| Show THE TIlE THE FLEET FLEETON FLEET ON DRILL i. i N Up Up p until nt recently battleships and cruisers have I i been en supplied w with a certain number of great grett guns li 1 i and they have haye had rapid fire guns on deck and some some- I. I ii imes esin in the rigging the object of which is in case caseI l. l f war to ward off with those rapid fire guns the I y f approach df torpedo boats G Cit cr boat destroy destroy- ers rs The great North Atlantia fleet Heet of the republic republic r has Jias fora for a month past been gc going g through its annual an- an l r nual hual drill with at i headquarters 7 i. i The p plan an has been to go out from that port f for r a weeks week's exercises at sea There has been target target tar tar- t j get shooting hooting all kinds of ship maneuvers the object object ob ob- ob- ob 5 being to test the ships ships' in every emergency t that might aris arise in case an enemy's fleet was intent intent intent in in- tent upon attack or intent upon making a landing 1 f Last week the the practice practice consisted of trying to def determine de de- dc- dc f r termine whether the great guns on tho big ships t L ere vere sufficient to protect them against small torpedo tor- tor J edo boats Last week the they were practicing in ink J k Cape Cod ba bay The days day's work begins at 5 o'clock 1 I i in th the mornin morning when when all ll hands are ca called led an and the exercises continue until 10 o'clock without inter inter- t J mission The forenoons are devoted to tactical 1 h maneuvers the afternoons to torpedo practice and aud i preparations for target practice and the evenings io 10 o torpedo defense drills Through this every man manon on on board the ships is under constant strain the J admiral himself is on deck all day dar Here is a description description de dc- de- de of one evenings evening's work Ii i The ships were all anchored and the lights light all nIl alla out Lf and a a. a fi fleet c of li little tl tor torpedo o vess vessels J 1 ou r 1 of ot P harbor and was lost to view vin inthe the ri td All on board the ships were on the alert i to discover the little but dangerous vessels r- r tOo before coming within torpedo range Every officer and man maii was scanning the horizon with night glass glass- t- t v es es us Suddenly a rocket was seen seen seen-a a picket boat had c. c x discovered the enemy dashing in At t once the theP P Af i searchlights lit up the entire horizon the five torpedo torpedo tor- tor boats were discovered not yet et within torpedo iV f range Iange but approaching it at a a dangerously rapid rapid tr t speed All of the great guns of the fleet opened on l- l vi UV r v 1 these torpedo boats and they had to turn and fly 71 4 A I- I t would s seem em as though the skill of the Ji and the practice of the fleet in the science I i c V lf v. of of sailing and amI handling and fighting great ships f h had d been reduced to something like perfection The i next thing men will have to guard against will be Jr above alove and some very learned men eh believe i. i that that the building of fighting ships will cease after n a year or two to and that the aerial craft will decide t kl 6 the battles of tho the future |
