The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-26

amount or infantry drill in squad, platoon
battery and battalion, and il is fact that
the heavy artillery soldiers in the regular
army handle themselves quite as well In
infantry formation as the regular infan-
trymen
Up TO within very few years ago the
heavy artillery branch of the United
States was handicapped by the lack Of
modern big guns upon which to drill
Even AZ the present time many artillery
men in the heavy batteries have had no
opportunity to drill upon modern breech-
loading rifles. The old 15-inch guns are,
of course, muzzle leaders, and there Is
about as much difference between a muz-
zle-loading and hrcech-lcading great gun
as thepc Is between a bicycle and a loco
motive. The drills upon the two pieces
are entirely different The heavy artll-
lery officers, of course, have been trained
on the modern breech-loaders at West
Point, but owing to the lack OF such guns
in fortified heavy artillery posts. they nave
had little chance 10 hand over their knowl-
edge of such guns to the enlisted men. In
most of the heavy artillery posts there
are two or three converted S-inch rifles
that is, old-time 1l-inch smooth-bores re-
shrunk about modern rifilng-but these
guns are all muZzle-loaders, and no more
use for drilling purposes than the 15-inch
smooth-bores.
Even the drills on these out-of-date
pieces of ordnance are not easy for the re-
cruit to get the hang of. It requires about
one-iifth of an entire battery to man one
Of these guns, and the men are drilled
upon them by the numbers-that is. the
gunner gives the commands, and the men
perform the movements called for by their
numbers in the formation of the guns
crew. But each man is required to master
the duties of every member of the guns
crew, and for this purpose he is shifted
about to the different numbers at every
drill. As there are a thousand and one
movements to be executed I'm getting a
great gun served and into firing position,
the mastery of this big gun drill, even on
the old-faShioned pieces of ordnance pro-
vided for the purpose in the United States
army, is no minor matter for recruit.
Unless the heavy artillery recruit happens
to be sent to a post that is designated as a
saluting station, he does not see the big
guns fired more than five or six times in
the course of a three-year enlistment, but
he drills on the big guns every week day.
If he has an operative head and n reten-
tive memory he can get hold of the va
rlous movements of Big gun drill, and. If
especially bright. he may serve as gunner
within a year or so.
But there are many auxiliary drills for
the heavy artillerymen besides the main
drills In infantry formation and on the big
pieces. The drills called mechanical man
euvers are the bane of soldiers in this
branch Of the service Properly, mechanic
al maneuvers belong to the engineers. They
consist Of mounting and dlsmountlng the
big guns, and the heavy artilleryman Is
expected to master the uses of all of the
~.
most every known style of gin, jack and
tackle. 1t Is very hard labor, besides, and
il is also dangerous. There have been some
serious and a few fatal accidents in the
United States army caused by the at
tempts of heavy artlllerymen unfamiliar
with the work to mount and dismount big
guns. Officers are always In charge of this
work, as a matter of course, but officers
do not man the gins and the jacks and the
tackle, and n is risky business for men
not used to It and perhaps a bit careless
into the bargain. In posts where mechani-
cal maneuVers consist of dragging the
great guns TO batteries fixed on high hills
the heavy artillerymen are often heard 10
express regret that they ever went for to
take on" for such work Is often very hard.
Another maneuver that drives to desper-
alton heavy artillery recruits who are not
quick TO catch on TO Intricate details IL
cordage drill. Something like a hundred
knots are used in handling the ropes ne
cessary for the hauling of great guns
about from one battery to another, and
the heavy artillerymen recruit is required
TO learn how to tie all Of these knots. A
good many of the heavy artillery soldiers,
good men otherwise. frankly confess that
they forget the difference between a tim
Der hitch and a rolling hitch" or a
between drills. There was recruit out
at the heavy artillery post of San Fran
cisco, the Preside, few years ago who
tied every one of the intricate knots and
asked for more the first time he was round
ed up for cordage drill but he was an
ex-seaman. There are few ex-sailors in the
heavy artillery service, and If any civilian
thinks that this cordage drill alone Is not
q good three years study let him procure
a copy of Tidball's heavy ordnance tactics
and attempt TO tic some of the knots illus
trated therein. The engravings of the knots
are very pretty and simple looking. But
making the knots out piece of rope
Is different matter.
Instrument drill Is sprung on the heavy
artillery recruit after he has had time 20
get into the swing of the other drills. 1t Is
In this instrument drill that the heavy ar
a.
very fair amateur scientist. Some of the
heavy artiilerymen become interested In
the instrument drill, or, rather, the drills
on Instruments, and take to the study OF
mathematics for solutions, but the major
ity of them listen to the elaborate scientific
explanations Of the officers as TO the uses
OF the Instruments, their mechanism, and
so on, and promptly forget all about them
until the next instrument drill The instru-
ments are of all sorts--the aerometer, for
example, which is used In the heavy artil-
lery for the purpose Of ascertaining the
strength Of the wind In its possible deflec-
ton of projectiles; Instruments for meas
uring the initial muzzle and other veloci-
ties Of projectiles; instruments for meas
uring the power Of powders; sighting in
struments, range finders, search lights.
electric firing apparatus, and other small
gear Of a scientific character too varied for
mention.
When the heavy artillery recruits have
got we'll into the stride of these drills they