Show A t I 1 4 A glnn axi tmima MR ai M te ja 41 A 24 L t 41 amo t biuk JACKETS 9 IM VIRY summer ships of the north atlantic squadron are assembled L in the still waters of cape cod day bay for or target practice and incidentally to entertain tain the summer visitors at the he cape villages of t the h e nor north t h shore from brov Ince town as far as dennis on the receiving days when the officers and men are ane ready to rjay rilay hosts to the civilian population there tire are scores scored of launches and pleasure craft plying between the fleet beet and the shore lana ings carrying loads of edcur excursionists zionists to whom a peep at the inside workings of at these war engines to Is a great event traditionally sailors and officers are courteous and they seem very glad to conduct the visitors about and abow answer er the unending questions when there Is to be target practice the great fleet steamy slowly out of Province provincetown town harbor early in the day sad ind steers across toward the dennis shore here a distance of about fifteen or twenty miles and falls into line formation preparatory to the days work meanwhile the targets at which the battleships are noaim to alm are being arranged olt off shore about live five miles at iea tea one of the reasons why the fleet gathers here in this way Is because there Is very little traffic raffle of fishing vessels or steamers to interfere with the practice and the watchers scanning the seaward horizon with their powerful glasses in search of such passing craft seldom have to give warning A As seen from shore the men behind the big guns on the ships five miles away have to live up to the navys traditional marksmanship it if they are to hit the rolling canvas targets no more than twenty five feet square this practice cannot be carried on in rough water and it Is the smooth water of cape cod bay that brings the warships here for big gun practice the ile spectator on shore who at north dennis may be within perhaps two or three miles of the battleship first sees a sharp harp burst of smoke issue from the ship an instant later before any report Is heard la Is seen the spray shooting high in the air where the shot has struck the he water far out in the bay then comes the roar of the gun which rings lont lonjo and several everal seconds reverberating rever berating like heavy thunder in tact fact when the heaviest guns are being used the houses on the cape tremble and windows rattle for some time after the charge Is fired A few years ago the big guns guna were tired frequently with heavy charges and windows along the shores at dennis were often broken by the jar the heavy gun firing can be easily heard beard all over the cape and the jar felt in buildings as an well it itis is related that an accidental dl discharge charge of a gun pointing painting shoreward once sent a shell in the d diction of fast bast dennis it struck an empty house bouse which naturally was entirely demolished in all the practice here her and the squadron has bos assembled in the massachusetts chu waters for several years no reports of any damage done by stray shots beyond the ahe targets have been heard though there Is considerable traffic on some days between boston and Province provincetown town the excursion steamer dorothy bradford between these points twice dally daily and would be in a direct line of fire the ships have made some remarkable fcc records tor for accurate shooting while rt at gariet target practice at this rendezvous night attacks another feature of the war game in the bay Is the night attacks when the attacking fleet tries to get within firing distance of the defensive squadron it Is not very often however that the attacking fleet of destroyers succeeds succeed in ji creeping undiscovered within an un iafe sati distance most moat of the work of this sort to is done at night then the powerful searchlights of the craft are anre la in play making a tree free spectacle for the people on shore the great reat lights flash back and forth across the sky and give tho the cape cod real dents a tb rilling imitation of what they may some day see in grim reality just what the intent of the man oeuvres may be and their results are not made public they are kept secret for fear ear that foreign spies on shore might learn the signals plans moth oda of attack etc of the navy accuracy in scoring to la almost as ag important as shooting and after the targets have been hit they are towed ashore three or four hits bits nearly always put a target out of corn mission ml salou but they scarcely ever sink as aa they aro are built to remain afloat so that results can be recorded shore leave for the crews during the visit of the fleet here allows the men twenty four or forty eight hours liberty on shore in relays oftentimes the ships bands banda are arc ashore at the same game time and give concerts at the town parks tho the jackles take advantage of the fine diamond at province town and the navy ball games always a attract thousands of spectators A favorite stunt of jack ash ashore ashare are in Province provincetown town Is climbing the pilgrim memorial monument and more than that they climb out at the summit and walk around the topmost ledge jumping from one stone to another jumping the stones at the top of the monument nearly feet from the ground la Is the great hazing test in the north atlantic fleet the th north atlantic fleet usually remains MR fine here about a month during july after which it Is up anchor and a way away for rougher gators many of the wives and families of the officers stay at the copo cape while the fleet Is in assembled in the bay |