The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-01-29
TARGET PRACTICE AT SEA.
The Navy Likely 20 Use @7OO,OOO
Worth OF Powder and She'll I'm 1898.

The Navy Likely TO Use S7OO,OOO
Worth OF Powder and She'll in 1S0S.
Target practice at sea by ships of the
new navy costs the government annual
ly half q million dollars, and with the
completion of ships now building the
cost will approach 100000. This in
cludes only the cost of powder and the
cheap variety of shells used. Were full
powder charges and the regular armor-
piercing protectiles employed the cost
would be at least $4,000 900. None but
the best kind of powder can be used in
the big guns, but the shells need not be
of the finest workmanship.
From not more than 100000 a year
for target practice to nearly one million
Is a big jump in the cost of maintaining
the navy, and yet officers claim that
there Is not half enough practice as it
Is. Economy has prevented the fire.
quent use of the batteries and the
Workmanship records show that
gunners are not so proficient as they
should be- The fact that the navy has
not been well supplied with either pow
der or shells for years Is the cause of the
poor scores made by some ships COM
panies. say the officers. The president
recommends in his annua message the
appropriation of 81, 200. 900 to provide a
reserve supply of powder. There will
oon De delivered more than half q
million dollars worth of projectiles un-
der contracts awarded last summer.
These projectiles are intended to fill the
ordnance rooms of ships not provided
and leave on hand a fair supply In case
the vessels are called upon to fight.
Powder is needed to propel these shells,
and unless congress authorizes its pur-
chase soon there will be q good many
ships short on their allowances for tar
get practice
Recent regulations provide that
every vessel in the navy az sea shall
have a certain amount of target prac-
tice annually. The limited supply Of
powder and shells prevents full service
charges from being fired often and in
all target practice the charges are
greatly reduced and the shells used are
of the cast steel variety. All practice Is
to be conducted on or OF soundings at
ranges varying from 800 TO 5000 yards,
the ship circling the target at q speed Of
not less than eight knots, such practice
OCiuk bnlCboC1 " ~ 90 A~N@
as possible. the conditions of battle I'M
der q spirited and continuous fire. At
two sea practices each year all vessels
are to be cleared for action. and men
are to be stationed as in actual battle,
with necessary officers. aids and quar-
termasters In the coming tower. and
all other officers at stations. Projectiles
used In practice are either semi-armor
piercing or simply east iron with little
power to break through heavy armor.
The powder. however, Is Of the best fur
nished the navy.
Capt. O'Neil. the ordnance chief, esti-
mates that 1t will be only two OF three
years before the service must appropri-
ate at least 81 600. 1000 annually for the
purpose of target,practice alone. 1t be-
comes necessary, he finds, to educate
gun In the handling of their pieces and
IN accuracy of fire, and skill can be OBJ
tanned only by means of liberal provi-
sion for target practice. Next year. he
says, the navy will burn up and shoot
away powder and proiectiles worth
S7OO .000.-N. Y. Sun.