Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
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the Bermuda Islands on the first-class
| battleship Rhode Island of the Atlantic
fleet. They are likewise joyful of the
extension of the cruising period from ten
! to fifteen days, with an extra day add
| ed each way for the trip from Wash
| ington to Hampton roads. 1t was first
intended that the District naval militia
| should board the armored cruiser Ten
| nessee at Baltimore, Md, with the naval
militia Of that city, for a trip up the
| coast. However. it has been decided to
| have the Baltimore naval militia go on
the Montgomery for cruise on Chesa-
peake bay.
The naval militia organizations Of four
states will be on the Rhode Island.
| There will be approximately thirteen Of
fcers and 125 men from the District OF
Columbia: eight officers and 1O8 men
| from Pennsylvania; eighteen officers and
160 men from North Carolina, and twelve
officers and $50 men from Camden, N.
J., being the Cd Battalion Of the naval
militia of that state. This will give a
naval militia complement to the Rhode
| Island of fffty-one officers and 643 en-
| listed men.
The cruise on the Rhode Island will be
strictly naval militia cruise, the guns,
! engines, in fact. all parts of the vessel
will be manned by naval militiamen.
| The trip on the Rhode Island. which Is
| of the active Atlantic fleet. probably will
be one of the best in the history of the
District Naval Battalion, according to
officers of the organization:
| Under the command of Commander
Joseph A. Dempf the District naval
militia probably will leave Washing
on the evening of Sunday. July S. ar
irving at Hampton roads early on the
morning of July 6. when they, with
the North Carolina contingent will
Immediately board the Rhode Island
The vessel will Immediately weigh an
Choir and proceed to Lewes, Del, where
Jersey and Pennsylvania will be picked
lup, being brought there by tugs. At
this point, also. all Of the super
numerary regulars will be put ashore
men. AS soon as the Pennsylvania and
New Jersey organizations are aboard.
the Rhode Island, according to the
present plans. will put about and point
Islands. where the jackies will be given
lots of shore liberty. The trip VII be
full of drills and exercises usual to
men of the regular service. and best
of all there will be target practice with
the guns aboard the Rhode Island.
Every jackie in the District organi-
cation has announced his intention of
going. and by the time the bugler
sounds the assembly on the evening of
July it is probable that the District
men which have been estimated on.
In view of the fact that the battalion
will leave Washington one day. and
probably two days, sooner than the
dates first set, the militiamen. 1t is
declared, put new energy in the prepa-
rations they are making for the cruise.
| Every man will have to draw his full
outfit Of clothing. and so fast have the
enlistments been coming In lately that
the paymaster has a big job on his
hands Keeping the men SUPPLIED Ham
mocks-the sailors bed-will have to
be prepared, and there are thousand
| and one things to do to get ready.
For the last month there have been
scenes Of great activity about the Naval
Battalion armory at the foot of Water
and o streets southwest There are only
three short drill nights before the men
leave for the cruise, and there will have
to be much hurrying to have every
| body ready, including the recruits who
are pouring into the recruiting Office
The cruise this year will be the first
under the terms of the naval militia
act passed last February. which re-
quires the naval militia of the country
to meet a regular navy standard set
by the Navy Department. Before any
naval militia may participate In any
allotment of the appropriation OF $780,.
600 year provided for in the act 1t
must pass an inspection by regular
naval officer.
Lieut. Harvey Delano, United States
Navy, stationed at the Washington
navy yard. last Wednesday night in
spected the District naval mf1itfamen.
Upon his report depends whether the