The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-28
Navy,s First Success.

"On Cape Eliza beth attempts at land
ing were successfully TepUlsed as we'll
as at Long island. but at old Fort
Georges. the unarmoTed sematted works
I'm the inner harbor. the navy scored
its first success. Here We're chartered
the men of the torpedo company who
were moi on duty, as we'll as a signal
and searchlight detail At BIS 4. m
party of 100 marines, lowed by a tor
pedo destroyer. succeeded in reaching
the port by taking advantage of a dark
section The port was abandoned inn
mediately. 1t has no value and forms
no part of the scheme of defense.
Fort Mckinley discovered a torpedo
destroyer and five cutters with $50 men
trying to land and seize the port. and
repulsed them with rapid-fire guns and
small arm fire of the arms of the
Maine infantry.
This closed the active operations for
the twenty flour hour period, and gave
time for much needed rest to the Off
GERS and men of the attack and de-
| Tense"
Stormed the Heights
! The next move of the navy for which
! the defenders were waiting proved dis
) astrous for the land forces. An at
/ lacking force of I. 400 jacl1ies and ma
rines which left the fleet in eighteen
ships boats and five steam launches.
! towed by the gunboats Scorpion and
/ Peoria. landed on the eastern point of
Long island. stoTmed the heights. cap
tured the slender garrison of 300 men
the two big sixty-inch searchlights and
the thirty-six-in searchlight, and
took entire possession of the island
for the navy forces. The attack was
led by Captain Wipnerton of the bat
tleShip Texas. The soldiers on shore
did not try to repel the attack unit
the naval force had landed, remaining
in ambush in he woods. AS the
jackies reached the shore the four six
Founders Of the land battery opened
hre. II was soon silenceG by the heavl
guns Of the Scorpion and Peoria. Thii
brought the affair 70 a climax and tn,
invaders were declared victors.
Precisely at 1885 this afternoon the bat
/ tie flags on seventeen vessels of Rea
Admiral Barker's superb fleet were flUnl
( to the southwest breeze blowing fresl
and strong up Portland harbor. and tn
long anticipated day attack was in prog
ress.
According to the decision Of the um
pires tonight. all the battleships wer
destroyed by the shore batteries as 500
; as they came within the prescribed S.0G0
! yard range and before they had fired
single shot. but this did not detract i
2 the least from the spectacular interes
: in the battle and for an hour the cannon
aiding was terrific
$ Big Ships in Action.
The vessels of the fleet began to leay
I the anchorage in middle bay early in tn
I afternoon and by the time they WEI
stripped for action, had formed in sir
gle file in a long line with Rear Admir-;
Barkers flagship, kearsarge, leading an
the others following at a distance
anout 300 yards apart and in this ordel
= I Battleships Illinois, Alabama, Texas
o cruisers. Chicago, Olympia. BaltimOl
/ and another; training ship Essex: crui'
: ers Yankee Topeka. Prairie; gunbo;
4 Scorpion: destroyers Worden. Stewar
e Truxton and Whipple The gunboat VII
er swung along about half way betweC
the Essex and Yankee. but several hui
dred yards further in-shore, rather tina
in the direct line.
As soon as they reached the SO00-yai
O limit the moTtars in Fort Mckinl'
2 opened fire For some moments the Tie
y was silent. but at last the kearsarR
I Illinois and Alabama swung their bro;
white sides shoreward and opened n
= with terrific fusillade on Fort Mcki
s ley. The example set by the battleshi
l. was soon followed by every vessel IN q
4 fleet. and as they steamed further dow
. the harbor all the forts oDened fire un
the whole coast seemed dotted with b
white puffs OF smoke rent by rap
II flashes OF flame
Al The cannonadiug carried on by DO
Il sides was incessant until the fleet. viii
r. had taken a very devious course. h
a given Williams. the last fort. chance
\ near range