New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-04

target all the time. The gun trainer swings the
cannon horizontally by turning the turret. 1t is
he who turns the cannon to follow a moving
object. The gun pointer. however, is the man
who fires the cannon. In his hand is the firing
key Just now the little rifle answers exactly
the same purpose as the big gun itself. Both
gun pointer and gun trainer are now working
the mechanism of the 13-inch gun and using the
lame sights. The only difference is that the
electric spark explOdes n .22-calibre cartridge
instead of $50 pounds of powder inside the big
ramon. Firing with big guns costs thousands
If dollars shot This Morris tube costs practi-
cally nothing"
The party then inspected the interior of the
Surret. 1t was contracted place, where tall
man would bump his head continually. All
Inspected the labyrinthine mechanism which
opened and closed the great breech of each of
the two guns. Beneath a sort Of chasm
\ here one could look down into the ammunition
Soon of the hold, and out of which in time OF
@ar or actual gun practice the titanic charges
Of powder and shell come vomiting up. And in
The shallow topped hoods sat three men, one
over each gun and one in the centre. Each mad
his eye glued to a telescope about fifteen inches
long and two inches in diameter. Outside on
the other cannon a second sailor had just begun
,-ading the other Morris tube, and the two tiny
titles kept popping away in a merry duet, which
ecemed the very antithess of war
There is hardly d more important man in the
modern navy than the gun pointer. When the
laal crisis comes the battle alone depends on
HIM After the ship is built and launched, after
TIE cannon are wrought and hung, after every
cher officer has done his duty, then the fate
O. the hour hangs on the man who shoots. To
l.c.t ana talk with gun pointer, however.
stranger will probably be disappointed In most
distances he is exactly opposite from the type
Il naa one would expect to find.
The gun pointer of to-day is in most Instances
mild hammered man, of quiet temperament,
Hhose eye is clear and calm. When aroused he
may lie a fighter. but he does not show it un-
Nss 1T bay. IL. W. Treanor, the seaman Of the
Indiana who recently broke the worlds record
Coz S-inch guns, is such man. Although he
& the champion mGdleweight pUglist of the
North American squadron, this seaman is al
most bashful with strangers. His remarkable
Skill in handling cannon is all the result of
constant training with the Morris tube. Before
h. entered the navy he knew little if anything
about guns, and his craftsmanship then was
limited TO measuring cloth in St. Paul store.
1t all comes from constant practice" said
IreaNor the other day, as he climbed up 10 the
gun pointers seat beside his favOrite S-inch
gun. You just want to keep your mind on the
buITs-eye, and don't fire until you're on it. And
when you're firing a full charge of powder and
smell ooA thIhk OF ROW the explosion VIII
sound. As soon as you get afraid it's all over.
Your gun is as good as spiked. Many men are
good at the Morris tube, but go to pieces when
they up against full ammunition practice.
As loon as they fire a gun and it recoils and
the telescope sort of jabs them in the eye they
get ratified That's what call gun shy As
! say, You must keep your whole mind the
target, and when you are on it and feel the man
1T the plug tap your leg a signal that the
guns loaded and all the have crawled
away the recoil won't crush them why
then just fire
But in that target practice. when / made
those four bulTs-eyes, you want to remember,
Continued thirteenth unSez