New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-15
LE4RNING TO SHOOT.
Uncle Sans Marine GunnerS 4re
Carefully Trained.

The gunner on the modern warship must be
a man Of education He must be an engineer,
q mechanic, a mathematician. 4 logician, well
as 4 marksTlan-
In the recent explosion of a gun aboard the
battleship Missouri as also in the disasters TO
the Russian feet, where crews blew up their
own ships with their own mines, one may see
how necessary It is that the marine gunner OF
to-day should serve a long and exacting appren-
ticeship He must be able not only 10 sink his
enemy but also TO prevent being sunk himself.
Carefulness. therefore. is the first law Of the
gunuery schools which this government has es-
tablish=d and since the Missouri catastrophe
the United States naval Instructors have laid
stronger emphasis than ever on this funda-
mental precept. For example, an apprentice is
not even permitted To scour the brass works IN
q gun turret with i gritty substance, unless
under special order. lest he may leave some
grains behind which under friction would gen
crate A spark and perchance blow up Z gun crew
by igniting a loose charge Of powder.
Here is the exact language Of the rule:
Emery. brick dust and gritty substances are
not TO be used any part Of the mechanism
(of a gum except by trained men when ordered
10 do so"
Before gunner is permitted to fire cannon he
is required to spend seventeen weeks in study.
He is not even allowed 10 handle piece Of ord
nance until he has learned all its various parts
and their uses. He must keep alOof even
infant from i box of matches Not until he
knows its chemical ingredients, its peculiar
characteristics its ignition point, its manner OF
explosion is he allowed TO touch a grain Of
powder.
Despite the perils which attend the handling
Of cannon. more American sailors to-day than
ever before are ambitious 10 become gunners, or
y,lfrs r1~cr nc hoy
a natural enthusiasm among the men has been
intensified by a recent order that first class
gun pointer for one Of the larger size guns be al
lowed SO a month in addition to his regular
wages. and that other gunners shall receive
proportonate extra pay. Prizes are also offered
the champion gun pointers OF a ship. the re-
suit OF official tests OF Workmanship.
Whatever may be a sailors station aboard
ship-whether he be officer or plain seaman
he may be admitted to a school for gunnery.
if he has good record and shows himself fitted
for the work He must have proved himself a
good shot with the rife or other small arms.
he is then sent to the ordnance shops at Wash
ington, where he begins Z study Of the very
rudiments Of the gunner's art For instance, an
instructor takes a class Of twenty-five appren-
tees for lesson the general description of
ordnance" he brings before his class breech-
block OF a FOUNDER Hotchkiss. a four inch
Cartridge que print OF pfeechloaolng rlne'
and field gun Taking the field gun, he explains
in detail such parts the ''breech" ''rnuzzle, =
bore" chase" "trunniOns' and ''riiing." He
will also take up the subject Of calibre, which
he says expresses the length OF a gun To find
out the length, he win say. multiply the calibre
by the diameter of the bore. Thus q six inch gun
Of 40 caIibres is twenty feet long.
The first half Of each classroom hour Is used
by the teacher for such demonstrations then
the pupils ask what questions they please, and
afterward he asks them questions. Every Mon
day morning the class is examined on the work
of the preceding week; which Is by no means
small. for the student is required to stay at it.
six days q week, from a. to Alb p m. with
only a short respite for luncheon
The blackboard Is important factor II