New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-06
GUARDING MAINE COAST.
FLEET TAKES POSITION.
On Lookout for "Enemy"- Fog
WW Favor the Latter.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRlBUNE.l

Bar Harbor Me, Aug. 5.-Rear Admiral Bar
ker the commander of the feet which will de-
fend the New England coast against the attack
Of the enemy under the command OF Rear Ad-
rnral Sands put out of this port at sunrise this
morning just forty-eight hours after the enemy.
In the feet Of the enemy are the battleships
Texas Indiana and Massachusetts and two de-
stroyers. In Admiral Barker's fleet the
battleships Kearsarge. Illinois, Alabama. the
cruisers Olympia. Baltimore. Topeka. Yankee.
Prairie: the destroyers Dale. Chauncey. Deca-
tur Barry Cambridge Stuart. Worden, and the
auxiliary vessels Hartford. Chesapeake, AL
lianc. Vixen. Scorpion. Peoria and Nina.
I-pon this feet viii depend the safety of New
England for the next five days. for if Admiral
sands gets into any port from Eastport to Cape
Cod. the enemy Will have the base from which
the whole Of the group Of States might be con-
trolied Practically this entire strip of coast is
being pauolled by some one of the fleet, and
communication can be carried on from number
az the ships by wireless telegraphy. Besides
there will be signal stations along the coast
The government has had the Geographic wire
from, Bakers Island TO the shore put into con-
ditfon This wire was first used in the Spanish
war. The central Office for the squadron is Bar
Harbor. and here are stationed the flag secre-
tary of the feet Lieutenant Johnston. and Lieu
tenant Evans, OF the Hartford
Just where the feet is tonight is of course
a matter Of conjecture. Yet indications here
seem to point that the fighting force of the de-
tending feet is not far of. The officers of the
defending feet are inclined to think that Ad-
IniraI Sands viii try TO take Bar Harbor, and
so there viii be enough vessels kept close to her
10 overwhelm him If he attempts an entrance.
This is a good place to get into especially in
foggy weather. The channels are deep, and the
barbor can be reached from two sides. One side,
however, has been cut off by statoning the sail
ing vessels Chesapeake and Alliance at East
Lamoine. up near the coalng station. The tug
Nina came in this morning about 1870 with the
mail orderlies, and she is expected in again to-
morrow morning.
There is good reason TO believe that the fight
ing force Of the friendly fleet is very near If
not at Penobscot Bay. The sky here tonight is
overcast, and as the wind is from the east
there IS a good chance for heavy fog to blow
IN. It is generally believed that Admiral Sands's
chances for q victory very good in case of
a fog. To win the enemy will have to be in
harbor for five hours without being discovered
and met by force sufficient to whip him. 1t is
not necessary TO have his entire fleet with him.
The game viii last until noon Monday, when
the ships viii return for coal.
Rockland, Me. Aug. 5.-The torpedo boat de-
stroyer cambridge anchored just inside the
breakwater here this afternoon, but she
NAMED only an hour. The cambridge is patrol
ling between Bar Harbor and Monhegan, with
Rockland as a central port.
A signal station has been constructed at
Lanes Island. vinalhaven- It is connected
with Rockland by cable. All the lighthouses
have been instructed TO watch, for the enemy
and report to the defending squadron.
Portland Me. Aug. "a large cruiser was
reported off Portland this morning about six
miles inside of Halfway Rock, evidently scout
ing.
Machias Ne, Aug. 5.-Three battleships were
sighted off Machas Libby Island at $50 p m,
moving west and two torpedo boat destroyers
were maneuvring among the islands of the
inner harbor at the same time. The vessels are
supposed 70 be part OF the defending feet.