The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-31
FIRED TYBEE'S BIG GUNS.
wIND-UP or FORT sCREvEN's AR
TILLERY PRACTICE.

Three shots From the Eight-Incher
and Five Esch From the Six and
the 4.T-Inch Rifles Were Fired.
Results We're satIsfactOry-The
Monster TweIve-Incher Was Not
Fired-HOw the Men Preserve
Their Eardrums From the Con-
cussfOns-quartersS Vow being Pre-
pared for the ReinfOrcements for
the GarTisOn-New Battery VIII
stop in Atlanta UnuI They Are
Ready.
October is The month for artillery prac-
tce at the fortincations that defend the
seaboard. The guns at Fort screven on
Tybee have been booming during the
month. showing that they are in good trim
and That the officers and men of the bat
terry forming the garrison know how 10
fire them.
Targets are set up out in the roads. The
targets are Triangular affairs OF about
twelve feet to the leg When the dis
tancc al which the firing is to be done Is
long the dimensions are greater They
are anchored so that the drift OF the tide,
in whatever direction 1t may set. will yet
leave triangular side facing the gun
Glasses are held on the target 10 note the
result of the shots.
Lieut.. Phisterer has been in charge Of
the firing squad in the practices Three
shots were fired from the S-inoh gun and
five each from the 6-inch ana the 47-lnch
The monster 12-incher has not been fired.
The range at which the eieht-inch gun
was fred was 1900 yards. One Of the shots
struck the target and the others flew so
close that they would have sunk such an
object as a river tug. No smaller vessel
could possibly have escaped being struck
With the two smaller guns the firing
was at a greater range. with the A.
incher it was at about 500 yards. 1t was
found that one Of the shots fell short, ana
an examination disclosed something wrong
with the carriage. there being too much
play at some point. That corrected, the
gun did all that could have been expected
Of it, The test of the slx-lncher was
satisfactory.
More guns are mounted on the fort than
might be judged from the account OF he
firing. There are several of each pattern
and others besides but it is seldom that
Il is regarded as necessary 10 fire them all
1t remained with the command
ing officer, Lieut.. Hayden, to indicate
those that should be fred.
The cost of the practice is by no means
incousiderable. To fire one of the 6-inch
guns costs a little less than 5000 and as
the diametrical scale ascends, so does the
cost for every discharge. 1t may there
fore, be understood that there IS no waste
of ammunition, the officers endsavoring
to restrict the practice TO that necessary.
Many of the men complained of deaf
enod ears after the firing. The concus-
sion of the S-inch gun was something ter
rife With the smaller ones there was
no trouble their shots sounding no more
than that of rife in comparison with the
deep roar of the S-incher. Had the mon
ster 12-incher been fired there might have
been burst eardrums.
Care is taken to protect the ears against
the discharge of the eight-inch guns. They
were stuffed with cotton just before each
discharge. 1t Is a part of the practice of
the artilerymen, when the big guns are
being fired, to stand in such manner as
to meet the force of the conclusion in the
best way possible to make 1t easy on tho
ears The men are on tip-toes, with
mouths open, something about the posi-
ton giving the desired result.
1t is thought 1t will not be very long be-
fore Battery f of the First Artillery now
forming the garrison Of the island, will be
supplemented by the battery that has been
ordered there. That IS Battery c Of the
Second. The latter was last reported as
on the way from the West Indies. Work
has been started at the reservation to pre-
pare quarters for the battery. 1t Is eX-
pected that until they are completed the
battery will be directed to remain kept at
Atlanta quartered at Fort Mcpherson
where it will be sent from New York on
arrival.