, Commander Pillsbury is con-
slderably restricted. The Prairie,
which is the heaviest draught ves-
sci in his feet draws slightly un-
der 20 feet; the Panther, IS feet ,
inches, and the Supply, 20 feet.
Naval officers here generally agree
that the chances against the white
squadron, In the game which Is on.
are very great and that practically
its only chance Of success will lie in
the existence Of heavy fog, under
cover Of which Commander Pills
bury might slip through the Gordon
Of scouts and reach an anchorage in
an undefended port. The distance
between Cape Cod, the southern ex-
tremity Of the coast defended by Ad
miral Higginson's feet, and Port
land, Me-, is only about 100 miles.
In addition to the torpedo craft and
his lightship, which he could use as
scouts and string along between
these points almost within signal
distance with each other, while tho
heavier ships were held together
ready to move at some central point,
Admiral Higginson has stationed en-
signs all along the shore to report
the enemy the instant 1t Is sighted.
These naval officers will be REIN
forced by oil marine observers along
the coast. TO win, the white
squadron must be in port for six
hours without being confronted with
superior force. Within that time
after the white squadron was sight
ed Admiral Higginson, If he held his
heavy ships midway between the two
extrcmites OF the line to be defend
ed, at Rockport for instance, could
reach his enemy by steamlng 10 or
II knots an hour. From Cape Ann,
which is just outside Of Rockport, to
Cape Cod is only 42H miles and from
Cape Ann to Elizabeth light, out
side of Portland, Is only IS miles,.
Another feature of the situation
which will initiate against the
chances of the white squadron Is
the instruction which requires Com
mander Pillsbury to enter IAN I'M
defended harbor,' one with deep wa
ter approaches" with six fathoms"
Of water, one capable Of defense by
gums and mines" and one In which
restrictions will confine him to at
least dozen harbors, among them
Portland Portsmouth, Rockport,
Salem and Provincetown. Many Of
the other places--like Newburyport,
Ipswich, Anniquan, Gloucester. Man
chester, Beverly, Marblehead, above
Boston, or Plymouth, Barnstable and
the other ports below-would not
be available. A full moon is also an
other factor against the enemy's
success. In the circumstances, the
naval experts generally agree that
an attempt to strike the coast DUR
ing the daytime would be foolhardy
for the attacking feet, but that at
night with very thick weather, IL
might be possible for Commander
Pillsbury, with his ships darkened,
to creep in, pass the scouts ana
quietly anchor without being report
ed until too late for Admiral Higgin-
son to reach him with q superior
force.
The speed Of Commander Pills
bury's fastest ship, the Prairie, Is
14.o knots; the Panther can make
10, but the Supply only eA, so that
II the feet Is kept together, as his
instructions direct, the speed of his
squadron cannot be more than its
slowest unit, namely 9H knots. II
sighted outside, therefore, by one Of
the swift torpedo boats, which make
from 20 TO rs knots an hour, the
scout could scoot away to the near