Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-05
Latter Will Attack ba|ti-
more and Capital.
Is Warships In Hostile Fleet
10000 Men In Defence.
All the Detences Of The Chesapeake and
Potomac To Be Tested.

Washington, June 4.-Sixteen war
ships will attack the defences of Wash
inston and Baltimore at midnight, June
IL. and continue their offensive opera
tons for six days and nights. Mean
while the fortress along Chesapeake
bay and the Potomac river constituting
the artillery district of the Chesapeake
Washington and Baltimore. will put
forth every defence of which they are
capable.
These exercises are to constitute the
only joint operations of the army and
navy during the year. They have been
designated Joint exercises" to distin-
guish them from the more elaborate
program of combined army and navy
maneuvers' which was first planned
but which failed of approval for lack
of adequate appropriation from Con-
gress.
From the information obtainable the
program first cOntemplates the test of
Fortress Monroe. Expert artillery Opin-
ion has long held that this fortress is
the principal defence of the Chesapeake
and consequently the cities of Wash
ington and Baltimore. Her big guns
are said to cover the channel COM
pletely and together with the mine
fields, to constitute barrier that
would be impossible to any hostile
fleet This mine field has been extend
ed for the present exercises and the
garrison has ben doubled.
The hostile" fleet has been assem-
bled under command Of Rear Admiral
Francis W. Dickins. His squadron con-
~ 40 y, I'm.
The protected cruisers Newark and At
lanta: the double turret monitor Ter
rOr: the single turret monitors Florida.
Arkansas and Nevada; the old line
cruiser Hartford; the torpedo boat de-
Stroycrs, Whipple. Worden. McDonough
and Stewart; the gunboatS Hornet.
Siren and Sylvia. manned by the Mary
land naval militia. and the monitor
Puritan by the naval militia of the Dis
trict OF Columbia.
1t is expected that the night attacks
are 10 ascertain thu efficiency of the
searrhlights of the fortifications and al
so to give the navy exercise in construc-
lively making these lights dark. Actual
experience has demonstrated that it is
most difficult to hit a Searchlight and
incidentally, most difficult to navigate
Il ship on which searchlisht has been
turned. the effect of the light being to
blind the navigatOrs as well as the
gunncrs. Artillery ;ire will be directed
on the ships as they are picked up by
the lights. but for this exercise the
mines are not REGARDED as in existence.
Tabulatcd observations of what has
been accomplished on each side are to
I1 nd OH
On each ship will be'ahnaval umpire
and an artillery observer and in each
fortress will be an artillery umpire and
n naval observer. None of the big guns
of the navy will be fired. neither will
the big guns of the Notifications be
heard. These guns on both sides. how
ever. will be trained on the target the
same as in actual warfare and their
fire will be indicated by the discharge
Of a blank cartridge in one-pOunder
This is in the interest Of economy.
To locate and destroy the mine fields
constitute another problem. Then.
with the mines disregarded. the naval
ships will sail by the Notifications in
broad daylight. while again, construct
lively, they will be hammered by the
huge guns Of the defence. This portion
of the exercise is to develop the ac-
curacy of the range finders and the
gun trainers.
When these exercises have been con-
cluded before one set of defenceS. the
actors will move to another. Forts
Washington and Hunt constitute what
is termed the Potomac artillery dis
trict The Baltimore artillery district
comprises the offences of Forts How
ard. SmallwOod. Carroll and Armis-
tead.
The operations of the dcfences are
under the general supervision of Major
General James T.. Wade. commanding
the department of the Atlantic. The
men and officers under him for the eX-
crcises will number nearly 10000.