Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-06-02
BATTLE DRILL OR
SHAM BATTLE.
MONITOR, TORPEDO, SUBMARINE AND
GUNB0ATS
Play An Important PaTt In The Exercises
Al The Naval ACademy-Gym-
naStiC Tournament.
COL oRS PRESENTED TO
FIRST DIVISION.

Blue skies and charming weather
added to the success and enjoyment oi
the second days exercises OF closing
week at the Naval Academy. The town
is filling up with visitors. naval officer.
and their wives and daughters. parent:
OF midshipmen and strangers. with de-
sire to see what the new Naval Academy
will be like. are pouring in tre m all train:
coming 20 Annapolis.
Beautiful women. handsome men and
| gaily bedecked maidens are enhancing
the attractions at the Naval Academy
this week. Early this morning the visit.
ors turned out in full force, for at o &C
o'clock the exercises were scheduled 10
begin. First on the program for the
day was "batlle drill or sham battle
RvoLUTIoNs OF BATTLE DRILL.
The battle drill was a most interesting
feature of the days program. The mia.
shipmen embarked on the monitor Terror.
the Spanish gunboats Ssndoval and Al
varado. the torpedo boats Stewart and
Talbot and the submarine boat Holland
at 9. 80 o'clock this morning.
The Board of Visitors, with their wives
and daughters. officers OF the Naval Acad
emy and their families, left the Santee
wharf on the government tug Siandish,
which steamed out cf the harbor into the
Chesapeake bay. The battle drill was
conducted by the midshipmen under the
direction OF Lieut.. Commander Fullam.
head OF the department of ordnance, and
Lieutenants Trout, Hines and Cotton.
The midshipmen themselves took full
charge OF all the guns of the different
types and sizes. The exhibition was OF
! the most practical nature possible and
the members OF the board were deeply
interested. The work of the midship-
men was done with promptness and &C.
curacy which indicates the thoroug h
| instruction which goes to make The
members OF the American navy the
best gunners in the world.
The monitor Terror was personally
commanded by Lieut. Gem DIR Fullam
and carried the first, second and third
divisions OF midshipmen. From the
Terror were displayt the signals which
governed the movements of all the othe,
| vessels of the feet. All the evolutions ot
a regular sea battle were conducted d and
the tire was directed as ordered from the
flagship. The bulk of the fourth division
was on the torpedo boat DESTROYER Stewart.
commanded by Lieutenant Trout.
A detachment was on the torpedo boat
Talbot and another on the submarine
boat Holland. The performance of the
Holland was special object OF interest
10 the spectators. The little vessel went
through the water first on the surface.
then with an increasing amount of sub.
mergance, and finally dived altogether
| out OF sight. In every way il demon.
strated to what terrible use il could
be put to in times of war.
The midshipmen manned the torpedo
tubes and the guns of different kinds on
the Terror and other vessels and gave a
splendid exhibition of delivering torpe-
does and OF target practice. The great
I3 inch guns on the Terror were used
tor sub-caliber practice and regular am
munition were used in the smaller cannon.
The eyolutions and use OF prolectiles
were in every way satisfactory and evoked
the warm approval OF the Board.
HANDLING THE GUNS.
Besides handling the boats the mid :
shipmen illustrated the target practice
whereby the officers of the American n
navy learned the efficient gunnery DEM
onstrated in the Spanish-American War
The machine and rapid-fre guns were
directed to the targets, the regular am
munition being used. and the 6 inch guns
we're also fred in the regular manner.
Subcaliber practice was demonstrated by
means of the Io-inch guns.
This is the system whereby a smaller
gun is fixed in the breach of a larger.
and the larger sighted to the target. The
small gun is then discharged at the
target. In this manner practice can be
had in handling guns OF high caIiber
without the tremendous expense incurred
in firing so large gun. This system was
originated in America and is largely re.
sponsible for the excellent firing with
large guns shown by the American navy.
The Board was delighted at the clever
Hay in which the midshipmen handed
the torpedo boats and submarine boat.
Round and round the Severn they cruis-
ed, and now and then from the decks of
tut A0toOt q AoA6C FN1uG0CdQ kOIpGQO
would be discharged, which would skim
merrily along the water. and the other
boats were extremely careful not to get
into IT'S course. Such performance had
probably never been seen by many of
those present and, therefore, claimed
their individual attention.
GYMNASTIC TOURNAMENT.
Perhaps the most attractive feature OF
the day was the gymnaslic tournament,
held in the gymnasium at 4 O'Clock.
Long before that hour an unbroken pro-
cession reached from the "gym" all the
way up Maryland avenue.
The handsome spring gowns OF the
ladies, their happy faces and gay eolors
OF costume resembled an Easter parade.
In the circular gymnasium the lower floor
as well as the gallery was filed with
spectators. The program Of events ron.
sisted OF Indian clubs. side horse, saber,
boxing, bayonef drills, wrestling, bag
punching. small swords, horizontal and
| parallel bars and cane drill.
The boxing bouts and wrestling were
especially interesting and received greal