The Washington times., 1905-06-10
WASHINGTON NOW
OBJECT OF ATTACK
Capital and Defenses in
Danger After Midnight.
DISTRICT RESERVES ENEMIES
Put to Sea in the Puritan With the
Fleet of Observation-Disclosures FOR
Admiral Dickins.
DISTRICT RESERVES ENEMIES

the Potomac.
Midnight marks the commencement of
q constructive attack against the Capt.
tai and its lower defenses on Chesa-
peake bay by a powerful naval force
The operations last for a week.
During that time soldiers manning the
forts that guard the rivers passageway
will have many anxious moments. They
are expected TO prove the strength of
the defenses around Washington Negli-
1ence on their part in sighting the
enemy and training the big guns on
him will not be excused.
Washington's Defenses.
The principal defenses of the Capital
are Fort Hunt and Fort Washington.
AT both these places the force of ar
tllerists has recently been doubled Of
hcers and men are on the qui vive to
perform their part in the war program
which now commences.
Rear Admiral Francis w. Dickins,
commanding a fleet Of fourteen vessels,
put to sea from the mouth of the Chesa-
peake last night. AT midnight he be-
comes officially known to the artil-
1erists at Fort Monroe and at all the
fcrts on the Chesapeake as an enemy"
Dickins is forbidden to hold intercourse
with the shore. The admiral is at lib
eTty to begin his attack on the lower
forts at what time and under what cir
cUmstances he may choose, provided,
of course, this is done under the rules
OF the game.
will make his first assault under cover
of darkness. To prevent success of this
searchlights from the forts will play
over the waters iacessartly.
May Win or Lose at Fort Monroe.
Tactically 1t will make no difference
in the attack on Washington II the
powerful Notifications at Old Point
Comfort should prove too much for Ad-1
miral Dickins. He still must make the
assault on Washington one of the
problems in the maneuvers. 1t may be
even that the unpires. will allow him TO
attack this city first irrespective of re-
suits at Fort Monroe
The three problems involved in the
game are the testing of the defenses
capture of Washington and of Balti-
more. Each means separate cam
paign-
Admiral Dickins has a week within
which to accomplish his purpose. By
noon of next Saturday he may have
proved either that the chain of defenses
guarding Washington and Baltimore are
sutilcieney i, m powerlul OF e,se oSers SO Meaa ta
make large appropriations TO further
fortify the capital.
The fleet OF Admiral Dickins consists
of the Texas tfiagship). Arkansas. At
lanta, Florida. Hartford. Nevada. New
ark. Terror, Hornet and the Puritan,
and a torpedo boat and destroyer hotiila-
District Reserves in It.
The presence of the Puritan in the feet
with the local naval militia on board
lends additional interest to the opera
tions With Captain Tate commanding,
some of the best naval fighters in the
District are on the Puritan NO oouot
this vessel will give good account or
herself when hostilities begin.
One Disappointing feature Of the pres
erit naneuvers is the fact that no land
ing parties are to be allowed. The pic
turosqueness of a hand-to-hand strug-
gle between marines and artiileriStS on
the forts will, of course. be missed.
So to have carried out this feature the
joint board in charge or the exercises
would need q larger appropriation. This
Congress failed to provide.
Altogether about b,oS1 troops of the
artillery corps. signal ccgps. and the en-
fourteen war vessels. will be involved
in the operations. OF this number about
5000 are artiilerists.
Umpires have been placed aboard
every snip and stationed at everv fort.
1t will be their duty to record each ad-
vantage gained or loss suffered.
According to the rules. a ship is put
out of action whenever she is completely
exposed to the fire of gun. Each UNI
pire has a chart in which the fire zone
along the chain of defenses IS mapped
out. When ship Is figuratively under
fire the record is put down.
No Big Gun Firing.
On account of the limited appropria-
tons made for the exercises there will
be no firlng of the big guns On the FOR
tificatioEs. A one-pounder will be used
to indicate the firing of the large guns.
The work Of the signal corps will be
one Of the most irnDortant features Of
the joint army and navy exercises on
the Chesapeake. All the forts have been
equipped with the most modern wire
less apparatus. For the first time the
value of this form of signalir~ will be
tested from the fortihcations in this
vicinity The "telautograph.' newly
invented signal apparatus. Will be put
to use.
The features upon which army and
navy navy, oIhcers wlil most concentrate their
attention in the exercises viii be range
finding by night and by day, searchlight
exercises. and mining and counter
mining.
The mine planter Rinceold has been
at work at Fort Washington for weeks
past, and the river Is tE1ckly laid with
mines. Admiral Dickins ships have not
been allowed for a month to anchor
near the vicinity of the field defenses
Officers at Fort Washington.
The roster of officers, all of the Artii-
lery Corps. at Fort Washington, is as
follows: Col. b. K Roberts, Col. L. V.
Caziarc, umpire; Lieut. Col J. NJ. Califf.
Majors w. b. Homer and David Price,
Chaplain r. w. Springer. Capts. e H.
Catlin, G. w s. Stevens, A f. Curtis,
tersep, p. r. Ward. A. S. Morgan, C.
l.. Hilton. jr., II. J. Hatch, w. r Hase,
W. X. Doores, E. III. Hartnett, assistant
surgeon: c. S. Ford. assistant surgeon
Alston Hamilton. n. Q. Buckley, +. c.
Johnson, and r. s. Granger; First
Lieuts. 6. Sewer. j. r. Pourie, JfL.
Hughes. r. F. Woods, l.. Cravens, G..
o. Hubbard, f. n. Macon, w. H
Brooks, assistant surgeon: II. J. Wat
son, ]. Storck. J. NJ Coward, S. Y.
Britt. r. NJ. Ellicott, r. j. Arnold r.
]. Taylor. f. l.. Dengler. c. NJ. Seaman.
j. O. SIeger. c. l.. Fisher. and II. F.
Reed: Second Lieuts. b. f. Browne, A.
1. Rhoades, r. F. Herring, J. N. Page,
G.. l.. Wertenbaker, c. z. Wheatley. r.
B.scoe. L. c. Crawford. NJ. p. Andruss,
and Franc Lecocq.
The roster of officers stationed al
Fort Hunt is as follows: Col William
Black, Engineer Corps. umpire. of the
artillery corps; Lieut.. Co;. H. L. Harris.
commanding, assistant 10 commanding
officer; Major c. D. Pnrkhuret; Capts
f. T. Wilson. II. H. Whitney, S. S.
Jordan E. r. Tin1berlake. jr; First