The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-29
NAVAL MILITIA OF
 STATE MADE GOOD. Commander in Charge of Maneuvers Reports Favorably. How the Men Are Doing on Board the Machias. Connecticut s Share of the
 Naval Militia Ap-
 propriation.

The report of Commander Marsh, in charge of the Naval Militia division of the navy department of the United States, has just been issued. Cap tain A. G. Winterhalter, U. s. N., commanding the battleship Louisiana, aboard which part of the Connecti- cut militia went cruising last sum- mer, says in the report:
 The company from Bridgeport is recruited almost entirely from shop hands, while the Hartford contingent is composed largely of clerks. Nat urally, such indoor sedentary occupa- lions were evidenced in the majority of the men by lack of robust physi- cal appearance, but no more so, per haps, than that of an average recruit received at one of our naval training ;tations. The benefit of the weeks cruise was plenty manifest in their physical appearance on leaving. The average age, according to their offi- cers, is 22 years.
 Referring to the system of results of instruction, the senior militia of icer reports: Tt (the cruise has been the best in regard to the in struction received of any that we have -aken in my ten years experience. It was an excellent thing to pair miti- tiaman with a regular to go through
  he got the experience that way he could in no other"
 Lieutenant Kimmel reports: "The Hartford division was detailed for drill in the after twelve-inch turret. The men of the Naval Militia were In the turret, and after instruction were put through the loading drill in the tlrret. The drill was very sat- isfactUry."
 Ensign Delano. United States Navy reports: After few instruction drills in the eight-ineh turret. the militiamen were turned over to En- sign Hogan, Connecticut Naval Mil itia, who conducted the drills in a very efficient manner. Among the different crews thus formed there ex- isted a great deal of rivalry, resulting in quick, snappy drills and efficient work"
 Gunner Roman reports:, "The six gunners' mates entered into the same duties as the men with whom they were paired with cheerful spirit. The militia gunner has gained fair knowledge of the duties he might be called on to perform on a cruising vessel of the navy under service con- ditions."
 The following report on the U. S. S. Machias. the Connecticut naval miii- tia vessel, is also quoted in part:
 On July 21, the Machias was at the navy yard, New York, undergoing re- of the Fourth Division, engineers and the Second Section of the Third Di- vision of the Naval Militia and nine hired firemen got the ship under way from New York and arrived in New Haven at 6:So p. m, on the twenty second. The remainder of the crew formed in the armory and embarked with their baggage at about 10 p. m. Captain Cornwell having had orders to rendezvous in Gardiner's Bay Gs early as possible Saturday morning, got under way at 11:30 in the even ing. just one and one-haf hours af- ter getting men and baggage aboard and anchored next morning just out side of Gardiner's Bay for the pur- pose of cleaning up before arriving at the rendezvous.
 Considering the fact that large part of the crew were put on board with baggage at a late hour in the evening, and being able to billet the men, detail the sea watches with very small amount of confusion, speaks very we'll for the quickness with which the Machias can be fully manned and officered and ready for sea. While waiting at the rehdez- vous in Gardiner's Bay the time was spent principally in cleaning up. aud getting shipshape, priming life buoys and getting the crew settled. Fire drills were held and carried on quick ly, quietly and in a manner which called for very little criticism. In getting under way signals were un- derstood and answered promptly.
 On the way down to Hampton Roads, Va, the Chicago and the Ma chias steamed both in line and column. When the Naval Militia arrived in Hampton Roads, it was their second experience in anchoring in formation. The evolution was anchor in success sion and was performed very eff ciently. On the return north there was considerable improvement in keeping position. Tactical evolutions were carried out once consisting of ships right and left. There was no turning data on board, but the evolu- tions were performed we'll
 All of the line officers are able to take and work time sights, azimuths. and meridian altitude sights. Two have spent four days at the compass office and two days at the hydro graphic office. They have anaiyzed the deviations of the steering conn pass in the Machias and have good