The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-01-16

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Soaring aloft from the mouth Of the
mortar. which with a snap. followed by
hoarse cough emitted the flying shell,
twenty-five times yesterday morning
did projectiles weighing something like
twenty pounds each, have try at a
! floating target moored 1000 yards off
shore. IT was the usual practice firing
of the two artillery companies station
ed at Camp Mckinley, and the use Of
the 36 inch field mortars brought into
play the best Workmanship that has
been reached by the men and officers.
II was the second days shooting,
though only eight OF the thirty shots
to which the command is entitled were
fired during Monday afternoon, and the
practice was fine, the solid shot and
the shrapnel alike being sent in the
majority OF cases where damage would
have been done to any fair sized OBJ
ject placed In the stead OF the small
target. The range had been caught
finely. the elevation secured and the
time of flight adjusted. 80 that there
was substantial damage being done to
the target when the end of the shooting
came with the finishing OF the allow
ance. and the officers were compelled
to close their very interesting expert
ments just as they and the men alike
were being warmed up to their work.
The practice shoot was carried
through on the Beach road about 500
yards Waikiki of the pumping station,
the mortars being placed on the sea
beach edge Of the road. Before the |,
working of the small guns was COM
menced the range was secured. A base
line of 700 yards was laid out and con-
nected with a telephone line. Transits !
were placed at either end and their
angles gave the location of the target, !
establishing the distance. The target
was a carefully prepared article as well. |
pyramid of timbers covered by canvas,
the base line being ten feet and the
height being nine feet. This was an
chored 50 that 1t had a free swing OF !
forty feet of line, and the result was
4 constant rolling about which made II
impossible to squarely strike the tar
get. though on more than one occasion
schrapnel shots riddlcd the canvas COW
ering once tearing an entire side away.
When the firing commenced the tran
sits We're used for the purpose of locat-
ing the shots. which in turn were plat
ed on large sheet. The stations being!
located arbitrarily the angle OF obser-
vations of the officers stationed at eth
er end being set down, and the lines
continued, the crossing Of the lines
showed the exact dropping point of the
shell, and the result being communi-
Gated 90 the officer in charge OF the
practice, Indicated just how FAR 1t would
be necessary 10 go TO one side or fur
Their or closer, so as 10 ensure a better
strike The officer In charge yesterday
was capt Douglass, recently attached
10 camp Mckinley, Lieut. Newton ami
Lieut. hehr were the observers, Lieut..
Robinson was IN charge Of the plating
u the shots, and Lieut. Jones had UNI
Ger his control the squads u the 67t.
company while Lieut. Co5put was 10
Command ~ the 66th Company men.
Lieut. Davis, tho camps stan omosr,
wac ON hama as We'll
u har not loRR after daylreak Nhsnl
ne ll'lle squai which was lru la con.
.rol ~ ihs guns over ulght got aboutI
ana cleared up everything Ia rrs illness
."f lh' days work EIsht u.rlnrk founil
.l'm 'arwlani fur mat vac ths hourl
''' lor ihe commands 90 move frsml
.Amp hrhlnl'y ana slHn uurr ilsul |
'''Nl appeared followed W.atrW mm.
i'ps Nf 'hs oihrla 0f lfr uh..ls mol
N'n NrlnH marh0l i.nu n "a frI
NlnNi'h under eapmaHi ~ ibs sor