The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-27
LAURIUM
ARCHIE NlPPA WRITES OF
TRIP OF FLEET TO CUBA
Laurium Man Receives Interest
ing Letter From Calumet
Enlisted Seaman.
NEBRASKA HAS CRACK CREW

Archie Nippa, of Calumet, sea
man ON the u. S. $. Nebraska who re-
turned recently from Cu5a with fieel
of Unce Sans battcships writes al
entertaining letter u John \. Palmer
of Laurium of tho fleets doings wh't
in the Cuban waters. Mr. Nlppa says;
I'VE left New York on Jan. en-
route to Guantanamo Bay Cuba, the
sea being fair, but the weather cold
The third day out we passed San
Salvador and the following evening
We reached our DESIGNATION. The OFF,
GERS and men were continually drilling
both day and night.
During the first three weeks I'm
West Indian waters all the battleships
had their speed and duration trials,
after which a race took place between
All ships. The Nebraska came out on
top, at 10 3-1OO knots per hour for a
continual run of four hours, winning
from the Georgia by little over one
| half mile
after the speed trials all ships
companies made preparations for the
camping grounds on the rife range,
which Uncle Sam has erected there
Guantanamo Bay). The third divis-
ion. composed of battaion.s from u.
s. ships Georgia. New Jersey, Rhode
Island and Nebraska. were the first
on the range. All landed at the same
time, and in camp pitching the Ne
braska again won from her oppon-
cnts. The whole regiment was pre-
pared for inspection in two hours and
all was found i'm "sh'2 shape" by the
regmcntal commander This occurred
on January 81. The following day all
copanies marched to the range going
through all the butts and different
ranges. There we found something of
a surprise for about 800 targets faced
US beginning with 15-yard pistol, 60
and 50-yard pistol ranges. The fol-
lowing are the ranges for rifles: 200
yards, 300, $50, 500 600, 500 and 1000.
This range is the best and longest i'm
the world, and all the pits are built of
concrete.
Everybody with the exception of
the guard mount began firing their
first string. There were many men
who had never fired a rifle before, but /
before leaving the range every man
qualified not less than second-class |
marksmen. | shot on the marksmen's |
course at first, where ! qualified very
easily, making 436 points. ] took the |
sharp shooters course soon after |
wards. and qualified on that course
as we'll. The skirmish run | found |
puzzling on my first trial. You get
the command to advance. The men
on the firing line have two figures 10
fire at one kneeling and one prone. 1t
takes 50 points to qualify in this SER
ie,.
During our stay at camp we went |
out among the high hills and around |
the reservation, visiting Fisherman's |
Point. Camenira, etc. We had base
bal. swimming and other sports. We |
returned on board ship February >. |
Then followed swimming instructions |
for those who could rot swim. Every |
dav you could 60 swimming ashore. or
lillfb Allii'S a. htlN ONNi thO oiNSt
from davits, bridge, ports, gangways.
booms and guns. Following this dcill
came torpedo firing. We fired about |
80 torpedoes off Cape Cruz, up the |
coast from Guantanamo Bay. Dur |
ing maneuvers we went as far as the |
Lights, and every Saturday
would return back to the Bay. Min
ing drill followed torpedo firing. Then
came torpedo attack and torpedo de-
Tense drill during the night, now there
was some kind of n lookout to be
kept for practically all of the steam
launches were sent out into the dark
to attack. These drills lasted some
times from the time darkness set in
until II pm, Not one of the torepod
boats got within firing distance. Next
followed battery drill for the coming
target practice and everybody kept
busy loading, aiming and sight seeing.
The range finders were kept busy on
the tops" The fleet did not remain
down south as long as scheduled and
decided to hold target practice up
north. The feet left Guantanamo Bay
on March "a, at pm, en- route to
Hampton Roads, Va.
During our stay in Cuba there was
but very few accidents. one man
from the New Jersey shot himself in
the leg with a revolver but that was
through carelessness. one man was
drowned, and the body of Chinaman
was found floating in the bay The
Wisconsin and the Vermont were un-
der quarantine for some time. We also
had admirals' inspection down south,
sham battles, scaling high walls. etc
and also searchlight drills on the
evenings OF March "a and rs. while
homeward bound. Reached Old Point
Comfort. on March 2s. and all the men