Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-24
SHIPS PERSONNEL
THE U. S. S. TENNESSEE
Officers Who viii Command Battle
ship En- Route to Haitien
Waters.
BATTALION OF MARINES ABOARD.
The New Auto Truck Purchased by
Marine COrps---Its Interesting
Mechanism.

The American forces at Haiti under
Rear Admiral Caperton will be further
augmented by the marine artillery
battalion from this city
The U. S. S. Tennessee. under com
mand of Capt Benton Decker, drop
ped anchor in Annapolis Roads at 8 p.
m. yesterday and left this morning for
Philadelphia. to take on supplies, from
where. IL is expected, the vessel will
leave not later than Saturday, which
should put il in Haitien waters on the
following Wednesday.
Wild rumors few fast through the
air yesterday as to the final destina-
tion of the artillery battalion, some
were to the effect that they might be
detailed to take the German wireless
station at St Marc. The battalion.
which embarked from the recently
completed Naval Academy wharf, was
under the command of Capt. Douglas
c. McDougal, Lieut.. H. w. Stone. e.quar-
termaster. consisted of three compan-
les, or approximately 105 men each.
The first company was under Capt.
r. o. Underwood, Lieuts. V. p. Morri-
son. d. S. Barry and ID. b. Roben: the
ninth company was under command of
Capt. e. p. Fortson, Lieuts c. l..
GAVIN and A. r. Switzerland, and the
thirteenth company was under Capt.
Chandler Campbell, Lieuts. 4. r.
Thrasher. and w G. Emory, the latter
being Marylander.
Each company has as its compile
ment four 3-ineh guns. AT the last
moment orders came to take along
two four point 7-inch guns in addition
Pay Clerk Thomas Williams, who has
been with the commissary store here
for some time. is also attached to the
Tennessee.
The men who left the Academy today
are mostly veterans, having only re
turn from Vera Cruz on October ..
The 3-inch guns are effective at s.
600 yards, while the Al guns are ef-
fective at 5000 yards. The three COM
panies had target practice at Green
berry Point with the 3-inch guns on
Saturday. Besides the officers men
toned Drs. r. b. Henry, who has been
stationed on the U. S. S. Rhode Island,
and J. T. Boone, who was at Norfolk
and hospital apprentices and stewards
accompanied the battalion.
The new Jelfery auto truck recently
purchased by the Marine Corps was
also taken along. The work of this
truck is unusually interesting ON
Saturday it took four guns and their
limbers, together with a company OF
men and officers from Annapolis to
Greenberry Point and back,a load OF
not less than 10 tons. The truck has an
individual drive on each of its four
wheels, and steers with both sets OF
wheels. 1t is proposed to provide a
truck for each gun. doing away en-
tirely with horses. which will greatly
simplify the movement of marine ar
tillery.
The wharf at the Naval Academy
saw for The first time the embarka.
ion of. an expeditionary force. Here.
tofore these movements have beer
made from Norfolk or Philadelphia
The battalion. guns and equipment
were loaded with four barges and tow.
ed by the torpedoboat Bailey and two
Academy steam launches out to the
Tennessee. Fifty-one men from tho
recruiting depot at Norfalk joined tn,
battalion yesterday. There is left a
the local Marine Barraeke now only
about so men, under the command o
Capt. j. w. Wadleigh
One of the pathetic sights witnessed
was one of the enlisted men. a mer,
boy, who had practically hidden him
self all day, and up until the bargel
were about to pul out when he wa,
found and went back to the barrack
Poor boy, he waited so much to &,
with his company, but he was suffer
ing with malarial fever, with a higl
temperature and when ore, red to sicl
quarters he broke down and cried lik
child. AS remarked by several VIII,
were at the wharf to say goodbye {,
departing friends, the battalion was a
! fine looking lot of men as any on
| could wish TO see and we 4nay be sur
that they will we'll account for them
selves. our sea soldiers, when the tim
for real action comes.