The Portland daily press., 1891-10-23
AUTUMN TARGET PRACTICE.
HOW the Fort Soldiers are Filling UP
the Channel with Solid Shot.

who runs into port in the day time will do
we'll TO keep sharp look out for bombs
bursting in the air" unless he wants his sails
and rigging riddled.
AS at other posts, target practice Is going
on. so 1t is at Fort Preble under command of
Cant. Rodgers. Practice commenced We'd
nesday, the piece used being a 1O-inch NOR
tar placed on the upland to the south of the
commandments house. The same weapon
was used yesterday; but today the new
eight inch rifles, four of which were recently
mounted on the parapet will be fired for the
first time. All four Of the guns will be used
by each non.commissioned officer Ia turn
so that 1t will be 10 days or two weeks be-
fore the usual quiet is restored at the fort.
As regards startling surprises, mortar
practice is more interesting than firing with
riHed guns, but when 1t is question of
planking given spot with a shot or shell.
the latter implement Of destruction is to be
preferred Mortar practice Is good dea |
like the walnut-shell game-sometimes you
hit 1t, sometimes you don't. generally you
don't
In the first place there are great MANY
things outside the mortar itself that have to
be attended to. When practice is to be in
dulPed in, several squads of men are first
sent out to woo the elements. They climb
up beside the tall flag staff and set up a vane
and an thermometer. finding out the velocity
and direction of the wind. This, when
communicated to an officer causes him to
look wise. remain silent moment, then or
der the target placed.
Six men and corporal soon start out In a
boat. towing the target, a white canvas pyr-
amid, eight feet high. built up on raft of
empty kegs and carrying red streamer on
the top. The corporal is told how far to go
ana he goes out until in his judgment he has
reached about the proper place, where he
lays to and waits for instructions. These
come to time by means Of signal flags from
two plane table parties on the parapet. Yes
terday one party consisted of the men who
had been measuring the wind on the parapet
near the flag pole. The other consisted of
Lieutenant Curtis and signal man up at
the other end of the fort, near the burying
ground. These two parties with their plane
tables form with the target triangle, the
base of which is in the fort. The observers
sit down at their tables and look through
the sights. When each can see the other
with one eye and the target with the other.
the triangle is complete. and the corporal in
the boat who has been backing and filling in
obedience to.the commands spelled out by
the fluttering flags. drops the anchor of his
target and rows away as fast as he can.
Wedn esday the range was 1000 yards and
yesterday 1919, the target being in the mid
die of the main entrance to the harbor, be-
tween CushiDg's Island and the Cape
shore.
After the target is anchored, the work of
pointing the mortar is commenced. First,
few words as to the mortar itself. Every
body knows that mortar is like big can
non. cut off at about three feet from the
breech and mounted on a low carriage.
There are no sights on mortar as there are
on cannon. and the cranks, chains, wheels
and springs that are so useful in manipula-
ting gun are replaced by old-fashioned
handspikes In the hands of four men sta
toned one at each corner of the piece. For
the purpose Of aiming the mortar, two plumb
lines hanging from trestles are used. One
OF these is placed on the parapet, the other
just behind the mortar. These are lined
with the target, and then the officer In COM
mand. stationed about six yards in the rear,
takes final sight through transit instru-
ment. Having lined the sights, the non
commissioned officer who Is to make the
shot stands behind the rear trestle and Or
ders the mortar heaved to the right or left
as the case may be, into line with the sights.
This done, the mortar is elevated to an angle
Of 450, and chalk line drawn along the top,
In the middle. to serve as further aid to
correct sighting. By this time it is general
ly observed that the target has drifted off in
one direction or the other. and the laporious
process has to be repeated.
At last the weapon is pointed to the salts
faction Of the man In charge and he orders
the load to be brought For the first shot
yesterday, two pounds six ounces Of powder
were used. This is brought In a cloth bag
and poured into the capacious mouth of the
iron monster, not quite covering the bottom,
10 twenty-sevenths of the bore being found
to give the best results. A thin wad is next
put In and then the shot with it's weight
chalked on 1t is brought by two men,
clutched with pair of tongs like those used
In handling ice, slung on a handspike. The
first two shots fred yesterday weighed 8S
pounds. These are put into the mortar, be-
ing made to lie exactly in the middle by
means of their wooden wedges, usually four
in number, stuck in around the sides.
Under the old system the next step was for
man to run printing wire down the touch
hole, attach friction primer and cord,
technically called a lanyard, brace himself
firmly, and at the word give the cord a jerk,
firing the piece. Now all is changed Elec-
trlcity which Is taking the place Of main
strength in many other departments of
science, is coming into use here too. A little
copper tube to which is attached an electric
blasting machine such as is taking the place
of the death dealing powder fuse in ledge
work, is run down the touch hole, all hands
stand back, the officer takes last look at
the target through the transit and tcalls cut:
mo lire" The man at the blasting
machine pulls handle up and jams 1t down
again. There is loud report, burst of
smoke, the mortar jumps up from its bed
full six inches. Notwithstanding it weighs
ton, and the ten inch solid shot goes whizzlng
through the air Ia beautiful curve to go
splash down into the water somewhere near
the target, sending up column OF spray to
mark the spot.
The velocity Of the shot is not very great,
the interval between the report and the
splash yesterday being about seventeen
seconds. 1t can be watched as long as it is
rising and then when 1t reaches full five
hundred feet and begins to drop. When
within about one hundred feet of the water
Its velocity has increased so that 1t cannot be
seen until the splash marks its landing place.
The plane table men are on the lookout for
the splash and when 1t comes they fix its
position with string on the tables Then
they calculate the amount Of divergence from
what ought to have been the striking place,
and this year they telephone the result to
Lieutenant Kinds who is stationed In head
quarters. In other years they have used the
signal flags TO send in their report but here
again electricity replaces human hands
Lieutenant Kinds writes down the calcula-
lions on piece of paper and sends them to
Captain Rodgers who reads them, COM
mands: MAKE the next charge two pounds
fiye." and calls up the next non-commis-
stoned officer To fire.