The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-10-15
ouNnERY AND THE GUNNER.
To Fire a Big Gun Effectively Re
quIres "a Liberal Education.

To Fire q Big Gun Effectively Re
quIres "A Liberal Education.
Expert marx smanshlp on the part OF
land forces. whether of infantry or ar
tillery. demands long experience anu
frequent practice. AT sea the conditions
make gunnery far more difficult, and
but few persons who have not been
aboard warship or studied the theory
of the art have any just conception of
the problems which enter into the APP
parently simple matter of discharsing
"A great gun. The thing IS done quickly
aud easily. but II II il done well II Is
because Of months of practice and the
study of questions involving nearly
every branch of higher mathematics.
When the man In charge of piece OF
naval ordinance describes his enemy lie
has various important details To con
slider. lie must find the .'range" tech
nically. the distance between point
vertically below the muZzle of the gun
aud The point of impact-and this lie
may do either by trial shots gagged by
his judgment or by means Of the range
finder" which Is an appliance for has
lily computing distances in accordance
with well known methods of mathemat-
Teal calculation. the Hinder using the
ship itself rs Il base line for the dellnea
ton of triangle of which the target Is
10 the the apex. Once The range has
been aseertalned the gunner must sight
the piece the sight In use for some of
the large guns being a telescope fitted
at eye piece aud object glass with hair
line wires crossing at right angles nj
the center of the lenses, II correct aim
being found 10y getting the target In
line with the intersections OF the two
sets of wires. Owing Ia the introduc-
ton of electricity. which makes II pos
slble To fire gun lnstantaneously and
by the touch OF button. the discharge
is so quick that the gunner need not
stop to consider the effect Of the pitch
aud toss of the ship. the proJecIile being
well ON It's way before the vessel has
had time To roll
But he has other problems to face.
and here his study of the theory Of gun
merry comes to his help. In the hrst
place. the gun itself may be In motion,
/ due 10 the progress of the ship ms II
maneuvers. Imagine gunner placed
GU this unstable platform and having
for his target an almost indlsilnguish-
able object. so colored that lis outlines
/ blend vaguely with the waters two or
/ three miles distant The target Itself
may he moving In one direction as the
gunners ship moves IN another:
strong wind may defect the projectlle
from its course; the distance may be
unknown, and so may the rate of speed
Of the little strip Of steel hull on the
horizon The gunner must know. too,
what elevation of his canonn is neees-
sary for given range. ms the same ele-
walton In one gun Will not answer In an
other. The momentum of shell Is cal
culated rs equivalent 10 It's weight mul-
t tlplled by It's velocity, large guns hay-
/ Ing thus n wider field Of effective opera
i ton Yet good modern gunner Will be
able to find the distant vessel and drop
/ tons of explosive shells on Its decks;
T and. as the war has demonstrated. the
American gunner exeels at this busi-
ness
+ This is so largely because OF the
splendid training administered ut the
nations naval academy and the wise
. extravaganza of the government IN pro
vlding opportunities for practice. BE
hind all the skill due TO experience ia
/ the gunner's knowledge Of the theory Of
his art. which makes II possible for him
to work understandnely, gives him SUI
perlor resources In time OF need and
enables him TO know why and how one
method Will produce better results than
another The intrioacy OF the problems
involved may be imagined from the
fact that the computation of range Ia
bles Includes not only the eonsidera ton
Of sea service conditions. but takes into
account such matters as windage. We
locty. muzzle energy weight Of metal
thrown. atmospheric resistance and
even baronetric aud thermometrle con
dltons. The naval student must sum
mon algebra and trigonometry to his aid
In computing the equation OF forces
which VIII land shell on distant
cruiser. lie does not work out these
problems In battle. OF course. but his
past study of them gives him n high eff
flclency.
Mastery of these details. natural
gift for handling machinery and n fine
native bravery and manhood have won
the naval battles. The American be
hind the gun" Is not only good mathe-
matician and good mechanic but n
cool and intrepid lighter Chicago Rec
...l