Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1902 — FORTS DESTROY SHIPS. [ARTICLE]

FORTS DESTROY SHIPS.

Army Geta Best of the Navy in Mimic EnKagement. Admiral Higginson’s warships made an attack on Forts Wright, Michie and Terry Monday night, but after a mimic battle lasting nearly an hour the big shore batteries had disabled every ship engaged. Every battery in the forts was worked with effect. Just before midnight four vessels tried to storm Price's Neck signal station, near Narragansett, and their gun fire against that point was followed by ninety-six shots from Fort Adams. The attack on the forts guarding the entrance to Long Island sound began soon after dark. At 10:20 Rear Rdmiral Higginson’s fleet was reported as passing the lighthouse cf New London. At the same moment came a message stating that the battleships had opened on Fort Miehie at Gull Island with their heavy guns. The forts had not then returned the fire. At Jp. m. the Point Judith signal station reported that Rear Admiral Higginson was sending marines ashore to capture that point. Fort Wright opened fire at 10:20 on a battleship believed to be the Indiana cad steaming rapidly toward Fort Terry on the Long Island sound side. Afterward the guns of Fort Terry were heard, apparently trained on the battleship. A message was received from the signal station at Fort Mansfield announcing that the whole fleet was coming toward Fishers island. Tlie ships were discovered by the searchlights and the tire of thre“ forts concentrated on them. 'Hie ships withdrew after an engagement lasting about ten minutes. The batteries of Fort Wright were one sheet of flame for ten minutes and hundreds of mortars were thrown into the air at angles that constructively dropped terrible explosive shells upon the decks of the Col. Davis, the district artillery commander, viewed tlie engagement from Mount l*rospeet and sent telephone reports to Gen. MucArthur telling of the battle. In an engagement with tlie fleet a 12inch breech-loading rifle in tlie fort went off prematurely, killing one private and seriously injuring two others. The man who was killed was literally blown to pieces, and one of his arms struck another private in the chest with such force aa to Inflict severe injuries.