The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-27
WITH UNER RING AIM
MARVELLOUS SKILL DISPLAYED BY
GUNNERs AT FORT sCREVEN.
FLIGHT OF FOUR MILES
THEN PROJECTILE FELL WITHIN
TWO YARDS OF TARGET.

Exercises the Most Successful Ever
Held Mt the FOrt-United states
Engineer Declared That 1t Could
Not be Beaten Anywhere In the
WOrld-The Heavy Firing Had No
Eject Upon the ImpIacemeuts.
Close Observation Was Made by
Col. Quinn-Practice VIII he Re
sumed To-day.
The second days target practice with
the big guns and mortars at Fort Screw
en- yesterday was the most successful
ever held at the garrison.
Col. James B. Quinn, Col. Rufus E
Lester and a number of ladies from
Tybee Hotel were among the invited
guests. The special occasion of the
visit of the United States engineer was
to note the effect of the firing upon the
implacements. No part of the masonry,
or other part of the fortifcation was
effected by the heavy firing. the days
work demonstrating the stability of the
implements and parapet.
The practice will be resumed to-day,
at which time the rapid-fire guns and
mortars will be put into service, as
well as the big twelve-inch guns. The
most interesting part of the exercises
consisted in the firing of the eight
inch disappearing gun. The big fellow
worked like a charm, swinging on its
heavy bearings, protruding its formid-
able mouth over the parapet and dis
appearing with seeming grace, as If it
were a mere toy in the hands of the
gunners. One watching its faultless
manipulation, and the ease with which
the men raised and lowered it, could
hardly realize that each time 1t belched
out a projectile weighing in the neigh
borhood of 1000 pounds.
But one of the 12-inch mortars was
fired, though in actual warfare eight
would be pressed into service at the
same time, so that instead of a single
half-ton projectile, eight of the deadly
missiles would descend upon the enc
my's craft at one time. AS 1t was, one
of the projectiles fired with the deadly
aim which characterized every shot
would have sunk the enemy's ship. So
accurate was the aim that after in
scribing an asmuth nearly four miles
in length, one of the big 1000 pound
projectiles fell within two yards of the
pyramidal target at which 1t was aim
ed. When il is reckoned that a war
ship is about 300 feet in length, 1t will
be seen that such unerring aim would
result in the complete demolition of the
cnemy's craft.
The exhibition is more wonderful
when 1t is considered that the men at
the guns do not see the object at
which they aim. The asmuth, range,
elevation, velocity of the wind, time
of fight and velocity of the ship is
computed in the twinkling Of an eye
by men at the signal stations, and the
information is transmitted to the men
behind the guns who fire instantly,
That a projectile weighing 1000 pounds
is thrown into the air two miles up
ward to descend within two yards of
the exact spot in which it is mathe-
matically computed TO fall, is little
short of marvellous. Col. Quinn said,
after watching the practice, that the
exhibition could not be beaten any
where in the world.
The ~ and S-inch guns were fired,
both with the full service charge, and
with the reduced charge, Parrot pro-
jectiles being used in each case. Five
shots were fired from each gun with
the full charge, IS pounds of smokeless
powder being used to throw a projectile
weighing over 700 pounds. The maxi
mum range of the moving target was
four miles.
The practice will be resumed at z
o'clock this morning. Besides the big
guns the 6-inch and 4.7-inch rapid-fire
guns will be used. The annual prac-
tees are held at a heavy expense to
the government, but they are of vast
benefit to the men, as well as most
gratifying and reassuring to the War
Department.