The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-09-02
OUR euNNERs' ACCURACY.
They Rely on Science in the Firing of
Every Shot.

They Rely on Science in the Firing of
Every Shot.
The ordinary seaman of the present
navy, who operates the small guns
which compose the secondary battery
of a battleship and are used only at
close range, has taken the place OF the
old-time gunner, and he in turn has
risen and is now a warrant officer, oe-
cupying a place between the seaman
and the non-commissioned officer, hav-
ing a mess apart from the ordinary
seaman. He is not, however, eligible
to advancement further than that of
a gunner of the first-class. Below him
are the gunners of the second class,
formerly the gunners' mates, and the
gunners of the third class, who in the
days of the old navy, were known as
the gunners' apprentices. In the old
order of naval affairs gunners rose
from the rank of ordinary seaman,
and had as their only claim to their
titles the skill in the pofnt-blank
shooting of the time, acquired by long
practice.
Besides the cool head, steady hand
and keen eye of the old-time gunner,
the gunner of the new navy must
possess a gunner's education, including
not only a thorough knowledge of both
common and decimal fractions, but
also the use and application OF the
principles of algebra, geometry, trlg-
onometry and trajectory.
He is taught first that to locate to a
nicely the object upon which he is to
train his gun he must observe it from
krrn nd having
established a base line and the two
adjacent angles, by the science of tri-
angulation he finds the intervening dis
lance Many experiments have result
ed in the formation of tables and the
invention of mechanical instruments
which make the calculation matter of
but a few seconds. These are based
upon the science of trajectory, and en-
able the gunner to know in an instant
at what angle to elevate his gun.
Comparatively simple as this may
seem with the use of the instruments
and tables, it embraces in naval gum
merry accurate calculations of the speed
and direction of motion of the vessel
carrying the gun, the speed and direc-
ton of motion of the target. if it be
another ship, and the direction and
velocity of the wind, not one of which
can be disregarded if the range are
overcome to a great extent by the
shorter distance and by the high rate
of speed attained by the projectile.
In the case of moving vessel be-
ing the target, the range is determined
by means of the range-fnder and no
ted After an interval Of two min
utes or a convenient fraction thereof,
a second calculation is made. By the
tables the distance in yards between
the two points is determined, and this
divided by the interval of time gives
the speed. By another table, based
upon the rate of speed attained by the
projectile and the range, the distance
which the target will have traversed
during the fight of the projectile may
an angle as to cause the shot to take
effect as desired
By another process, If the ship upon
which the gunner is stationed be NOV
ing, the aim can be made quite as ac-
curate, and to this exact reduction of
the science is due the almost marvel
GUS craftsmanship of the Yankee gun.
ners in the recent engagements in Gu
ban waters.
While our modern gunner must
know thoroughly all this, he does not
have the opportunity in an engage
ment to apply it. To the officers in the
coming tower and in the turret falls
the task of determining the ranges.
This is usually done by the officers ON
board the flagship and communicated
to the officers ON board the other ships
by means of signals From them the
gunner in the turret gets his angle,
and by means of lever and scale
elevates or depresses his gun as his
orders may require.
Then comes the task which he alone
may perform. Attached to his gun,
near the breech, is powerful te1e-
scope. fitted at the outer lens with q
horizontal and vertical hair, crossing
at right angles in the centre. Through
this he locates his mark, and having
done SO knows that his aim is true
In spite of the exactness of the
science it is necessary, under unfavor-
able atmospheric conditions, such as
fog or rain, to resort to the old method
of trial shots. A smaller gun is used,
and by means of range-finder at
tached to its breech the range can soon
be determined.
Then the gunner applies the knowl-
edge which has given him his rank,
and science does what the greatest
skill of the old days could not.
On the old wooden ship with the
bristling sides the process was entire
ly different. The gunner, though far
inferior to ours of to-day, had under his
charge guns numbering from four to
eight, varying with the size and
strength of his vessel, and by force of
circumstances left the task of aiming
them to the ordinary sailor, who,
though without rank, was often in
point of skill the equal of his chief
The long range shot of the new
guns, the one which enables the gum
ner nowadays to watch the course Of
the projeetile and note the havoc it
creates even at the distance of several
,1oiioc was imnraefiea haoauca oP