Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-29
Autumn Practice off Cape Cod
Will De Under Conditions Of
Actual Warfare.
NtWBERRY SOLVING COAL PROBLEM
Work Of Selecting Fuel Supply Yes.
sells for Cruise to the Pacific is
Taken Up--BeIIeved That Hospltar
ship VIII be Necessary on the
Voyage.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Aug 2S.--
licfOrc the Atlantic battleship fleet
starts It's long cruise via the Straits
OF Magellan for the Pacific coast It
VIII have the most arduous test to
which IL has been subjected since tho
hnttlcshlrs were mobillzcd In tho AT
antic. This will be the battle target
practice which will begin in Cape
Cod bay on September 18th. 1t was
To have started September 9th, but
owing to delays In the preparation of
targets 1t was postponed.
Battle target practice, In which the
fleet never before hns INDUCED ap-
proachcs The requirements of actual
battle more nearly than anything yet
attempted In the yearly routine. Here
tofore the targot firing under COM
petitivc conditions each spring has
been at stated ranges with buoys to
mark the distance. The autumn tar.
sct practice has boon more DIVERSE.
fled
The battle target practice will be
undertaken without buoys to Indicate
HE distance. The officers will have
TO estimate the range at which they
are told 10 fire, and instead of guns
firing shgly or by pairs in turrexi
the ships will fire all guns Mt the
| sight Just MS II the target were an
enemy This will put officers. mon,
and guns to Il greater strain than ever
before.
To Take Up Coal Question.
Acting Secretary Newperry is abouy
ITO oren negotiations for the coal ana
the golfers needed to supply the fleet
with fuel during It's cruise. The De.
! partmcnt already has received prof
icrs OF many vessels, but no selection
yet has been made
Attention has been called by some
officers of the fleet to the fact that
the navy IN without hospital shin,
which would be most desirable on
this cruise. The enlisted personnel Is
somewhat susceptible to occasional
cpidemics OF mild diseases. such ms
measles and scarlet fever. Last win
ter the Connecticut had n large num-
Der of cases OF typhoid fever. 1t be-
came necessary 10 send the ship north
with the patients. Had the Atlantic
fleet mt that time in West Indian wa
ters been accompanied by n hOspitar
ship the cases simply could have been
transferred and treated in those wa
ters or they could have been brought
north without requiring Il battleship
to leave the winter work.
Secretary Alctcalf who has been
spending the summer in California.
will visit the Puget Sound navy yard
before his return to Washington.
Rear Admiral Cowles, chief OF the
bureau OF equipment. Will return here
on September l. The improvements
already authorized Mt the navy yards
ut Mare Island and Puget Sound will
be pushed ahead MS rapidly rs posi-
| bic. in order that such repairs MS are
needed by the bnttleshlps upon their
Iarrival may be given.
Mo Plans for the Return.
Absolutely no thought is being
given by Acting Secretary Newberry
to the route by which the battleships
may return from the Pacific, and this
strengthens the conviction of the well
informed that they will not return.
President Roosevelt announced at
The conference mt Oyster Bay last Fri
day that the question of the return
of the ships was one which 1t was
not worth while to discuss Mt pres
ent. since it would be determined on
tirely by circumstances following
their arrival upon the Pacific coast
1t can be stated that IL the ships
do return 1t will not be by Cape
Iof Good Hope but by the Suez route
The President has made up his mind
as to that The course the vessels
will follow in cruising from the Pa
Icific coast to the Philippines Is also
n matter net considered, but they arc
undoubtedly will touch at Honolulu.
While the changes in command OF
the battleships of the Atlantic fleet
have not yet been ordered, 1t Is gem
orally understood that those captains
who will have only two years or less
in the grade of Rear Admiral will be
replaced by younger captains, who
will have greater period to remain
on the active list and who will bo
therefore better able to give the SER.
Ivicc the benefit OF the experience
they will gain in this cruise Cap
tain W. w. Kimball, now command
ing the New Jersey, is one of these.
Il, Gives School Ruitdino e.. tDiea