The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-11
so NEAR AND YET so FAR
THE VESUVIUs CONES VERY NEAR
HITTING TIE TARGET.

Doubt as to Whether Four of the Five
Projectiles Exploded After Falling
Into the Weter-The Naval Officers
Express Themselves as Highly
Pleased With the Showing Made.
PoRT ROYAL, s. c., Feb. 1O.-A clear
day enabled the Vesuvius to resume the
tests of her pneumatic guns this morning.
A stiff southwest wind made the harbor
rather lumpy in the early morning, but
before IL o'clock, when the first shot was
fred, the breeze was no more than fresh
and the water was fairly smooth. The
Wahnetta came down the river at o'clock
in the morning and drew up along side of
the Philadelphia. She was sailed by Capt.
Barker. and in the name Of the board was
brought up TO the harbor with Instructions
TO take her station half mile to the north
east of the target. The Philadelphia's steam
launch crossed over to the Hilton Head
shore, taking a position abreast of
the target aud in line with
the shore flag station, at which tho theodolite
parties were. The Vesuvius got under way
at IL o'clock and in less than thirty-fve
minutes had gotten into linewsy and fired
three pro jectiles. Promptly at 10 o'clock
the Vesuvius hoisted signals announcing
that she was ready to fire the first shot and
would aim it from the 2 ,0O0-yars buoy.
The board had gone aboard Of the Nesuvius
early IN the morning and watched the days
experiments from her deck. With her sig
nails flying the Vesuvius steamed slowly up
TO the 2,000-Yard buoy, heading slightly 60
the north Of the target line A mo-
mentary pause followed while she
swung slowly into position, then her
signal dropped and instantaueously almost
there followed the white cloud of compressed
air indicating the firing Of the shot. The
Observers eye took up the projectile before
it had gone 100 yards on its fight. It sailed
gracefully through the heavens, making a
curve Of perfect symmetry. The first shot
fell fifty yards short of the targets, but
exactly in line with the buoy which marked
the 2,0O0-yard range. The target itself had
TOO much stray line and had drifted about
forty or fifty yards away from the station.
The Vesuvlus was slgnaied from the
Wahnetta that the shot had fallen short,
and IN twelve minutes she was ready to fire
again, indicating by her flags that the same
range would be kept. The Vesuvius
this time craWleda up close to her
buoy before firing. The shot was
as pretty as its predecessor and more nearly
attained It's target. The observers on the
Wahnetta signRled back 20 the Vesuvius
that the shell fell ten feet short.
The third shot was fred few moments
later, falling short Of the target but prac~
ticelly on the buoy line.
An interval Of an hour followed and then
the remaining two projectlles were fired.
The fourth shot fell on the buoy line, but
the fifth and last shot OF the day fell so close
to the target that the spray thrown up by
projectile obscured the target An instant
afterward an explosion was heard and the
water behind the target was disturbed so
far as could be seen from the Wahnette,
the fifth shell was the only one exploded,
though the officers Of the Vesuvius and
members Of the board Aaid that they had
distinctly heard the explosion OF the fourth
shot.
1t was learned during the afternoon that
after firing the first three projectiles the
cotton primers had been replaced by gun
powder primers, the superstition being that
the gunootton had failed to detonate the
powder. Many of the officers maintain that
this view is probably correct.
The second and fifth shots fell so &C
curately that they would have fallen on an
ordinary slOop stationed for a target. The
officers of the Vesuvius are greatly elsted
over the results Of the days tests.
The Vesuvius returned to the naval sta
ton in the afternoon and took seven shells
from the lighter. The guncotton has been
removed from these projeotiles and will be
replaced by powder to enable continuance
Of the experiments tomorrow.