Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08
Outcome Of 4 Mimic War OF
Maine Coast.
SIGHTED BY OLYMPIA
WHICH WAS CAPTURED By THE
E~ENEMY.n
Wireless Telegram Sent to the Kear-
sarge, However, Saved the Day
for Defenders

BAR HARBOR, Me-, August 8-The naval
search problem. which began last Wednes-
day noon. when Rear Admiral Barker took
UP the plan of defending the Maine coast
from hostile" feet which put to sea on
Monday under Rear Admiral Sands. ended
early today. when the Olympia, the flag
ship Of the defending feet discovered and
intercepted the white squadron Of the
enemy. headed at full speed for Winter
Harbor. The hostile vessels were running
In close order formation and had not the
fog lifted at a favorable moment it is
thought the enemy would have eluded those
on guard.
The Olympia was the furthest to the east
ward Of the defending ships and had been
occupying position twenty-five miles OUT
side Bakers Island for the greater part OF
three days. On board of her every man
and officer was keenly alive to the fact that
this morning, Of all since the search prob
lem commenced, was the most favorable to
the plans OF the attacking force A thick
fog bank which rolled In from the sea after
midnight made it impossible to cover the
ordinary cruising radius Of the Olympia and
all that the men on Admiral Deweys old
flagship could do was depend on their ears
and wait
Discovery Of the Enemy.
Shortly after o'clock the fog bank be-
gan to roll out to sea, and as the atmos-
phere cleared every man and officer on
the deck of the battle ship searched the
constantly enlarging field Of vision with
anxiety. Suddenly there was cry, re-
peated simultaneously from various parts
OF the Olympia's superstructure, There
they are, sir"
In an instant bugle notes rang out on the
Olympia, men rushed to quarters, and the
operator in the wireless telegraph room was
the discovery Of the fleet to Rear Admiral
Barker. The flagship, twenty-five miles
away, of Mount Desert Rock. caught the
sound waves and answered. In a few mo-
ments word came by the wireless that the
Kearsarge was on her way to aid the Olyn-
pia.
Meanwhile the latter vessel had found
herself in a predicament The fog, which
had been of advantage to the enemy.
proved of disadvantage to the Olympia, for
when 1t lifted andeAdmiral Sands vessels
were seem they were too close to the de-
Tending vesseln for'ilIer to escape. Under
the rules of the maneuvers she was over
powered by the superior force and could do
nothing but ru1 iupsthe white flag and con-
slider herself captured by the hostile squad
ron. ~ > ~ - -
saved. by the Wireless.
The conditions at this point, had 1t not
been for the Qlympia's wireless telegraph
equipment, Indicated. that Rear Admiral
Sands might Have reached an anchorage
in Winter harbor. .-e
1t was about $50 am. when the Ofym-
pia's wireless MESSAGE was received on the
Kearsarge. General quarters were sound
ed, and in remarkably short time the
Kearsarge was under way, followed in turn
by the Alabama and the Illinois. A num-
Der Of torpedo boat destfoyers and tugs
fell in behind the battleships as they rush
ed on to meet the hostile vessels. In an
hour the kearsarge and her consorts were
in sight of the enemy. - "