The Detroit times., 1911-09-26
MICHIGAN TO co
ON LONG CRUISE
Big American Battleship Will Soon
Stare on Trip To Other Side Of
the Atlantic.

| NEW 1Ohhs 6opu zos-fyihB lho
''meatball" at her foretop, the U. S.
8. Michigan got In from Boston.
where she had been In drydock after
the battle practice ending week ago.
and she lies on Ninety-sixth street in
the North River. The Chinese cruis-
er, Hai-Chi. is just near enough to
make our Dreadnought loom up all
the more forbiddingly. one OF her
twelve-inch guns sticking out OF the
turret for q length as great almost
as the entire width OF the Dragon
ship.
The "meatbalp' Is black center on
red pennant and denotes the shoot
ing championship of the American
Navy, and that means OF the world.
Not that our marksmen are the best
because they are ours, but because no
other country has shot at the dis
tances we have used for the last two
years, when the ships have been at
an average OF 10000 yards, or nine
miles, from their targets.
At this range and under weather
conditions that were by no means
/ X.
average of 1913 per cent. This was
for her shooting. Last month she
won new honors when the Navy De-
partment announced that she had car
ried OF the battle efficiency champion
ship.
This is a new award. instituted by
Lieutenant Commander Leigh Car
lyle Palmer, inspector of target prac-
tice, in which q ships shooting rec
ord Ia combined with her engineer
/ ing marks. The engineering trophy
and the shooting awards are still pre-
sented annually, but the new honor
Is the biggest OF all, being considered
the truest test-as it's name implies
OF ships efficiency for war purposes.
With the pennant came increased
pay to the gun crews which had done
the work. The Michigan's work IL
| the more worthy of note because last
September, In the battle practice on
the Virginia capes, she was one OF
the low score or wooden" ships. Her
present championships are based on
her shooting last spring.
Those aboard her are confident
she did not suffer any loss OF dignity
through the battle practice which
has Just ended. There Is q feeling
of confidence among the officers and
men that when the scores are count
ed the Michigan will be right there
or whereabouts. They smile when
they hear that the Delaware IL al
ready claiming the trophy. One OF
the officers said yesterday that the
Delaware works on the old fashioned
Democratic principle OF claim every
thing--concede nothing.
| ALSO, the reporter was informed,
the Washington had ordered that
when the new ships, New YORK ana
Texas, which are to have only one
smokestack each, are put in commits
sion and are called upon for service
| in the vicinity OF the Delaware they
are to at once erect three additional
stacks of canvas, SO that the Della
wares gunners won't think they see
the Panther and open fire. II Is sus-
pected that there Is bit OF raillery
in this statement, having to do with
the fact that the Delaware merrily
pegged away at the Panther one
night q couple of weeks ago, think
ling she was shooting at her target.
| A loud and agonized wall by wireless
from the Panther to please stop
caused her skipper to order one or
| her twelve-inch turrets to cease mr.
| ing lust as the turret officer had real
! ly "got on" and expected to raise hob
with tb. target" at the next volley.
The Michigan, whose home port is
New York, and who accordingly rare
ly gets here, will stay until Oct. s.
Her men will be given their liberty
preparatory to an extended European
cruise. which will be to Mediterran-
can waters, which was planned for
last year but had TO be abandoned on
account of cholera in France and IL
ally. !,
The ship is under the command OF
Capt. Nathaniel Usher, to whom Pres
ident Taft wrote q letter OF common
dation at the time the pennant was
awarded. The letter congratulated
the ship on her Captain, and the Cap
tain, on his officers, who had done
SO much for the ship. Usher is about
to become Rear-Admiral, so he is
expected to be detached this month.
The command will go to Capt. Cape.
hart. /,
Commander Charles F. Preston 10
the executive and Lieut. Commander
David Foote Sellers is the First Lieu
tenant, a detail created or battleships
year ago. Lieut. Commander Clar-
ence F. Kempff is the navigator.
Lieut.. Commander William T. Tarrant,
Chief Engineer; Lieut. Commander
Frank Taylor Evans, the Ordnance
Officer, and Lieut. Eldred b. Arm
strong, Senior Watch Officer. Others
| I'm the wardroom include Surgeon
John j. Snyder, Paymaster Franklin
| p. Sackett, Chaplain Walter @. Isaacs
and Captain of Marines James L.
Bootes