Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-26
STORMED THE PORT
Three Big Battleships Entere d
 Portland HarboP.
WAS LIKE ACTUAL WARFARE

The Sights Inhabitants of Portland
 Were Treated to Last Night and
 Early To-Day--In Spite of Opposi-
 ton from Shore the Kearsarge, Hi
 nois and Alabama Got Into Port.
 Portland, Me- Aug 25.-Through dense smoke and amid the tumult of continuous cannon fire the battleships Kearsarge, Illinois and Alabama enter ed this port early to-day having storm ed the main entrance to the harbor in connection with the great war game Which is going on this week in this vii cinity. From midnight when the scouts of the hostile fleets were discov- cred by the vigilant pickets of the army on shore until daylight, when the battleships came laundering up the channel, Portland was treated to an experience very much like actual war fare. This continued until after o'clock, the battleships entering the inner harbor in spite of the opposition of the fort batteries and the guns be- hind the Notifications manned by regu- lars in the vicinity of the city. The warships apparently engaged in the different defending points, and after a time passed on. As they did so the forts one after another ceased firing until only an occasional gun was heard. The battleships sailed back and forth in the inner harbor. The smoke of the conflict rising slowly dis closed them as they steamed about. At length they turned, and passing to- wards the entrance to the bay, began cruising among the islands.
 Where the victory, if any, rests is not apparent to shore observers for while the battleships passed the. forts and other defenses, the firing was ter rife 1t made it seem that only the umpires, acting under the rules and considering the points" as army naval experts could determine the re suit.
 The night was a sfeepless one, not only for all actually engaged in the maneuvers but for many in the city. It was scarcely midnight when the searchlights of the forts disclosed two torpedo boat destroyers in the outer harbor. Firing began at once and then ceased. An hour later the pres l Ience of battleship was revealed by lthe searchlights and several of the forts opened fire upon her. The yes l sel returned the fire and after that cannonading became general. A cut ter and launch containing landing par ties were captured and at 2:25 a. ID. all 1.-the outer forts were engaged in action with the three big vessels. which af- terward were recognized as the Rear sarge, Illinois and Alabama.
 l While two torpedo boat destroyers and other small craft had been detail ed to the duty of threatening the varl- ous passages oftthe harbor, the move ment against the main channel had been reserved for the battleships. For more than an hour the big vessels stood off the main entrance to the har- l bor. At 4 o'clock they began the ad- vance. With the Kearsarge leading. and the Illinois and Alabama close be- hind, each belching broadsides at the forts. They sailed slowly towards the \ city. Forts Williams, Preble and Le- witt poured uninterrupted fire towards the ships. But with their sides belch- ing forth smoke and fire and with battle flags flying the great sea fighters passed on. Tn turn each ship seemed I to concentrate fire on one fort after another until the vessels had reached I the inner harbor As the ships crept ] on. past the forts the firing ceased
 slowly and by o'clock the echo of guns at the eastern side of the bay. where a minor engagement was going on, was all that could be heard. I The battleships then maneuvered for a time as if making demonstra- l ton against the city itself, but firing
 was not resumed. Then they went l back toward the outer harbor, where I they began cruising about among the | islands
 Early in the forenoon tho scene oe , action shifted to the passage into H1ls- sey's sound between Peaks and Long l Island. From this vicinity great clouds Sof smoke were arising and the roar of 1 many guns was heard and the Olympia Admiral Dewey's old flagship, appear ed leading a fleet against the trcmend-
 ous strength of Fort Mckinley As at
 the main entrance they came in slowly.
 The Olympia was closely followed by the famous Baltimore There were ] four other vessels in this fleet, the principal one being the training ship Newport. The others were the con-
 vected yacht Vixen, which has been seen in port several times this summer l Werdon and Stewart
 For a time the firing was as violent as that marking the passage of the bat tleships Then the action ceased sud- denly and the Olympia and Baltimore came to anchor just off Cook island in l the direction of Little Cheboague the Newport got further in back of Great Diamond and well off Indian cove; the Vixen was anchored near at hand. onIv little further in toward the city and the two torpedo boat destroyers took positions almost under Fort George. Later the Kearsarge, Illinois and Ala bama anchored not far from Fort George and for a time, at least, hostil- ities were suspended.
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