The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-06-12
FORTS IN THE BAY
PLAY HAVOC WITH
D|CK|NS, VESSELS
Six Ships of the Hostile
Fleet theoretically
Sunk.
TEXAS AFOUL OF A MINE
In Imagination the Big Bat
tleship Goes to Bottom
of the Sea.
TEXAS AF0UL OF A MINE

BALTIMORE. Md. June 12.-Chesa-
peake bay is safe for the present.
The hostile feet under Admiral
Dickins attacked For's Howard Car
roll, Armistead, and Smallwood early
this morning and was badly smashed
by mines and the Guns Of the fort. OF
the sixteen vessels comprising the at
acking fleet, six were sunk, theoreti-
cally.
The battleship Texas led the assault
on the fort. Under cover Of the fire of
. the big armored ships. the Newark sail
ed up the bay but was speedy sunk by
the men of Fort Howard The Texas
went afoul of mine and in ina agination
went to the bottom of the sea. Four
torpedo boats went down under the
Obstructive fire from the forts.
The other ships of Dickins fleet are
the cruisers Atlanta, the training ship
Hartford, the monitors Florida, Nevada.
/. Puritan and Arki..isas, and the scouts
! or the fleet, the Hornet and Sylph, and
the Sylvia
Tests of Colors Made.
One interesting point in the mimic war
was the fact that the vessels of the at
tacking squadron were painted different
colors. SO as to determine which color
was the most difficult to pick up with
q searchlight.
The Texas, the Newark, the Atlanta,
the Terror, the Puritan, the Hornet, the
Sylph. and the Sylvia were painted
white The Florida, the Arkansas, and
the Nevada were a dull khaki. green.
The Hartford was black. and the tor
pedo crnEt were painted a dark brown.
ish green. ~
In the main, the war game Is simple In
object Its general purpose is to test
the defenses of Baltimore and WASH
ington- Besides ascertaining once more
the effectiveness OF these works OF the
army and navy. the exercises will show
the best point for warshipS when ac-
lively engaged in war, and afford ex-
perience in the laying and evasion OF
torpedoes and In general gun practice
The big guns, however. will not be fired,
owing to the great cost.
No Tricks Are INDUCED.
The game is officially called Joint ex-
ercise.'' as distinguishing the present
operations from what are known as
..joint maneuvers" There is no inten-
ton of trying to obtain victory either
for the army or for the navy. No
tricks are being induIged. nor any at
tempt made on the part Of one COM
mander to outwit another. The weeks
work will be more prosaic than that.
What is wanted are certain facts col
iected by observant officers who must
have time and opportunity to WELD pen
ellis and pens. Representatives from the
army are the ships and sailors are
in the forts.
The commander of the land forces is
Major General Wade, commanding the
Department of the Atlantic who came
here from Governors Island to take
charge OF the defenses.
The army force consists of ffty-ont
which represent about so per cent of tn,
total strength Of that branch Of the
service.
Like the Real Thing.
The demonstration against the fort.
was so much like the real thing las
1leht that those who witnessed 1t hat
q the sensations of Togo and Rogest
vensky. Contrary to expectation, the
scout boats from the forts sent in tht
startling Information at 1:3O that the at
tacking feet was in sight and making
its way up stream. The moon was wei
up. but hidden behind banks of clouds
In minute the signals at SANDY
Point were flashing the same news t
the forts. and at once the searchlight:
began to sweep over the water. MOI
was this a moment too soon Befor.
they had completed a thorough search
of the waters the light fell on the low.
lying black hulls of three torpedo boat,
that were attempting TO sneak past the
forts without lights. Before GU,
could be fired there was a sharp jang
ling OF a bell in the fort. which tolc
that one Of the boats had struck
mine. The others held their headway
and the command was given to ope1
fire. Immediately the forts broke int
a ribbon Of fame. and in the quiet o
the night the blank one-pounder charge!
sounded like the real roar of the u
inch guns from which they were fired.
The blackness and silence which haC
al, along surrounded the boats nov
gave place to the blaze and roar o.
their guns as they returned the fort:
fire. Flashes were plainly seen from th'
buildings on the high grounds OF th'
city