The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-27
NAVAL ATTACK ON PORTLAND.
splrltcd Engagement NJ DaN Wight
Elce, within sight Of the shore
TWO Hours Before Being DlscON cred
The SearchlightS Didn't Reveal u.


e Portland, Me, Aug. %. Rear Admiral
R,rkcrs Red Fleet made AN attack on the
,,ercrc,s of Portland at daybreak this
morning and there is "A pretty general belief
in his command that he captured the city,
Ggaratiyely, of course. Play it was, but
,yon worth seeing, and certainly enough
like the real thing to be interesting. IL
the men on the ships and the men in the
forts did not enjoy it, there were thousands
If others who did Early as the hour was,
when the battle was begun they lined the
shores OF mainland and islands and wit
rasseI the struggle between fleet and forts.
For two hours before full daylight the
botrleshp division, under the immediate
Command of Rear Admiral Barker, lay
within sight of the shore observation sta
fans and batteries, but just out of range,
Although searchlights played upon the
white sides and ycllowish superstructurcs
Of the great armorclads looming up from
the water, those on shore were unable
70 detect the enemy's presence. 1t was
not until an hour after the first pink streaks
of dawn peeped above the eastern horizon
that the army was certain of the prox-
unity OF the foe
The dav was misty and real daylight
Gd not come until 400 o'clock. The Red
Fleet had run down to Portland from Seguin
Island, where it had anchored at $50 o clock
on Monday night, six hours after it left
Rocklaud just at midnight on Tuesday
the vessels Of the fleet got under way and
started If westward in the direction of
Portland They had been cleared for
action for many hours and all lights had
been shut off or screened, excepting one
forward and one aft on each ship. The
battle matches were screwed down, the
battle ports were on, and every open hatch
wav covered to prevent the escape of ray,
Of light from below. 1t was a black night.
dreary. drizzy and full Of cold mist
Darkness of the Stygian quality prevailed.
Through this gloom the fleet picked its
way at moderate speed, led by the Kear-
sarge The Illinois. which followed the
flagship, had only the after light of that
vessel to go by. The Alabama, next in
line, was guided by the after light of the
Illinois and so on throughout the column.
Cut of the darkness, away off in the distance
n first, but gradually growing nearer,
tho combined glow of Porland's lights
doomed up. Up from the western horizon
flashed the gleams of the electric search
lights of the army seeking for the approach
ing foe.
Two hours after leaving Seguin Island
The fleet came within the range of the re-
factor beams shot out from the shore
stations. A ray Of white light would strike
full upon the body and upper works of a
ship and bring her into full view. Then
the light would be withdrawn and go rang
ing of in another direction. II was evil
dent that the searchlights were ineffective,
even at less than three miles In fact. it
took good strong daylight to show the
presence of the ships TO those at the forts.
s. intense was the glare from the shore
stations that newspaper print could be
Z'ead without difficulty by people on the
en-ofwar.
It was about go o'clock in he morning,
when tho Leading warship, the kearsarge.
Name to a stop three miles from port, and
meanwhile the fleet divided. Rear Adj
Sniral Coghlan, with tho cruisers Olympia
and Baltimore. both participants in the
hattie Of Manila Bay; the gunboats New
port and Vixen and the dest rovers WorCe n
and Stewart, went of to the northward
and eastward 10 pass into Hrssey Sound
and attempted TO force that ship channel
which lies between Peak S Island and Long
Island, where later in the day q he battalion
If marines from tho Pant hcr made an
attack on the Second Marine Infantry,
camped there. Taking a wido range 10
81 rI ha Dc
ADMIRAL Sands, consisting of tho battle
ship Texas the cruiser Chicago and 'he
training ship Hartford. drew near 10 Cape
Elizabeth and, beginning as far south as
Richmond Island. put out of business the
signal stations and searchligh,s and fire d
over IN" cape at Fort Williams
Meanwhile the squadron under Rear
admiral Wise. consisting Of the cruisers
Yankee, Topeka and Prairie. the training
ships Essex and Alliance, and the tug Nina
had gone down to Middle Bay. where the
fNHt Is now anchored. and had taken pos
session of il for base Of operations. TO
do this he found il necessary to demoish
h" signal stations on Orr's Island. Haskel's
Island and other places, and sent guards
aShor" TO hold them.
The gunboat Scorpion had gone through
N" channel between Gushing Island and
ape Elizabeth before daybreak. She had
taken up The mines in the channel to clear
a way for the main battleship division be-
Tor" being discovered. Close as she was
7" IN" Searchlight-. they failed 10 pick her
Hp for long time, but she was detected
Ultimately and count ed out
IN" destroyer Tr1IXton, which went
ahead to take up mines, so that he battle
"hp division could get through had better
0uck. She actually sneakcd in right under
no searchghts and anchored off Cushing
Island right under the guns of Fort Levett,
and'h"n, withtwo boats ont began counter
INNING II is claimed by the navy hat she
accomplished her object before being dis
covered When detected Just before day
hreak, she took in her boats and started to
run away. One of the boats was counted
"n 10y the umpires, but the Truxton and the
"'her boat were regarded AZ having es-
capped, Not so fortunate was the glnboat
Peoria, which also countermined for the
haltIesmps, She was discovered early
and counted out.
I)aybreak came and found the bait leshp
squadron two and half miles off Gushing
Island and Portland Head, It was not
nh'l' 20 that Fort Leavitt fired the first
gun Then the battle began in earnest.
N"amng ahead Of the Illinois, the Kear-
Sarg" engaged at close range Then the
Illinois ran up and slowed down; so did
'Ne Alabama. Admiral Barker's plan was
hn,s. L.