Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-09

wooden shells-pointed and fired: men will
fight and die'-to wake hungry and
eager for the fray next morning. Search
lights will play about among the ships
looking for the dreaded torpedo boats,
and, except for the screaming and DEATH
dealing shells, and the blood of glory"
it will be exactly like real naval battle.
This feature Of the cruise will be an
for the militiamen generally,
and the experience and knowledge which
1t will impart cannot be overestimated.
Heretofore the reserves have been con-
tent to spend their time in performing
the various drills and doing the work
required Of them without any unusual
happening in their life on the ocean
wave" but the prospect of real battle
minus the carnage of DEATH
dealing missiles and the loss of valiant
stimulated an interest in
the cruise and the maneuvers not hereto
fore SO earnestly manifested.
Annual Maneuvers.
Following the defense by the re-
serves against the invasion of the bat
tleships the North Atlantic feet, &C
by the reserve fleet will
begin arrangements for participation
in the annual maneuvers. 1t is expect
ed that this feature of the cruise will
commence some time during the aft
ernoon of July 20, continuing for
about a day and half. at the expira
ton of which the feet will disband,
and the militiamen will be returned
home. During the maneuvers the
various drills, including the abandon
ship drill, collision drill. fire drill man
overheard drill and gun drills, will be
carried out In minutest detail, and the
reserves will be given an exact dem
onstration of what life on the sea
means. and what qualifications are
~ a ~ 70 hon fire ri 1nr
In Uncle Sans outfit
All during the winter, at intervals of
twice week, the local boys have been
in attendance at the classes of instruc-
rion and the drills aboard the Ozark,
the monitor assigned to them by the
Navy Department. The instruction re
ceived during this period. together
with the practical work done in bring
ing their auxiliary yacht Oneida TO
Washington from Norfolk navy yard
ficers in command of the battalion
that in efficiency in these requirements
the District boys can hold their aver
age with any crew in the naval re-
serve fleet.
Different From Former Cruises.
The cruise this summer will be de-
cidedly different from the previous under
takings of the District Reserves. Last
summer the cruise was attempted on the
monitor Ozark, and while the proposed
plan of cruising up the Atlantic coast and
participating in the maneuvers held at
Gardeners bay was abandoned, owing to
delays in schedule on account of neces-
sary repairs and the slowness of the
Ozark nevertheless the reserves enjoyed
one Of the most interesting and beneficial
cruises ever afforded the local battalion.
In spite Of the fact that the maneuvering
waters were not reached by the Ozark,
the cruise was great success. The reg
ular navy routine, which provides for the
systematic eating, sleeping and general
lie of the sailors. was rigidly enforced
during the two weeks of the trip to
Hampton roads, out to sea short dis
lance and to and from Annapolis The
success of the undertaking was largely
due to the fact that plenty of time was
available for individual instruction and
1t is believed that the present proficiency
OF the battalion as a whole is account
able to this fact
On the forthcoming cruise, which. it Is
expected, will eclipse all former outings,
the local boys will be part and parcel of
the regular crew of the Virginia, and will
drill and work with the men of that bat
tleship. This will materially add to the
knowledge of seamanship of the District
jackies. especially the engineering divi-
sions, the men of which will aid in firing
The reserves regard themselves as for
tunate in being assigned In a body to
such an excellent vessel as the Virginia,
instead of being allotted by divisions to
various ships, as was done on the cruise
Of 1909 Although this cruise served all
practical purposes, 1t is thought the
separation of the men into groups de-
creased the interest and iessened the OPP
portunity for concerted endesvor.
The battleship on which the battalion
will sail this summer has a tonnage of
5000. She Is AL feet long and carries
four 12-inch, eight S-inch and twelve 6-inch
guns. Her crew numbers $40 men and
forty-nine officers. Her speed is nineteen
knots an hour.
All of the reserves are enthusiastic
about the proposed cruise, and are anx-
iously awaiting orders Ito get under
way" The officers who will accompany
the reserves are Capt Samuel w. Strait
| ton, commander: Lieut.. r. L. Fairs exc
cutive officer: Lieut.. w. e. Burt, ord
nance officer; Surg. F. IL MOZART and