The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-02
FLORIDA NAVAL
RESERVES ARE
OUEHERE TO-DAY
ABOARD THE DESTROYER REID,
NAVAL MILITIA WILL SPEND
SEVERAL DAYS AT TARGET
PRACTICE AND DRILLS.

Aboard the torpedo destroyer Reid,
the Florida naval militia are due
here today, and should be in port at
an early hour this afternoon. The
naval vessel, which has thus been as
signed to the state of Florida, is
coming to Pensacola from Mobile, and
an extensive program of target prac-
tice and drill in this port has been
mapped out.
Among the officers in the ranks of
the naval militia is Marcy B. Darnall,
who holds the rank Of ensign, and
who is postmaster Of Key West. He
was at one time in the legislature
and has many acquaintance among
!. Pensaeelians.
The Reid spent Saturday and Sun
day at Mobile, going to that port
direct from Key West. In reference
to the stay of the ship at Mobile, the
Item, of Sunday, printed the fol-
lowing:
Florida Naval Militia.
Clad in white middies and white
trousers with regular bell bottoms,
men of the Florida naval militia, who
arrived in port Sunday morning
aboard the United States torpedo boat
destroyer Reid, dotted the streets of
Mobile Saturday afternoon and night
and enjoyed their shore leave after
the trip from Key West.
Immediately upon their arrival a
messenger was sent to the custom
house where the mail was obtained
and brought to the officers eagerly
awaiting news from home. Papers
were also bought, but the principal
happenings of the day are obtained
aboard the vessel through a radio
news service.
Lieutenant George w. Amour is
radio ard signal officer. On Friday
he received, among other news, the
electrocution of Charles Becker in
New York, the Haitien revolution in
which two American marines we're
killed, the baseball scores, the status
of the fight in Warsaw, and other inn
portant happenings over the globe.
Manifold copies Of the information
are made and circulated.
When constructed in 1910, the Reid
was the fastest boat in the United
States navy, making 81 knots an hour.
/ On her trip from Key West to Mobile
she made good time, arriving several
hours ahead of schedule. She is
equipped with five three-ineh guns,
| fourteen one FOUNDERS. Besides this
she has six torpedo tubes.
The vessel is In command of Lieut..
| C. B. Mayo, U. S., N, with Lieut.. L.
A. Laundrus III g. as executive and
navigating officer. While these officers
of the regular navy are in charge and
the boat is mainly operated by reg
ular skeleton crew, the naval militia
officers perform the duties in place of
the regular officers and the men are
taught the duties on deck, in the en-
CINE room and elsewhere Of those who
are regularly enlisted.
The Reid carried sixty-two mem
bers of the first, second and third
divisions of the Florida naval militia
on their annual cruise in gulf waters
The boat will remain in Mobile until
Monday morning, then going to Pen
sacola, where there will be drills and
target practice. She will return I'd
Key West on August z.
Besides the annual cruise, trips are
taken every few weeks aboard the
gunboat Mckenzie, which is regularly
stationed at Key West for the excIu-
sive use of the naval militia Once
every year, however, a cruise is taker
upon boat in active service in the
regular navy. The Reid came from
Boston, stopping at Charleston er
route to Key West.
|