New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-27
BOTH CLAIM VICTORY.
HOT FIGHT At PORTLAND.
General Chafee Shot by His O7cn
Men, Torpedo,s Dash, Ships Sunk.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1nrNr.I

Try TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNF.I
Portland, Me, Aug. 26.-Daybreak this morn
ing witnessed the first conflict in the game
Skirmishes early in the evening were followed
by grand dash by the battleships Kearsarge,
Alabama and Illinois straight through the main
ship channel in the teeth OF the fire of the forts
and straight into the harbor. For two hours
the guns of the fleet and shore were booming,
and it was daylight before the last shots were
exchanged. The army says that great victory
has been won, alleging the destruction of the
fleet by mines and gunffre. The fleet will
say that the Searchlights, which guided the
shots of the army were destroyed by the sec
ondary batteries of the fleet. and that the fire
control station and headquarters were similarly
wiped out
The navy might also say, if it chose, that
General Chafee was dead, for ne faced the con-
centrated fire of a company of his own troops.
that is, Maine volunteers. for some time last
night.
Aside from the technical question last nights
conflict was most spectacular. From a senti-
mental point of view. the most striking thing
was the reappearance of Farragut's old flagship
the Hartford. in the battle line. When the
great modern battleships, headed by the Kear-
sarge, swept up the channel to destruction so
The army says. to victory, according to the
navy the shore searchIights fell upon the old
wooden ship, her decks cleared for action and
her men standing at quarters. her battle flag
aloft, just as she entered Mobile with Farragut
in the shrouds nearly forty years aeo--ss
Cease firing; spare Farraguts ship shout
ed Major Whistler, commanding the shore bat
teries. and the old craft passed on unscathed
by all the theoretical volleys that rained upon
her sisters.
TORPEDO BOATS DASH
The most daring feature of the fight was the
dash of the torpedo boat Truxton up Whitehead
passage, a dash that nearly succeeded and
would have resulted in cutting all the ca bIes
and fire control wires of the forts. Here also
was headquarters. and beneath a high cliff a
channel runs into the harbor.
1t was about o'clock when an astonished
sentry saw the fleet torpedo boat within a
stones throw of the commander in chiefs head
quarters, coolly scudding along at a twenty-five
knot clip His shout of dismay brought out a
dozen officers, and mighty rush of orders fol-
lowed Major Whistler, from the roof of a shack.
growing fairly purple with excitement the
little boat passed toward the cables. Then
the infantry turned out and wildly scrambling
down the rocks opened on the boat with rifles
second later FOUNDER on the shore
chmed in, and that ended the rush 1t
narrow call. and the daring Of the attempt drew
admiration from the army.
The affair with the torpedo boat and the little
searchlights at range of one hundred yards,
that essayed to come up the main channel at
ZIG o'clock were premnaries to the main fight.
FIRE ON THEIR GENERAL.
General ChaTee hastened to the scene of op-
erations on the Kanawha When the generals
yacht off Fort Levett volunteer patrol
suddenly sighted it and began blazing away
merriy at the commander.
Although theoretically hors du combat Gen
eraI Chaffee scrambled up the rocky shore and
hastened TO Whitehead. AS he climbed up the
cliff and looked out to sea the general beheld
the most remarkable spectacle Against a cloud
which reflected the searchlight. he saw the whole
fleet lying ten thousand yards away. This dis
cOvery at such range is regarded one of
the most wonderful results ever achieved with
a searchlght.
Even the general was watching them the
ships began to move, and soon loOmed up in the
gray of the dawn, with battle flags hoisted and
the flagship Kearsarge ahead.
Presently at extreme range the great mortars
at Fort Preble opened fire. shaking the windows
for miles around and sending people wonder
and so all along the line, from Forts Levett,
Williams and Prebe, the batteries opened. The
battleships busy also and through the
mists of the morning the flame of their volleys
could be plainly seen.
BATTLEsHIPS SUNK
Swiftly passing the lower forts, the ships head
ed into the narrow ship channel, sown with
mines Farragut's famous order, Damn the
torpedoes; go aheadr' Rear Admiral Bar
ker's sentiment. and in few moments the fleet
was over mine field. First the Kearsarge was
sunk by the explosion of mine beneath her,
then the Illinois ran afoul of contact mine, and
was also a wreck. The Alabama remained. and
she was quickly destroyed by the combined fire
of the forts.
Meantime the fleet was quite oblivious of its
destruction for il calmly sailed into the harbor
firing into the rear of the forts. Far into the
harbor the ships steamed and. when just abreast
of the breakwater. they turned in wide circle
and sailed out again. destroyed but undisturbed
This ended the nights conflict, and the fleet
withdrew to the north, taking shelter behind
the clusters Of islands
While these conflicts had been raging there
had been two minor attempts TO land parties
one TO the north at Long Island, and one to the
south at Two Lights. In both instances the
attack developed too strong opposition and all
retired precipitately. Later in the morning an
intercepted wireless message reported that the
Olympia was aground. bet hour later
Dewey's flagship was seen heading out and the
report was dscredited In the afternoon the
Continued second page.
Jandy,arls ~ History On the fsrnad Hudson ha..