Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-06-16
Admiral Dlcklas' Entire Fleet
Makes Concerted Attack
Upon, Fort Monroe.
VICTORY FOR NAVY CLAIMED


Probably the most imposing and
SPECTACULAR wuriilie display ever serm
in Virginia waters in time of peace
teak place last night between II
o'clock AMI midnight, when Roar Adj
Wiral Dickins' entire fleet made con,
ctrtctl attach upon Fort Monroe For
an hour the great guns OF the memo.
war and the fort bocmcd away. ll,,,
cannohading aud flashes Of fire being
plainly seer and heard from this city
Those who Witnessed the attack dc.
clare that the feet won a victory, BIZ:
6s no decision, has been siYcn by the
nmpires no official information con,
corning the result is to be obtained y,
present
The thousands Of people who Jour.
neyed to Rnckroe Beach. Old Point,
SeSall's Point and other resorts to see
lie manoeuvcrs We're fully repaid for
their trouble After the inttlc wax ON
the crowds at Buckrue aud Old Point
simply refused to move and the street
railway companies had to run through
cars IL this city after midnight.
The sigh. was indeed II magnificent
one. Old Point. Buckroc Beach,
Hampton and all of that section of,he
Peninsula. rs well MS fhc surface OF
Hampton Roads were cnvcloDcd In
smoke Glteen minutes after the battle
started. The scarchlights from tho
forts and ships. penetrating The smoke.
made Il rcd glare which appt Gr,,l even
,htrc ominons ard fierce to the eve
than the flashes from the muZzles of
The guns.
These who understood the munoeuy.
erinS OF Tie shlls were not moro OK.
cited and interested than those who
were merely undergoing The fec!inpa
which arise in man whenever there Is
Incoming of cannon and The smell of
slnpnwder. II is said that Rear All.
mlral f'icklns handled his fleet mag
efficiently and .he general opinion On
the outside Seams to be that he won {,
cltali victory over the army
me attack was opened by the tor.
pedo flotilla at II o'clock The lite,
dark green 'lycrs crert up within c'.sr
range OF the fort before they were dis
covered lIuddled close together the
destroyers fired furiously, causing the
surface OF the water before the fort to
be covered with smoke 1t Is supposed
that this was sacrifice plny," the
idea being 10 lose the desroyers. hui
by doing so, cover the approach of the
approach of the heavier ships.
Before the smoke made by the set
10 with the 1estroyers cleared away,
the monitors and cruisers and the bat
tleship Texas, the admiral's flagship,
had approached from point, appar-
emily near Ocean View. and attacked
the fort at close range The vessels
steamed slowly in. firing broadside
after broadside upon the fort, the fort
answering with its hig guns The fleet
proceeded past the fort and. If the YES.
sells were not Theoretically" sunk.
they Theoretically" had this city and
Norfolk at their mercy.
In passing Fort Wool (Rip Raps).
the fleet pnld It's respects to that forti-
fication.
After their part in the battle was
over, the boats of tho torepdO notilla
anchored within stones throw Of the
wharf at Old Point and remained
there.
When the firing ceased, a few min
utcs after midnight. the larger ships
steamed seward again.
Morning Attack.
The first attack in force on Fort
Monroe took place yesterday at 7
o'clock. Eight of the biggest ships of
Admiral Dickin's squadron formed an
arc Of circle between Cape Henry
and Cape Charles. All OF them head
ed for the fort and advanced Mt slow
speeL. The forming operation, al
though far ont. was plainly visible and
everything was ready in ample time
I'd meet the attack The first, gun wns
fired at 7:l0 and for q half hour n
long range bombar,lment continued.
The ships did not approach closer
than Bug Light, which is ten miles
from the fort. The feet consisted of
the! Texas and Hartford, four of the
monitors and Two smaller ships. The
monitor Puritan was recognized In the
fleet indicating that she succeeded In
getting off the mild at Point Lookout,
where she was fast yesterday
Not So Spectacular.
Because OF the long range and the
the use Of snb:calibre to Indicate the
fire the demonstration was robbed of
the Spectacular features which have
characterized tho night attacks. After
athalf hour Of firing, during which. the
chips were advancing, they turned in
a. broad circle and proceeded back to
their starting point and were soon out
OF view.
Busy Up the Bay.
While Admiral Dlckins was gather
Ing the larger units of Ills fleet In the
lower Chesapeake Wednesday night he
was not idle at the Washington and
I Baltimore defenses. At Forts Wash.
ington and Hunt things were exceed
inQly lively The Siren landed N cn,n.