The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-31

ga cement which lasted for three hours
this morning Two phases of the ma
| neuvers We're worked out and in both
the army umpires claimed victory The
| first, tho attempt to land a force, was
begun shortly after o'clock and was re-
pulsed with heavy losses. The second
| phase was the attempt to run the bat
tcries and was begun in the gray of the
| dawn. The army claims that the vessels
! r this attempt were destroyed by gun
| fire and the mines.
| The discovery was made that the pow
| eTful searchlights were able to penetrate
| the fog and the vessels of the ATTACKING <
| fleet were picked up at a distance of
| 10000 yards.
War Ships Put Out of Business.
| Portland Me-. August 27.-The events
and developments in the war game today
were considered the most important since
the hostile fleet first appeared off Port
land. The navy made grand coup in
the capture of Long Island in the fore
| noon, while the army made a spectacular
play In the destruction of all the seven
I teen opposing ships that attacked the
coast defenses In the afternoon. The
navy, however seems to have had a
little the better of it. for. strange as it
| may seem. the capture of Long Island
was considered more important than the
destruction of the seventeen vessels
Long Island has been declared out of
the game until tomorrow at . O'Clock and
mus the big searchlights will not be
working. which will be of almost inesti-
mable value to the navy. on the other
hand, after sunset the DESTROYED war
shlps went back into commission again
An attacking force of 400 tackles and
marines which left the fleet in eighteen
boats and five steam launches towed by
the gunboats Scorpion and Peoria landed
on the eastern points Of Long Island.
sformed the heights, captured the slender
garrison or 300 men, the two big eO-inch
searcAlights and the 36-inch searchlieht
ana TOOK entire possession of the island
lot the navy forces. The attack was led
by captain Swinnerton, of the battle ship
1exas. The soldiers on shore did not re-
pei the attack until the naval force had
landed, remaining in ambush in the woods
AS the jackies reached the shore the four
6-pounders of the land battery opened fire.
1t was soon silenced by the heavy guns
of the Scorpion and Peoria. This brought
the affair to n climax and the invaders
were declared victOrs.
The land force was under command Of
Major Striker, Of the heavy artillery
regulars, and consisted of six companies
Of Maine national guard, detachmentS
from various companies of the Eighty
Fifth and One Hundred and Twentieth
regular artillery regulars from the third
battalion engineer corps, Washington. y.
c., signal corps men and hospital corps
men. The attacking force included men
from every battle ship and cruiser of the
fleet and the Maine naval reserves.
The long expected day attack was
made this afternoon by Admiral Bankers
squadron of seventeen vessels.
According to the decision of the UNI
pires today all the battle ships We're de-
stroyed by the shore batteries as soon
as they came within the prescribed 5000
yards range and before they had fired n
single shot, but this did not detract in the
least from the spectacular interest in the
battle and for an hour the cannonading
was terrific.
The vessels of the fleet began to leave
the anchorage in middle bay early in the
afternoon and by the time they were
stripped for action. had steamed in single
file In a long line. with Rear Admiral
Bankers flagship Kearsarge leading ana
the others following a a distances of about
800 yards apart
AS soon as they reached the 500 yard
limit. Fort Mckinley opened fire For
some moments the fleet was silent, but
at last the Kearsarge Illinois and Ala
bama swung their broad white sides
shoreward and opened with a terrific
fusillade on Mckinley. The example set
by the battle ships soon followed by
every vessel in the fleet.