The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-09
WIRELESS FROM
ADMIRAL EVANS
Point Iona Gets First News OF
Approach of the
Fleet.
MAGDALENA NEXT SUNDAY
VESSELS WILL ENGAGE IN TAR
GET PRACTICE 80 DAYS.

San Diego. Cal, March Sat 1880
o'clock this morning the Point Iona
California; wireless station received a
dispatch for the navy department from
Admiral Evans on board his flagship,
the Connecticut, which, with the re-
mainder Of the battleships comprising
the Atlantic squadron, left CaIiao. Peru,
for Magdalena bay Feb. %. The Point
Iona operator was unable to determine
the position of the Connecticut, as the
signals, which doubtless would have in
dictated the whereabouts of the fleet,
were indistinguishable.
Nothing could be learned as 10 the
contents of the message.
Message a Surprise.
The Point Iona station had expected
To get its first communication with the
fleet through the armOred cruiser South
Dakota which left San Francisco last
Thursday morning to have fling with
her turret guns at the Magdalena tar
gets before the Big Sixteen" IN Ad-
mirai Evans command get chance 10
blow the checkerboard bits of canvas
out of the water. The early communl-
cation with the Connecticut. which, so
far as known, came direct from the
flagship, was a distinct surprise and is
one of the vagaries of the wireless SER
vice which are to be expected from time
to time.
The naval authorities here do not
look for the battleships at Magdalena
bay before next Sunday, the 18th, as the
fleet was one day behind its schedule in
leaving Callao and there is no occasion
to crowd the engines on the run through
the torrid Zcne. The crews have a
month of hard work before them at the
southern drill ground and their best en-
ergies will be saved for 1t.
Harvest for Mexieans.
From reports that have reached here
the men of the fleet are likely to find
an unexpected welcome awaiting them
at Magdalena, where it is said the Mex
lean traders have established tent pa
Ears of ali descriptions. Amusement
managers also have seized the OppOT-
tunity that the deserted shore line Of
fers. When the ships left Hampton
Roads, Magdalena was looked forward
to as an uninterrupted waste of sand
dunes with an occasional Indian hut
far inland as the only sign of human
habitauOn. The overnight shops, the
aires and dancing pavilions, therefore,
viii come as distinct surprise. There
is strong likelihood, however, of keen
disa ppointment over the undertaking of
some of the promoters of the tent me-
trOpolis, for the plans of the cruise do
not call for any material amount of
shore leave for the sailors at Magdalena
and they in all probability will not be
changed.
Play Days Over.
The play days Of the men on foreign
shores practically ended with the hoist
ing of anchors from Callao. Magdalena
is the place for work, for spOtless hu1ls
and polished decks will be grimy with
the grease and the gaseous refuse OF
battle target practice soon after the big
ships have reported their arrival at this
crack harbor of the Mexican coast,
which has been leased by the United
States as home ground for its navy in
the western seas. Men who work half
naked at the guns in the roar and thrill
of long days at the targets will have
small inclination and smaller opportun-
ity 10 go ashore in the evening.
Target Practice Real Work.
Target practice is the most important
work the fleet now has before it, and
target practice means real work for eV-
cry man aboard. 1t is no longer a case
of lying at anchor and blazing away in
desultory fashion at a fixed mark, but
instead each ship must be moving at
a battle speed of ten 10 twelve knots
an hour and must fire at the enemy
"a white canvas speck twelve by TWEEN !
ty feet-attached to the long tow line
Of tug or tender and being hauled |
away at varying angles and at a speed |
equal 10 that of the ships themselves. !
The target comes within the given |
range Unexpectedly sometimes and its |
stay IS brief.
The gun crews of each ship must be |
alert and trained to the minute, for it |
is the ship that fires the greatest num- |
Der of shots. with the greatest percent !
age of hits. that carries away the |
trophy and rolls in the wealth OF the !
liberal prize money which is distributed |
after every record practice.
Duty Of Various Officers.
In battle target practice the fleet COM |
mander-in-chief as we'll as the admirals /