The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-28
BIG FLEET DESTROYED.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE,

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)
taken very devious course, had given
Williams, the last fort chance at near
range. 1t was spectacle. pure and sim
pie, long, striking procession, and no at
tempt was made to force any passages.
land any parties or employ strategy. Final
ly, just as the sun was setting, the naval
forces desisted from attack and put out
to sea.
EARLIER ENGAGEMENTS.
AT daybreak, after night of considerable
activity, both sides in the war game i'm
progress off this port were resting. Vari-
Gus movements made by vessels represent
ing the enemy had been met promptly by
the men who manned the forts and other
narbor defenses and several attempts at
landing by forces of the fleet had been re-
pulsed. The operations last night and this
morning were conducted entirely by the
cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers.
Desultory firing continued from S:15 until
clock. but shortly after dawn the fleet
retired TO the rendezvous off HarpweIl.
yesterdays anchorage grounds, and the
land troops were waiting for the next move.
The movements during the night and
early to-day were summed up in a dis
patch from Colonel Mills. commanding the
artillery district. to Brisadier General
Barry. ''At 2 o'clock daring, though reck-
less attempt at forcing a landing on Cush-
ings island was made by $50 marines and
blue jackets in cutters towed by launches
sells of the fleet. The landing party was
promptly discovered, however, and were cut
to pieces by rapid fire machine guns and
small arms fire, and the supporting squa-
dron lost two unarmOred cruisers and a
destroyer in the foolhardy undertaking. On
Cape Elizabeth attempts at landing were
successfully repulsed, as well at Long
island, but at old Fort Georges the un-
armored cemented works in the inner har-
bor, the navy scored a success. Here were
quartered the men of the torpedo company,
rl1p xynr mn m a W. n <fo nd
searchlight detail. At 3:15 a. m party
of 100 marines towed by a torpedo destroyer
succeeded in reaching the post by taking
advantage of a dark section. The post was
abandoned Immediately and has no value
and forms no part OF the scheme Of de-
fense.
and five cutters, with $50 men, trying to land
and seize the post, and repulsed them with
rapid-fire guns and small-arm fire Of the
Maine infantry. This closed the active op-
erations for the twenty-four- hour period and
gave time for much-needed rest to the off,
GERS and men of the attack and defense.
1.-The next move of the navy, for which
the defenders were waiting, proved disas-
trous for the land forces. An attacking
force of 1.400 jackies and marines, which
left the fleet in eighteen shipboats and five
steam launches, towed by the gunboats
Scorpion and Peoria landed on the eastern
point of Long island, stormed the heights.
captured the garrison of three hundred men,
two big sixty-inch searchlights and the
thirty-six-inch searchlight. and took entire
possession of the island for the navy forces.
The attack was led by Captain Swinnerton,
OF the battleship Texas The soldiers on
shore did not try to repel the attack un-
til the naval force landed, remaining in am
bush in the woods. AS the jackies reached
the shore the four six-pounders of the land
battery opened fire. 1t was soon silenced
by the heavy guns of the Scorpion and Pc
oria This brought the affair to climax,
and the invaders We're declared victors.'
Then came the attack which resulted In
the destruction" of the whole fleet.