The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-28
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES,
THE RANGER RECRUITING MEN
FOR THE CRUISER
BOSTON.
STRENGTH OF THE NEW NAVY
ALCATRAz AND FORT MASON BAT
TERIEs FIRE THE TWELVE
INCH MORTARs.

The supply of ammunition for practical
tests in firing the twelve-inch breech-
loading mortars of the Preside battery,
has been exhausted, and no more tests will
be made until the ordnance department
permits more 300 pound shells to be thrown
into the sea.
Batteries G and e, Fifth Artillery from
Alcatraz Island, and Battery I, Fifth Artil-
lery from Fort Mason, constituting 8 bat
talon under Lieutenant-Colonel Francis
L. Guenther, assembled at tho Preside
last Wednesday, and each company was
permitted to fire three shots.
Captain Crabbe's battery from Fort
Mason fired shells over the long range of
five miles. The pro iectiles assembled to the
height OF two miles and fell into the
ocean some 5000 yards distant from the
point of firing. 1t is impossible to cor
rectly measure the extent which currents
of air two miles above the earth will de.
feet a shell from the course mapped out,
but the splash of the falling projectiles in
the water during the recent tests indicated
that the shells went little outside OF the
range calculated.
The short-range firing, wherein it was
designed that the shell should strike the
water $500 yards from the battery, was
conducted by Lieutenant o. E. Woods.
Each battery of the Fifth Artillery has
now fired three shots. There was no firing
| Thursday on account of the fog. The ex-
psriments were concluded Friday by the
| battery from Fort Mason.
| Ambrose Bierce, who had special oppor-
! tunlty on General haZen's staff during the
Atlanta campaign to study the effect of
artillery at long and short range, is not
convinced that the young officers at the
! Il 10 hft oh oiall SerO
| the mortar battery. 1t is perhaps true that
| a shell may not strike within fifty feet of
! the point mapped out for the striking, but
! the chances are that one or more shots
would take effect on some ship OF hostile
| feet if the entire battery of sixteen
! mortarS should concentrate its fire on the
! leading vessel.
The Pinch rifed guns on the hill back
of Fort Point, the 10-inch disappearing
rifles below, and the battery of sixteen
mortars between the Presidio and Fort
| Point could make it very hot for fleet
between Point Lobos and Point Bonita.
| With the assistance of the battle-ship
Oregon, the Monterey and Monadnock the
| United States would be in a position to
make as big fight at the Heads as any
enemy would want.
Captain J. J. O'Connell, First Infantry,
Q. S. A, delivered lecture last Monday
evening OF the art of War" the first
N ". O..
Lyceum course. General Warfield and
staff, together with some 300 officers, non
| commissioned officers and privates of the
| brigade. attended. The talk was exceed
lngly Interesting. In the course of his re-
marks Captain O'Connell said:
1.-The saber should be done away with in
| the cavalry and the revolver substituted in
its place. Sentimental motives for its re-
! tentlon ought TO be set aside. 1t has had
It's day, and an honorable one, but that
day is past and better at once acknowledge
the inevitable and come down to stern re-
alltles OF modern requirements. The ar
tlllery IS yet an essential feature of modern
warfare and its improvements have kept
pace with the magaziue-gun. Ifthere is any
| thing certain in modern tactics 1t is that the
| frontal attack on a fortified position or one
strongly held by masses OF the enemy COW
cred by strong natural protection is impossi-
| BILE, futile and murderous without a formid-
able artillery fire before the infantry attack
begins, whereby the enemy is demoralized
| and shaken. The attack of the Guards,
| the finest corps of the German army, on
st. Privat during the battle of Grayelotte
| unqualifedly proves this. 1t lost 10000
men in fifteen minutes as it moved in solid
column over the unrestricted plain
toward the village"
At an entertainment in the cause of
| charity at the Occidental Hotel, last Tues
! day evening, Miss O'Connell of Angel
| Island recited the "Relief OF Lucknow. !"
Music by the Angel Island String Band
added to the effect of the recitation sug-
| costing the coming OF the relief column
! Captain +. E. Pierce of the First Infan-
| try, who has been on recruiting service, re-
| turns to duty at Renicia.
| General Forsyth, commanding the De-
| partment of California, has returned from
Sequoia Park, where he went to inspect the
troop of Fourth Cavalry which guards the
reservation. The general would be de-
| lighted if the Government should see fit to
make an appropriation to repair the roads
in the park. 1t is essential that the
forests of the reservation should be pro-
tected against fires and wood-cutters If
the area is denuded of trees the snow de-
posts would not be held in reserve to grad
| ually replenish the streams which flow to
the plains.
Lieutenant Franklin P. Bell of the gen.
erals staff remained at the park to en- Joy
vacation in the Sierras.