The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-05-15
MY SWIM TO THE TARGET.

"a little noisy place near Southend. -
AS to its physical characteristics, it is
heterogeneous collection of barracks,
batteries and sandbanks. To the
stranger approaching it, it presents a
most uninviting aspect, especially
should the tide happen to be out. For
then becomes apparent the intermina-
BILE reaches of sand that stretch away
out to sea for miles in their unvarying
hatness. 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
Shoeburyness its importance in mill
tary eyes, and that makes it what it is
the great experimental and practice
station for the British artillery.
Everything is quiet enough there till
three O'Clock or Whereabouts. Then
the observer sees here and there flag
run up on the summit of a battery OF
casemate, and the roar of guns begins
and lasts two or three hours, almost
without intermission. Looking out to
Sea, one may perceive 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 of
the thousands of fuses of all kinds
turned out of the Woolwich Arsenal
some 3 per cent. have to be proved by
actual experiment, one may form some
conception of the appearance of Shoe
buryness on busy day.
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 at
Shoeburyness-each part lasting six
months. We had been enjoying our
selves at the seaside residence for three
out of these six months exceedingly;
for we had been fortunate enough to
have gone there in the summer months,
and between boating and bathing and
playing lawn-tennis, in modified form,
known as "sticky," in courts con-
structed out of the boards of old tar
gets past work, the time had passed
very pleasantly. 1t was now August,
and very hot one; the sun burned in
the heavens like q red coal, and scorch-
cd 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 felt inclined
to spend the day swimming lazily
about, or sitting on warm rock, after
the fashion of Tennyson's norman. It
was one of these acquatic excursions
which got me into the greatest scrape
have ever been in, or that l ever shall
be in, hope, as the sensation was any,
thing but pleasant.
must premise that was u very fair
swimmer, having learned that art,
amongst many other useful things, at
the academy, and progressed favorably
In it during course of seaside fort
residences. My great ambition had
always been to swim round the 1000
target some day when the tide was in,
and at length l determined to make the
attempt. The feat seems easy enough,
no doubt; but l was no Capt. Webb;
and amongst my fellow-officers there
were few who would have attempted it,
so l felt rather inclined to be able to
say that l had been there. Confiding
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 I have before
said, and l swan very slowly; how
ever. l arrived at my destination with
out much difficulty. The framework
on which the target floated offered q
pleasant resting place, and lay down
en- it lazily, intending to take some five
minutes breathing-time, and then
strike out for home. But alas for the
feebleness of human resolutions Be-
tween the warm sun and the long swim
and the recumbent posture. I had not
been there two minutes before I was
fast asleep. l had q curious dream. /
had been reading rather wild book Of
speculative astronomy that morning,
and had been somewhat struck by the
writer's theory that the end Of the
world would come through the fiery
vapors and lava of the interior of che
easth breaking through the thin crust
thereof. l dreamed now that such q
catastrophe was imminent, and that
was calmly inspecting a pressure-gauge
TO ascertain how long the globe would
YET endure: Fearlessly, as happens in
dreams, felt the increasing heat be-
meath me Tremors and indistinct dis
tant rumblings came rising up from in
finite depths, until the ground shook
and quivered under my feet. Hioher
ran the warning hand upon the diai.
and at length. with q mighty crash.
the world exploded, and was hurled.
not into chaos, but splash. into the wa
Ter OF the estuary OF the Thames!
Thoroughly awakened as the reader
may suppose, l rose to the surface.
gulPing down q mouthful of water.
swallowed in the surprise. AS /
clutched the framework beside me. j
was conscious of Q dazzling rcd flssh
IKE sheetlightuing, followed BY 9
tremendous report and 4 rattline aiI