Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-08-29
MIMIC WAR IS ENDED
Coghlan Supposed he Had
Won a Great Victory.
UMPIRES DECIDED AGAINST HIM.
Landing Party OF 1,SOO Men Was De-
cIarcd to Have Been Put Out of
Action Before Making
the shore.

Action Before Making
the shore.
PORTLAND, Me, Aug. 29.-At noon
the mimic war waged off this port
since midnight Tuesday with all man
ner of maneuvers by the navy will
come to an end. and the several thou
sand men hurried to the defense of the
city will be withdrawn from the harbor
defenSeS.
The movements in the last attack
brought on a fierce engagement, dur
ing which a landing party OF 1,SOO men
under Rear Admiral Coghlan captured
all the stations and defenses of the
Scape and Spurwin. The marines and
tackles landed almost at dawn and
were engaged until afternoon, when
they returned to the fleet. which had
remained off Richmond's island.
Rear Admiral Coghlan believed he
had achieved the grandest victory OF
the navy, but Lieutenant Jordan, in
command of the engineer corps at the
Two Lights, was informed by telephone
that the umpires had decided that no
landing was effected by the invaders,
as the men and boats had been put out
of action before the landing was at
tempted; therefore the capture of all
the points on the cape, including the
signal, search light and fire control sta
lions at Two Lights, the defenses at
Silver Springs and the search lights at
Pond cove, was void.
After a stubborn resistance the out
err defenses of Cape Elizabeth were
captured after a vigorous lombard
ment by a force from the navy, and
LOGO men were landed. The outpost
and signal station at Spurwink rive
also was taken. The movements of
landing parties were covered by the fire
of the fleet. With Long island and the
cape defenses in their hands the navy
now is in position to attack all other
points by land as we'll as by sea.
A former report that the Olympia
I touched bottom during the
has been officially confirmed.
An official message from the Olympia
to the Kearsarge intercepted at the
wireless telegraph station at Fort
Preble and made public officially con-
firms the report of the grounding for
forty-five minutes during the war ma
neuvers of Admiral Dewey's famous
flagship. The message read:
"We are on the rocks. Double bottom
leaking. Can get off without assist
ance."
She struck Star ledge in Luke's sound
at a point where the chart showed
! twenty-six feet, but which sounded
only tw%enty-four. or two feet less than
the Olympia's draft. The war ships
bottom was damaged. causing her to
leak. but the water taken in was con-
trolled by the vessels dams, and her in
juries were not so serious but that she
was able to continue to take part in the
maneuvers.
The destroyer Worden, flying the
white flag of truce. came into the har-
Dor at noon and anchored off Fort
Preble. A boat was sem ashore bearing
a messenger who carried a message
from Rear Admiral Barker, command
ing the fleet. to General Chaffee,
commanding the department of the
east. General Chatfee was at Fort
Preble soon after and received the mes
sage. He refused to divulge its con-
tents, saying it in no way interested
the public"
The signal station at Two Lights has
been captured. Fhe ultimate point of
the attack is at Fort Williams or Fort
Preble, probably the latter, on account
of the peculiar range of the mortar
batteries which command all the other
forts.
Major Duval has abandoned his bat
terry at Williams and is with his com
mand in the trenches to protect his REAR
from the enemy, who are now 1900
strong.
The fleet is at anchor at Prout's neck,
but it is expected it will come to the
support of the land forces and shell
the battery at the entrance of the har-
Dor.
Six hundred men are being sent to
the trenches at Preble and the trenches
of Meeting House hill. 1t will take
5000 OF the enemy to overcome the
force.
-Four destroyers which ran in close to
the Two Lights and swept the shore
with their small rifles were fired upon
by Forts Williams and Levett and put
out of action.