Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-26
THE CHESAPEAKE WAR GAME.

THE CHESAPEAKE WAR GAME.
Scenes of the Fighting Of 1914 to be
Repeated.
The combined army and navy war
exercises this year will have the
Chesapeake for their scene and will
be begun on June II, says Balti-
more dispatch. Already 1900 troops
of the coast artillery are stationed at
Forts Howard, McHenry, Smallwood,
Armistead and Carroll, and upon the
arrival of the fighting ships the real
work of the exercises will be started.
The scheme of the exercises, so far
as Baltimore and Washington are con-
cerned. is to go through the move
ments Of the attacking and defending
parties, of 1914. An attack will be
made on the lower forts, with the OBJ
ject Of capturing Baltimore or Wash
ington, and a number Of ships will
lombard the two cities If they succeed
in getting close enough.
The scope Of the exercises will be
limited only by the size Of the bay.
At the same time, Washington off,
cially announces that the operations
will not be Of sufficient Importance to
be dignified by the term Of maneuvers.
The only land defense, for instance.
will be artillery while In maneuvers
both infantry and cavalry are called
into play for the defense.
It will not be necessary for the fleet
to demolish the forts, or for the forts
to send the fleet to join the Chesa.-
peake Bay oysters, since the task In
volved is merely the solution Of GER
tain questions Of strategy. Army
officers on land and naval officers on
ships will umpire the work, with OFF,
GERS Of the opposite force to check con-
clusions, and on their reports judg-
ment will be given by a board con-
sisting Of two officers Of the army, two
officers of the navy, and a afth off,
Ger, to be drawn by lot. During the
operations the naval commander will
be absolutely cut off from land intel
ligence and will be to all intents an
invader Just across from the other
side.
Four forts defend Baltimore, three
of them modern and equipped with
the most improved guns. The fourth,
Fort Carroll, Is the old fort In the
middle Of the river, built after designs
by Gen. Robert E. Lee, named after
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and In
tended as an operating point for sub
marine attack and defense through
mines. The modern works are Forts
Howard, on North Point, at the juno
ton of the Patapsco with the bay,
named after Col. John Eager Howard; /;
Smallwood, on the opposite point
named for Gen. william Smallwood of
Revolutionary fame, and Armistead,
the chief of he inner forts, and lying
at Hawkins Point, opposite Fort Car
roll. 1t was named after Major George
Armistead, who was in command OF
Fort MCf1eIlTy uuTiil6 liiO poiioN
ment Of Sept. 13, 1914.
Just a few yards from the point at
which the British landed on the even
ing of Sept, II, 1914, and on the exact
spot where the troops were formed az
ter landing, stands the quarters OF Col.
Frank Thorpe, commanding officer. The
quarters of the officers are handsome
cottages, which would be an addition
to any summer resort Of suburban
town.
Fort Howard. like it's sister fortifi-
cations, is carefully guarded, not even
the wives and relatives Of officers be-
ing allowed to enter. A guard with a
loaded rifle is constantly doing sentry
duty, and no one is permitted to ap-
proach without proper authority.
If Uncle Sans jack tars manage to
reach Baltimore's inner harbor they
will do well. The bay approaches to
the river and the river itself will be
protected with submarine mines. Most
Of the mines have already been placed
by the torpedo planter, Col. George c.
Armistead. After all the cables have
been laid and the dummy mines float
ed from them it will not be easy for a
warship to poke her nose near enough
to Baltimore for those on board to be
touched by the odoriferous air Of the
real harbor.
The shore ends of the cables have
been brought to the wharf at Fort
Howard and the entire garrison there
Is interested In the instructions being
given to the mining corps on the use OF
the cables and their connection with
the business Of blowing up warships.
This instruction is in charge of
graduates Of the torpedo school at
Fort Totten, N. Y.
1t Is believed that the approach of
the hostile fleet will make a spectacle
of great beauty. The Chesapeake
Bay from North Point to Sandy Point
is a broad and picturesque body Of wa
ter. To the westward is the broad gulf
of the Magothy, and to the east the
mouth Of the Chester river, with Kent
Island as the southern boundary.
1t will make a splendid cruising
ground for the smaller warships and
for the scout boats. 1t Is assumed that
the attack will be made at night, and
the darkest night available, but cau-
tious commanders of big ships may
change this plan.
THE TOMBSTONE CENsoR.-A tomb