The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-30
STORMY WEATHER DELAYS LANDING OF MILITIAMEN Small Boats Headed For New Haven Are Carried to
 SaVin Rock SEE SWORDFTSH AND
 WHALE IN SEA FIGHT Cruise Expected to Result in Great Advantage To
 Militia.

The cruise of the Connecticut na- val militia ended when the third di- vision from Bridgeport disembaFked 4 in small boats from the batt1eship l ''Kentuckys' Sunday morning. The passage from the ship which was an chored about. four miles off Light house Point was hazardous in the extreme and resulted in one of the large cutters lowed astern of a steam launch unshipping a rudder.
 The first boat to leave the Ken lucky was carried nearly to SaVin Rock before the entrance to the brea akwater could be gained and the sailors were drenched with the fall ing spray and rain.
 The local division headed by Lieu, tenant Albert J. Merritt and Ensign Alfred. c. Chippenda1e arrived at Bridgeport shortly before 1 o'clock Sunday and after drying their ham mocks, which were wetted down in the rough weather encountered off New Haven, went to their homes.
 Though not fully meeting the ex- pectation of many of the enlisted men who had hoped for shore leave at some port enroute, the cruise is be- lieved by the officers to have given the men an insight into real work of the navy, and with additional fla cilities that may soon be forthcoming from the government is hoped to put the naval militia here on a higher plane than ever. before.
 As a. result of the cruise it is like lys that the navy department will be asked to make some slight changes in general routine net. year. In the meantime an effort will be made to secure for Connecticut 8 tgunboat of moderate size that will be able to enter harbors here and on which the men may have constant practice.
 Commander Eben Hill, Jr, is as- sured that the department will place at the disposal of the local militia a large ship, but such an adjunct is deemed too hazardous at this time, owing to the fact that the militia would be compelled to board the ship in winter time at danger to them selves from trips onto the sound in small boats.
 Another feature which is likely to be taken up when Congress meets is the payment of death benefits to na- val miIitiamen who are injured or killed while in service of the govern ment as was Edward F. Mangen. of New Haven, when a boat fell from it's Iashings this year in Tangier sound.
 A careful survey of the regulations following the death of this popular nilitiamen, by navy and militia off -eers, failed to show any clause whereby the relatives of Mangen could secure compensation from the state or government. A collection taken on shipboard by the Massachu- setts. Connecticut and Maine militia men and officers is said to have net l ted several hundred dollars.
 The Kentucky which arrived at ] Portland on Thursday was ancho6ed but for few hours in the beautiful waters and islands of the harbor. The men were not given shore liberty and had to content themselves with view l ing the forst and summer homes from a distance. 1 On Friday with the Maine militia men gone the routine drills of the service were continued. A fight be- tween a grampus and sword-fish, while the ship was nearing Nantucket Light at sea was plainly visible from the ships side and witnessed for near l ly half an hour by the crew. A | grampus of the black-fish variety and l some etimes mistaken for a whale ranges between 20 and 30 feet in { length.
 The spouts of the one attacked land the vicious effort of the sword fish in driving. its weapon into the back of the huge denizen of the sea of the ship was parallel and the dis tance not more than half a mile from the ship.
 Newport, Rhode Island, was reach ed on Saturday morning and again the crew was disappointed by the
 
 granted. The ship soon steamed out after disembarking the Rhode Island men and reached New Haven Satur- day night. A high sea was running and no boats were permitted to be swung down. ss
 With Savfn Rock and Lighthouse point ablaze the suspense of getting home was keenly felt by many but the regulations are strict and the semi professional sailors had to ,con-I tent themselves with swinging in hammocks and gazing at the lights through open gun-ports.
 Many friendships established be- tween the regular and militia crews caused keen regrets. at the parting Sunday morning. but after a. sum of money equivalent to nearly g., ,oO0 had been passed around by the navy paymaster and the cutters were fin ally ordered overboard the expecta- tions of pleasure on shore overbal5 anced the sentiment and the rough weather was but little dampers on the spirits of the nilitiamen.
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