The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-05-24
OUR STORY TELLER
My Swim to the Target.
BY AN ARTILLERY OFFICER,


London Society
Few, perhaps, among the civilian
population of England have any very
certain idea as to the whereabouts OF
Shoeburyness; fewer still, perhaps have
been there. TO travel down from Fen
church-street to the extreme end of the
London, Tilbury, and Southend Rail
way is of itself a journey not to be-
taken without some definite object in
view; and when to this is added tram
of some two miles along yielding SAND
and shingle, or, as an alternative, about
four miles of uninteresting road, it il
easy to understand that few tourists arc
to be found energetic enough to traveI
so lar merely to see the place and re-
turn; for stay there they cannot, there
being no hotel of any description in the
little place.
Shoeburyness, for the benefit of the
uninitiated, may be defined as ga little
noisy place near the South-end.D As
to its physical characteristics, it is q
heterogeneous collection of barracks
batteries, and sandbanks. To the
stranger approaching it, it presents q
most uninviting aspect, especially
should the tide happen to be out. For
then become apparent the interminable
reaches of sand that stretch away out
to sea for miles in their unyarying fat.
ness, broken only here and there by the
black form OF a target or by the pegs
driven into the yielding soil to mark
the ranges. Nevertheless it is this very
dismal expanse that gives Shoebury.
ness its Importance in military ewes,
and that makes it what it is-the great
experimental and practice station for
the British artillery
Everything is quiet enough there I'M
til eight o'clock or thereabouts. Then
the observer sees here and there flag
run up on the summit of battery or
casemate, and the roar of the guns be-
gins and lasts for over two or three
hours, almost without intermission.
Looking out to sea one may see clouds
OF smoke rolling away, far up in the
blue sky, like white balls, as the shells
burst IN the distance, and may hear the
noise of the report floating lazily back
after an apparently interminable lapse
of time. When it is remembered that
oil the thousands of fuses of all kinds
turned out of the Woolwich Arsenal
some three per cent. have to be proved
by actual experiment, one may form
some conception of the appearance of
Shoeburyness on busy day.
Enough, however, of description for
the present. Even to this remote
corner of England has enterprise pene-
trated, and when last was there the
foundation Of great hotel was being
laid. Soon, no doubt, it will be as great
a resource for the ubiquitous AIRY as
other portions of her Maiesty's domin-
ions. ! should not have ventured to in
trude 1t upon my readers but for an ad-
venture which happened to me there on
one occasion, and which went very near
to depriviDg the British public of this
interesting recital and the ROYAL Reci.
ment of Artillery OF. the services of a
most promising young officer" as no
doubt the Times would have recorded
In the year 1877 was going through
what is technically known as the "long
course" curriculum of instruction in
gunnery theoretical and practical; the
former at Woolwich, and the latter al
sboeburyness-each part lasting six
months. We had been ENJOYING our
selves at our seaside residence for three
months exceedingly; for we had been
fortunate enough to have gone there in
the summer months; and between boat
ing and bathing and playing lawn
tennis, in a modified way known as
sticky, in courts constructed out of
the boards of old targets long past work,
the time had passed very PLEASANTLY. 1t
was now August, and a very hot one :
the sun burned in the heavens like red
coal, and scorched up the scanty water
that the sand-beds contained. till we had
to send miles away to fetch what was
required for the use of the barracks.
Work of any kind was an effort. One
ielt inclined to spend the day swimming
lazIly about, or sitting ON a warm rock
after the fashion of Tennyson's mer-
man. 1t was one of these aquatic ex-
cursions which got me into the greatest
scrapes | have ever been in, or that |
ever shall be in, hope, as the sensation
was anything but pleasant.
| must premise that l was very fair
swimmer, having learned that art,
amongst many other useful things, at
the Academy, and progressed favorably
In 1T during a course of seaside fort resi-
dences. My great ambition had always
been to swim round the two thousand
target some day when the tide was in,
and at length / determined to make the
attempt. The feat seems easy enough,
no doubt, but l was no Captain Webb;
and amongst my fellow officers there
were few who would have attempted it,
90 felt rather inclined to be able to
say that ] had been there. Con6ding
my intention to no one, started one
day from the gun pier just before slack
water, counting on getting back before
the tide turned again.
1t was hot day, as / before said, and
j swan very slowly; however, arrived
at my destination without much diff
Guilty. The framework on which the
target foated offered pleasant resting
place, and lay down on it lazily, in.
lending to take some five minutes
breathing time, and then strike out for
home. But alas for the feebleness of
human resolutionsl Between the warm
sun and the long swim and the recum-
bent posture, ] had not been there two
I minutes before was fast asleep. had
1 curious dream. / had been reading
rather wild book of speculative astron-
,my that morning, and had been some