Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-01
NAVAL MANEUVERS}
FORMER oTTuMWAN coxsWAIN
OF TRAINING SHIP YANKEE.
SENDS REPORT OF BIG WAR GAMES

Is Son of MIR. and Mrs. w. A. Moon,
21o North Market Street-EnIisted
in the Landsman Force Of the Navy
Three Years Ago.
W. A. Moon, former Ottumwa
boy, son of Mr.. and Mrs. w. A. Moon,
30 North Market street, who enlisted
in the landsmen training department
of the United States navy, three years
ago, and who is at present coXswain
on the famous flagship Yankee. has
sent to the Courier a copy of THE
Yankee" monthly paper published
aboard that vessel. The issue con-
tains a very clear and interesting ac-
count of the naval maneuvers. in
which the Yankee as a portion of the
North Atlantic fleet was engaged dur
ing the past summer.
The account is as follows:
The maneuvers which were held
this year on the New England coast
were divided into three parts: First,
the naval maneuvers; second, a review
of the fleet by the President, and,
third, the combined army and navy
maneuYers.
For the first part it was supposed
that the advance guard of an enemy
was approaching the coast with the in
tention OF Selling an unfortified har-
Dor to be used as base for the re
mainder of his feet which was to fol
low. The advance guard carried sub
marine mines and guns for landing
SO that if it could get into port and
remain there six hours unmolested it
would have the place fortified and
would be safe from attack. The home
squadron was to try to meet the adj
vance guard with a force superior be-
fore it could make itself secure. The
enemy consisted of the Texas, as flag
ship, the Massachusetts and the In
diana, with three destroyers.
The Home Squadron.
''The home squadron was made up
of everything else including tugs and
sailing vessels. It's object was to first
discover the enemy with its scouts
and then to meet him as quickly as
possible with superior force. To this
end strong battleship squadron was
kept together near the coast while
lighter vessels secuted further out to
sea covering the whole coast line
| Several of the ships were fitted out
with wireless telegraphy apparatus sc
that it was not necessary to keep with
! in sight of each other to communicate
but they could not be SO far apart that
the enemy could slip between without
being seen. 1t was at night that there
was the greatest danger of his getting
Through.
4 Coula Not Recognize Friend or Foe
THE experience of the Yankee
I shows how difficult it is to recogniz,
4 friend and foe in the darkness Firs
I the Culgoa, an innocent refrigerator
4 ship carrying fresh meat to the squad
| ron from New York was mistaken fol
the enemy and the signal she made tt
| disclose her identity brought the othel
scouts around her very quickly. Their
the Panther discovered the enemy il
three innocent fishing vessels tina
happened to be cruising about in com
! pany and signaled her discovery tt
the other scouts. The Yankee actins
on the old principle, sit is better tt
liullt5 lIlISty lIllOCClJt DSlSOlls
/ rather than to let one guilty person
escape"--a very good rule where there
are torpedo boats about-sank the
fishermen with blank cartridges first
and discovered afterwards that it wal
! all a mistake. Meanwhile the real en-
| envy had been discovered and captured
two days before on an altogether diff
1 ferent part of the coast. To the Olym
| phia belongs the honor of first sighting
him and with her wireless telegraph,
| Immediately notified the commander il
chief with the battleship squadron.
In Battle Formation.
"This steamed out in battle forma
ton and early in the morning sighted
the enemy, The signal x. G. e. was
| hoisted and the two fleets returned
| to Frenchman's Bay together, where
the remainder of the fleet joined then
at the expiration of the time set fol
this part of the maneuver.
When all were gathered in port
preparations were made to sail fol
! Oyster Bay, where the President was
| to review the fleet. Bunkers were
1 filled and the ships cleaned and paint
ed. The day set for sailing turned out
to be very foggy. About noon the sig
nal was hoisted to get under way ant
proceed to sea. The leading ships
cleared the harbor all right, but ne
fore the rear ships could follow the
fog shut down again thicker thar
ever.
Massachusetts Unfortunate.
Several vessels had very marrow
escapes, and at times it was more ex
citing than pleasant, but the Massa
chusetts was the only one unfortunate
| enough to strike. She touched on ;
rocky ledge just at the entrance t.
/ the harbor and her bottom plating wa
badly torn and dented. The inner bot
tom which is built in ships for jus
such occasions held, however, ant
she returned to her anchorage escort
ed by her sister ship, the Indiana
i This deprived the review of the pres
ence Of these two fine battleship
whose absence was very noticeable.
4 The Presidents Review.
i "The review began promptly OF
time, and as the Mayfiower steame,
out from Oyster Bay flying the Pres
dents flag the yards were manned an