New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-23
AMERICAN GUN PRACTICE.
ONE SECRET OF UNCLE SANS NAVAL
SUCCESSES.
.sEvEN TRIALS REQUIRED EVERY YEAR-lT COSTS
MONEY But IT PAYS.

- NO more money tims and attention 10
great gun target practice al sea NAN nix iustiaed
the thousands yearly expended since the ne% saw
pes 6egdn n t0 stains NV That Of Great Britain
ebly practises more regularly WIN S a DO on ac-
osn 81 tbe sraor sze OF her establishment and
the liberal appropriations gIansea ,or tS states
IN point OF naval rank among the fowe[s Ot
Sf nes Of e the necessity Of
men in craftsmanship that has apphea N sn ,alg
5S few HT to Of
mental nations. and most OF tnelr In - Sn ere
eets Of Great britain and France operating n me Hr
Mediterranean Sea are constah,y ppeuvrinS under
way There is that same scTupQIouts, Of
its personnei in the method Of handling great guns
sha apears Ind '1f fan fre Russa and spain except
al rare intervals and spasmodicany burn little gun
pTbnTc are two kinds Of target practice required
in our Navy. that known as sea praSuce anG
STo hc Department, prescribing six sea practices
and one record practice annually ana any IaiuI d
to HoG IN S ,he case q the most cogen VIII
the omission Of target paaGee Of ammunition be
Considered Unsuitable II vessels are IN port "ae
udsr wav proceed TO sea and carry out their in
lstrictions The object OF attack IS stalIS o, az
san of three sides attached TO an upright pole OF
about fifteen feet in height stuck IN woooen en-
frame which serves as hoa IH 1s3be TO the eye
and vet our great batte-shps and cruisers steam
Ting NJ eiQ knots frequently ueSuo! IL a. a
distance OF two miles.
SEA PRACTICE WITH GREAT GUNS
Sea practice with great guns is conducted either
Snn az on to three thousand yards the ship steam
ang at any rate the commandahS as nearly as
possible the conditions Of actSs battle Of aHa
mot be allowed TO unduly interfere win me spiItuet
continuous fire Gums Are pr the shp We're
fSaEing The rate Of speed vaFes
whsr under fEGm tO 9eGs s draueht way
The entire IS at quarters and nart ave h",ors
pra down: the ships stripped clear: Tbe Coc'oLs
lret out their saws and knives. and har1mocks are
for owernS the bs taxes his place
Kin the coming tower the secondary batteries are
manned. marines stationed Ia the military tops
!; I'D The snip and her crew TO all intent and pur-
kDoses are ready to engage an imaginary enemy
~,aceful Cruisers circle around the target letting
go first battery and then the odneT Sf nvs
hattie-shps pour in their mammoth proleces, anu anu
81 the pole has no; been knockeo 10 nTactice is
,,1 vt ~ IN 70 the Navy standard.
1t costs the Government very niue 20 oDa in a
tSew hours. and for this reason good many can can
Zoe tbHnt Inc Gove.nment losing more than 500
but il IS not with the ammunition, Eve'c aye erge
the i 100 pound projec,ile backed by five hundred
pounds Of powder IS hurled INTO yosocte about
S2oo Regular armor piercing pro,ee,es sne s nane
Chat are employed n actual IS 10 be penerated are
never used in target practice They are 100 SosI h
and the same results can nJ tvpe The tar
.Uet practice therefore. while valuable IN ,ic
results Is eYPsnsye N 10 me has not given that
tention 10 the art IN former years tha' proper III
Yet the wisdom Of literally providing s for MAYA VA
Praece has oean dP bg our seaen
present war d, Manila on Sanuaso i1g Of Cuba
nrornpt collapse Of the Spanish feet recently p n
ior 'S Commoso,e Schieys squadron and the at
tenton that the Navy has gvsn 40 va wear
REGULAR BATTLE TWICE A YEAR
Regulations Of the N sS P Sear s shes shall
Cleared for action and men stattsned as III nnarter
hatte W M Coming Tower and ali other officers at
their stations Ammunition Is suppmer rt III, and
ner aT N cate OF fmeTgency orders shI be given
by the means that woGla pe me wbole or part OF
The secondary battery allowance ior one sea
~ unnnate the target and disclose is lreTeel sen
so that accurate tire may De d Militant than
great feet performing evolutions at, nsn, a ,h
The p9weTu sfaT Sabs boa IT on S'nh e
ing waves The skies brilliantly ghIeo leon ab be
efeat % and bring out boldly great floating
fortresses in picturesqueness Lite :, "a often
G tlfs Is To- ind the object of attack at greater
distance than mile or two e;r,oo,bhoro gun. which
IN dhe "a? with the development Of the modern
flied ordnance and steelsle Saps ,bat OF today
Teither were the weapons so accurate ftteei' "a
twentv men were required to handle one o. me on
w. ems where six can now load. fire and oper-
~ e I,n vas loaded by tedious process and hrec
LII nriner trained by heavy spikes and run ou'
NV ropes manned by men To-Day me pig Eus' and
the powder is enited electricity the guns Tane0
by the same motive power and inc VIZ ,,nd bv
one-haIf the men necessary fifteen years ago I.
work gun whSse rans9 minutes nj We're required
enonge load aud fire the old gun; now for me
quick-fring ench at least oo=e" s"o'' 0''
officers Of the American Navy are directed 70
make target practice OF all kinds instructive Men
~ aim in order 10 secure the best average OF et.
9un practice the best results obtained by aim
ing not the water-liDe, but at POM aDo' va
lSeen strictly carried out and they account 'or the
wonderful precision OF fire attained by SlpS % 'I'e
I'M hest tarset-hitters afoat And IN securing this
result the sailorUan has had as much 70 90 Win =. u
,ouenty points the gun aud when he does he sener'
ally shoots well as the officer
EFFECTIVE RANGE OF GUNS.
Something about the effective ranges os our gunt
Is timely and interesting Just now. when the IA
tons eyes are turned toward me cnnt
OF It's Navy. The question OF d gu. 'ars s ~ AZ
for little unless It is pointed accurately ana ne di
fained. For every inch OF caNbre modern weapor
has its should be nile o, wonla g nn
be effective more than three or four LINEN gu'
OF our batteships. when elevated to us ian lhl
Is capable OF propeng shell thirteen mics bu
no naval battles even with guns 0: suca type arr
epnDosed TO be fought at greater distances tiiar
Ave miles and generally about three. AT no tlme
were the American ships more than one mile IRON
the snanish vessels In the recent fight soon after
the chase was well on. In order 70 point me gum
accurately at target from 400 to 100 yards tele
ecoplc sights are used all the heavy guns. Bu
with the smaller guns this Is not necessary.
The number OF required to man nava
guns OF the British French German ana Amer
can navies is about the same. although the Frencr
are understood have more men as rule foi
some OF the larger guns. For the finch anc
B-.nch all services require about four men TO WORK
each piece; Cor the 6-nch six men are needed. anc