Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-15

These are placed at intervals of 200
300, 400, 500 and GEO yards from the
targets, and are each numbered with q
figure Indicating the target to which
they apply. Half woy down the range
IL All Uticet's tent, In which sit Mayor
Powell and Major Won Herman al
a table watching the shots as they
strike and recording the scores. Far.
Their up are a squad of soldiers lying
on the green awaiting their turn,
while on the opposite aide of the
range from the 200 yards firing point
comes the sharp report of the rifles as
another company are taking their
practice standing at the nearest range.
The wind Is blowing strongly across
the range, its direction being indi.
GATED by four red fags, which stand
firmly out from the staff, and point
With their tips towards the city. Fur
ther down stands large
clock dial, surmounted by q wealth
or vsne, which indicates the
force of the wind by q hand
swinging across Its face and warns the
marksmen to adjust their wind guage
ITO half past one." As We look up
the hill towards the butts, the faces of
i've targets apparently rising from the
ground confront us In the distance.
one of which waivers, turns and mys-
teriously appears below ground to
give place to another precisely like the
last. A puff of smoke, q report, q
short interval, and pole, surmounted
by a disc, shoots up from the ground,
waves across the face of number two,
and then disappears bslow as rapidly
as 1t first came up, while q change
is made In the group far to our front,
and another solder drops into
the position occupied by the
last marksman. We approach the
firing point and shake hands with
Lieutenant Mason. "a choppy
wind" says the Lieutenant
TO Capt. Coolidge, who In
quires how many points have been
allowed on the wind guage and sug-
gests that an allowance Of two degrees
would carry the bullets more to the
right. The wind puffs In gusts and
the clock varies from half past one to
two as q sergeant takes his plsoe at
the 200 yard post of target No. 2,
draws a bullet from his belt, vets it
In his mouth and Inserts 1t In the
breach of his Springfield rihs. A
sharp report follows. Gan timer
calls out Mr.. D.nnis who has shot at
Cresdmoor." ''Too much to the left"
remarks Captain Coolidge as the white
diso comes up and the target turns,
The captain W. his hand, o red
flag appears IN the right of the line of
targets, and firing cssses as we make
our way towards
THE BUTTS,
which occupy the western portion of
the range and contain the targets
and arrangements for recording the
shots. As no plan has yet been de-
vised by which a bullet will strike a
target, mark Its value, inform the
marksman where he has hit and
erase the mark on the target In read.
iness for another shot, 1t Is plain that
these essentials must be accomplished
by human agencies. The problem
then presentn itself how the markers
and target tenders can be safely shell
tered from stray shots and the
bullets after passing through the
targets, restrained from doing any
damage to travellers beyond the range.
The butts at the Fort Omahs rife
range, which have been constructed
under Captain Coolldge's person.
a. supervision fully solve the prob.
lem sud ars undoubtedly tbs
most complete in the west. Led by
the captain We pass around a high
bank OF earth which stretches across
the range, and while the red flag Gig
nals danger" and prevents firing
from down the alope, We descend in
the deep trench which contains the
targets sad markers. The excavation
Is eight feet deep, 16 feet wide and
Ito feet long, boarded on three sides
and fanked by an abutment of earth
and plank fifteen feet high and ten
ten feet thick, into which
far above our heads the
bullets plunge after passing through
the targetr. The trench Is we'll filled
With soldiers, Lieutensnts Treat and
Lsyden directing the marking.
Through the centre rise five frames,
each containing two targets revolv.
Ing on q horiz ontsl aka like the wheel
of q wagon, 40 that one IL above the
trench, while the other fastens firmly
balow In . Stat ready to be elevated
when The uppsr one has been used.
Ri TARGETS .
consist of frames of wood, exc feet,
ACROSS which heavy cloth II stretched,
and over which . sheet OF brown
paper with three o~onoentric black
rings Is pasted. This gives four d.
visions In which the bullet msy enter
the black center or "buils. eye" which
counts 8 In the score, the next ring or
CENTRE" which counts A. 4, the third
OF "inner," for which 3 Is credited,
and the margin between the frame
and largest ring or the ''%outer," which
counts az 2. Two size. OF targets are
usad called respectively the "a" and
"B" targets the frames for each
being the came, but the paper
target varying In size az
noted. The "a" targets are Axe feet,
with . bulls eye eight inches In diane
ter, and are used at the 100, 200 and
300yard ranges. The "B" targets, 6lt
fsth . bull's~eye inches In diameter,
are used at the 400 500 and 600 yard
ranges. On ranges where firing Is
done ut distances from 200 to 100
yards a 20" target 6rl2 feet with a
bulls eye t~htrty-eight inches In
diameter, Is made use of, but al
at Fort Omaha, the longeut range
!s 600 yards none of the larger tar
gets are In s Q While we examine
the targets the rcd flag deacends. We
start nsrvously as the report of q rife