The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-26
PORTLAND FORTS
Are UNDER FIRE
"Enemy's Fleet Appeared Shortly
After Midnight and Forced
a Passage.
Penetrated Into the Inner Harbor,
but Later Was Compelled
to Retire.
Summer War Game Off the New
England Coast Attracts
Much Attention.

Portland, Maine, Aug. 26.-Thru the
dense smoke and amid the tumult OF con-
tinuous firing Of cannon, the batueshlps
Kearsarge, Illinois and Alabama entered
this port early to-day, having stormed the
main entrance to the harbor, in connec
ton with the great war game which Is
going on this week In this vicinity The
firing continued from midnight, when the
scouts Of the hostile fleet were discovered
by the pockets Of the army, until daylight,
when the battleships came UP the channel.
The night was a sleepless one, not only
for all actually engaged In the maneuVers.
but for many In the city. 1t was nearly
midnight when the searchlights of the
forts disclosed two torpedo boat destroy
ers In the outer harbor. Firing began at
once and then ceased. An hour later the
presence Of a battleship was revealed by
the searchlights and several OF the forts
opened fire upon her. This vessel re-
turned the fire and after that the can
nonading became general.
A cutter and launch containing landing
parties were captured, and at 2:25 a. m.
all the outer forts were engaged in action
with the three big vessels which after
ward were recognized as the Kearsarge,
Illinois and Alabama. ,..
Attack Main Channel.
While two torpedo boat destroyers and
other small craft had been detailed to the
of the harbor, the movement against the
main channel had been reserved for the
little ships For more than an hour the
big vessels stood off the main entrance
the harbor- At O'Clock they began
the advance. With the Kearsarge leading
and the Illinois and Alabama close behind,
each belching broadsides at the forts, they
sailed slowly toward the city. Forts Will
liam, Preble and Bevell poured uninter
rupted fire toward the fleet. In turn each
ship seemed to concentrate fire on the
forts until the vessels reached the interior
harbor AS the vessels crept by the forts
the firing ceased and at o'clock the roar
of the guns at the eastern side of the
channel where small engagement was
taking place, was all that could be heard.
The battleships then maneuvered for a
time and then they went back toward
the outer harbor where they began cruis-
ing about among the islands. Early in
the forenoon the scene Of action shifted
to the passage into Husseys Sound be-
tween Peaks and Long Island. From this
vicinity great clouds of smoke were aris-
ing and the roar Of many guns was heard,
the Olympia leading a fleet against Fort
Mckinley. AS at the main entrance, they
came in slowly. The Olympia was closely
followed by the Baltimore. There were
four other vessels in this fleet. the prin-
cfpal one being the training ship New
port The others were the converted
yacht Vixen and the two torpedo boat
destroyers, Warden and Stewart.
The Action Ceases.
For time the firing was as violent as
that marking the passage of the battle
ships. Then the action ceased suddenly.
With the interval in the long continued
firing came chance to review the en-
tire movement from midnight to mid
forenoon. The land forces claimed that
tho the battleships had passed the forts
and entered the harbor they were not
able to take the city and had dropped
back to the outer harbor to signal for re-
Inducements. ..-