Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-09
GUNS MUST Be READY
Coast Notifications Ordered to
be Ready to Do Business
at all Times.
Big Guns to be in Condition to
be Fired on Short
Notice.
The Vesuvius a Naval Elephant
"A Test in Wireless
Telegraphy.

Telegraphy.
Washington. Aug. 9-Another step
toward putting coast defenses in an eff
ticient condition will be taken in a few
days Cen w. Il. Randolph, chief OF
artillery of the army, who was presi-
dent of the board which recently at
tempted to examine the gun carriages
dation which he believes will have
practical results. He has suggested
that an order be issued from the war
department to the effect that all COM
manders at forts be required TO keep
| the gun mechanism in good order and
| to have the officers and men constantly
in training.
To do this he has urged that he be
allowed to designate the periods of tar
get practice with great guns at various
forts. He proposes that not more than
one days notice will be given when
such target ractice will commence.
Gen. Randolph says that this will serve
to keep the forts in an efficient condi-
ton. Post commanders will not care
to run the risk of being caught with
their guns out of order and their men
out of training. He believes that TWEEN
ty-four hours notice is sufficient III
post commanders do their duty.
Under the prospects of being called
upon on such short notice to do inn
portant work, which will demonstrate
the efficiency of a coast fort. the COM
mandng officers will be compelled to
maintain state of READINGS. If such
a system prevailed, Gen. Randolph has
pointed out to the departmental au-
thorities that it would not be possible
for a board of inspectors to visit coast
fort and find the mechanism displaced
and, as was the case at one post. some
of the tools necessary in the operation
of the guns lost beyond recovery short
of many hours search.
This evidence of carelessness has
been impressed upon the official OBJ
servers recently, and they are deter
mined that some energetic measures
shall be introduced so as to keep the
coast Qualifications in state OF ELL
cheney. They insist that the guns
should be ready for operation on the
shortest notice or the function of the
coast fort will be lacking.
German Naval Attache Recalled.
Lieut.. Commander Won Rebeur- Pach-
WITT. naval attache and acting military
attache of the German embassy. has
been recalled. He paid official good
/ by calls Yesterday. There is nothing
significant in the recall. Lieut.. Com
mander Won Rebeur- Pachwitz has been
here nearly five years. more than the
usual length of time, and is due to go to
sea. He will be executive officer OF
big ship for a year, and will then be
placed in command of smaller vessel
Britain Gives UP Sovereignty.
Oficial confirmation of the surrender
of the sovereignty by the British gov
eminent over the Bay islands of Hon
duras has been received by the state
department from the United States
consular office at Puerto CorteZ ana
JTtila. They report that in June 10 the
British gunboat Psyche arrived at the
Bay islands and published decree OF
/ the British government that all per-
sons living on the islands in 1888, when
the islands were ceded to Honduras.
land their descendants are citizens of
Honduras, and that those who arrived
after 1859 retain their nationality.
All passports granted by the British
consul at Truxillo and by the governor
of British Honduras to such persons
are invalid The consul at Puerto Corr
tez adds that this decree affects about
| four-tfth of the inhabitants of Ctilla.
Ruatan, and Bonacca, to the number of
about 1000 persons, who had consid-
cred themselves British subjects, and
will cause many to leave the islands.
1 A Naval Failure.
| Naval constructors and ordnance Off
pect that Secretary Moody intends to
do something with the so-called dy-
Mantle cruiser Nesuvius. the greatest
failure ever perpetrated on the govern
ment. The Vesuvious never rendered
any service to the government and the
question now presented is what office
the ship can fill. 1t is too long and
narrow to be anything of a cruising
vessel. 1t might be used as a slow and
awkward toredo boat, ar possibly as
a dispatch boat where speed was not
a qualification. Its three compressed
air tubes, which We're intended origin
ally to fire shells loaded with dynamite.
| will have to be torn out of the HUT The
guns are fixtures, perforating the deck,
| With the mechanism below decks. III Is
necessary to turn the entire ship in or
der to obtain a range. This takes time,
and any floating object marked for at
tack can easily elude guns arranged in
this manner 1t is difficult also to de-
termine the range. The Vesuvious is
now at the Boston navy yard where il
has been kept since the war With Spain
1t did some inconsequential service off
Santiago.