The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-09
ARTILLERY PRACTICE.

BETTER ORGANIZATION AND MORE INSTRUCTION
NEEDED-wHAT WAS DONE YESTERDAY.
Battery d, First division. N.G.s.N.Y., opened the
seasons artillery pracuce yesterday at Cozzen's
farm, East New YORK.
This tactical unit Of the artillery branch OF the
National Guard service. under the command OF
Captain John Keim, IN undress uniform. left their
armory, at the corner OF White and Elm streets,
at four O'Clock p. NJ on Monday and reached East
New YORK shortly alter six the same night Here
the personnel went into quarters for the night and
sent 20 the practice ground the section two
pieces) OF guns and caissuns which served for
practice yesterday. The material OF the battery
was placed under O guard composed Of ten rank
and file, sergeant and two corporals, and
planted In battery by eight O'Clock on Monday
night. The main body OF the personnel under the
immediate orders OF Captain Kelm, leit East New
York before eight O'Clock yesterday morning and
reached the practice ground In time TO open IRE
by halfpast nine. There were present i've COM
missoned onicers and sixty non-commlssloned
oficers. gunners and drivers
Tue pieces were placed In position before a tar
get twelve feet square, situated on immense,
low, level meadow looking toward the sea- The
mark itself wasmade OF wooden frame twelve
feet square, over watch was stretched covering
o: wnlte canvas painted with a two-leet
circular bulls eye AID rings marked on
1t loot apart IRON each other TO tho
sldes OF The target this being placed az about
500 yards nom the battery. One hundred aud
twenty-five rounds were fired. mostly from the
same gun. Inc target was nit some twenty 6ve
times, including two oulls eyes made by trum-
PstSue re Is Hq The result Of SSfnlue iss caT
ridges and spending as many spherical SIX.
FOUNDER shot ~ Battery 3.
The guns used were smooth bore brass six
FOUNDERS. lucy were mounted on carriages too
and wagon boxes we're not adapted 10 the kind or
ammunition used. ihe cartridge bags were TOO
Although ~ the NE powder wa as good good there
was too little OF II IN tue charges. tue rule being
from one-iOurth 10 One-siXth the wegnt OF tue
proIecie. The charge Was not ~ the form Of
what IS technically called nXed ammunition, the
Cartridge benx separated rom the Dali me latier
II. Inc proiectie used was spherical snot. lhe
guns were completely unprovlded with ANYTHING
that could be called sights ANAL metal PIN
was fastened IN the upper part Of tue muzze moul-
ding to answer as
FRONT SIGHT,
and a shallow Doicn cut into the base ring OF the
piece 10 serve ~ place oi the me There were
neither pendulum hausse nor target scale TO
guide the gunner In laying his piece. There were
no temporary platforms nor pianxs to take the
wheels anu tran piece: the consequences OF this
being that the wheels OF the gun M bedded them
selves into the soft ground anu the tra piece did
the same. therefore the gun was not level nor
these very unmIirary circumstances the hits
made were no proof OF skill Oh the part Of the
that the material was In wreIcned order and un-
skinny managed would convey out poor idea
OF the condition Of Battery yesterday.
THE PERs0NNEI-
Captain Keim has 10 his command an excellent
personnel out OF wnca TO form splendid battery;
but, as TOO frequently happens In National Guard
forces neither officers nor men have the aintest
conception OF what siould constitute an artillery
man. The men don't know the details o. great
gun drill. and OF course understand nothing az ali
aboat serving battery according 10 any tactics.
Only one gun was used yesterday for tne greater
part OF the day. the other being cast ASIDE be-
cause OF some suGnt disarrangement Of the 'front.'
sight. About tnis useless gun nearly all tue
men not busIly engaged round the lager
beer a1ed were clustered. rhe gun Ia
service was loaded ano laId NOT according 10 any
known rules, but at the caprice ~ whomever
might be nearest the piece. instructor OF baiistics
appeared TO have the Sign est notion tnat artIl-
ery practice means anything beyond lOa ing up
the gun and banging away ali over tue held. Tue
nrst nrtllleryman on toe lett or the Ruu detach-
home the Dail Win the wOouen bottom toward
tae muZzie. instead or inverseiy, as ne ought TO
have Done, and tue gunner Ia charge OF tue IAN
Jara knew 80 little ABOUT handing IL that he fre-
quently JERK the friction primer out OF the
vent without exploding II. During the whole
sponger 10 clean out or cool the bore OF the piec.
although there was bucket lor that purpose
hung IN Its place unuer the axletree. Everybody
commanded, nobody oDeyed. and ali was con-
iuslon because 10 one understood MS duiy
Tue target was about 500 yards from the bat
terry, ana, consequently, some $50 Yards beyoaa
poiut blank rauRe. On tnis account, and as there
was no tangent scale 70 the gun, the men pOint-
ing by The lne OF metal elevation only, their Shots
generally Tell far sHort o. the mark, ana Il was
only by Ttcocet that they got on the target &C ALL
the battery returned yesterday evening 10 New
YORK. Among the gentlemen present were Cap.
tain J. n. HuOner ana Lteutenanu HosGxie aud
Hannah, 81 battery h.