The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-06
MIMIC NAVAL WAR BEGINS.
urrr>CE SQUADRON LYING
.Or,THW EST or BAR HARBOR.
rot. News That Admiral Sands Is steamins
rewards the Coast and 10 Waiting for
wireless Reports From scouts-LonS
G,ast Line Uncovered The Game.


nan HAspos, Me-, Aug. 5.-What is
,.o,r, as 4The Search Problem marking
~. frat phase OF the summer war games.
,.,s hep,In az noon to-day when Rear Adj
.,,irl BARKER, commanding the Home
nosorce or Blue Squadron, received official
i,,sorpoation that the squadron OF the enemy
',ndsr Rear Admiral Sands had been sighted
t,o DAYS ago steaming toward the New
I,uland coast. Admiral Barker got this
news at his present anchorage. His ships
cIsared from here at daylight this morning,
,,d when the information about his OPP
nonsnt was delivered to him, the defence
soet was anchored out at sea about mid
wav between Bar Harbor and Penobscot
Raw upon which are situated Belfast,
Rucksport, Castine and Rockland.
The position Of the defence feet is prob
,hlv thirty miles to the southwest OF Bar
uarbor. Admiral Barker evidently be-
Heves that tho enemy's formation, officially
known as the White Squadron, expects to
attempt the capture Of a port on the Maine
coast. He must feel pretty certain Of this
cor were he in doubt, the safer plan for him
m pursue would be to concentrate hi.
6shtng force at the centre OF the line within
which the search game Is being played
that Is at Portland or it's neighborhood.
This was the course followed in the search
problem last year by Rear Admiral Hi9gin-
son. then commanding the Home Defence
squadron. who saw that, by occupying
the centre Of the defence line he would have
only half the distance to run should the
enemy attempt to take a port at either
extreme end.
The limit Of the coast line within which
Admiral Sands may attempt to seize a
mort are Eastport, Me-. and Cape Cod. Massa-
chusetts If Admiral Barker should remain
in this neighborhood, and Admiral Sands
should appear at Cape Cod before discov-
erv. il would be impossible for the Home
Defence fleet TO make the run to Cape Cod
within the six hours which Admiral Sands
must occupy in mining and otherwise
protecting the port he takes II Admiral
Sands does not take the port six hours
before Admiral Barker arrives, he will
lose the game, as Admiral Barker's line OF
battle force, consisting Of the battleships
Kearsarge, Alabama and Illinois, is superior
in combined strength to the battleships
Texas. Indiana and Massachusetts, all
older and less formidable, composing the
enemy's division. which must use the time
mentioned In laying enough mines to keep
The Home Defence feet from getting into
the harbor coupled.
If the enemy should attempt to take
port at the Cape Cod end Of the defence
line, Admiral Bankers main dependence
will be upon the scout ships fitted with
wireless telegraph Instruments. These
scouts have been sent far out to sea
and hope to sight the enemy's ships
and ascertain their probable destination
many hours before they could reach the
port selected. The scouts will then en-
ceavor to communicate the news TO Admiral
Barker by the wireless system, and thus
enable him to cover the port supposedly de-
sired by the enemy.
The tender Nina came in this morning
10 get dispatches for Admiral Barker.
She is expected back tomorrow. There
has been no other communication between
the defence feet and Bar Harbor since
the warships left at daybreak. Telegraph
and telephone lines, to keep In communica-
ton with lighthouses and other observation
stations. were established to-day for Ad'
miral Barker's benefit. All reports will
he made to Bar Harbor, where Admira.
Barkers secretary, Lieut.. Johnston. and
Lieut. Evans Of the Hartford, are stationed
10 receive news and send it to the defence
Acct