Evening star., 1904-03-19
At TARGET PRACTICE
How the Work is Done Oh a
Japanese Warship.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT
EVERYTHING MOVES ALONG
WITH AUTOMATIC REGULARITY.
An American Sailors Unusual Oppor-
tunity-Many Shots Fired-A
Formal Salute.


Written for The Evening Star by Albert sonnchsen
The japanese naval men have never been
in the habit of inviting foreigners to be
present at target practice aboard their
warships, but it was the writer's luck to
witness by accident a realistic exhibition OF
Japanese skill at gunnery.
This was shortly after the Spanish-Amer
lean war. The American troop transport
of which l wds then petty officer was
lying in the naval dry dock at Nagasaki.
This kept us there a long time, and our
cap tain had become Intimately acquainted
with various Annapolis trained officers On
the japanese battle ship Yashima also in
port.
one morning I was sent aboard the va
shima with message to one of her officers
from our captain. When L had delivered it
the japanese officer said:
Its impossible for me to send my an
swer just now. We are going outside the
harbor for a couple of hours target proc-
uce. LII you have the time to spare you
may stay aboard till we come in again.
The invitation was accepted. The officer
left me alone in a chart room on an upper
deck, while he hurried off to his duties
from the big yellow tunnels of the bat
tie ship huge banks of smoke tumbled IN.
rolling over the green hills that surround
the harbOr. The captain and his stat
stood on the main bridge There was a
simplicity in their neat blue and white uni
forms that made it difficult to distIng g1Iish
their ranks. nor was there that pompous-
ness OF manner in them peculiar to many
European naval officers. One little chan
came into the chart room for something
and bowed very politely. / took him to be
ward room steward until afterward he
turned out to be the navigating officer.
Automatic Regularity.
A bell changed family somewhere down
in the bowels of the ship. They had been
Weighing anchor, but SO noisclessly Tat I
had failed to be aware of it. Shriu whis-
ties came from various parts of the ship,
and groups of men moved about the decks
with automatic regularity. Sentries with
mnskets sprang up in unexpected spots as
though they were showed up out of the
deck. There was no noise, no hurry. no
excitement. But from the small obIiaue
eyes of every man came CLEAN of in
tense professional interest. There was none
of the blase indifference OF the soldier at
drill.
1t was rather a cold day and the men
wore watch caps and jackets. Down in the
gun turrets they removed the jackets
About each gun gun crew formed, each
man in his particular place Small hatches
were opened and ammunition hoists ap-
peared as though by no human aid
A slight quivering told that the big ship
was moving. The grean-terraced hills on
both sides giided back and sank; soon the
open sea spread out before. 1t was a
CLASSY calm day, an ideal day for gun
practice.
Another shrill chirp from a bos'ns whis-
tie. and the target went overboard-a buoy
with huge triangular canvas wings. Land
was some distance astern now. Suddenly
the land-specked horizon began to swing
the Yashima's wake was curving. The
10 ,if1r, -
there had been no noise except the stately
throb of machinery, the swish of water
over the side and the sharp, regular whirr
of ammunition hoists,
One of the for d SiX-inch guns was to be
tried first Above, on the fore and aft
bridge. stood a lieutenant with a pad and
pencil to record the hits. Beside him
stood an ensign with watch TO time them
1t was to be test of quickness as well as
of Workmanship. Below petty officer
stood behind the gun, wire in each hand
He was STOPPING, his eye even with the
gun sights, his whole attitude one of in
tense mental concentration
The First Shot.
For the first time 1 heard a word spoken
The lieutenant gave the word. A brilliant
yellow bar of fire shot out from the nluz-
zle of the gun. The atmosphere cracked
like new sheet tin. A ball of white smoke
few upward. A few seconds passed-all
eyes were on the white triangle, a mile
abeam. 1t seemed as though the rrojectile
moust have gone beyond the horizon line
Suddenly white squirt of foam shot up
from the indigo water within fifty yards of
the target; long, thin thread of water,
that opened at the top like an umbrella
and came down in showers.
A clang of the breech block brought my
attention to the gun again. The gunner
was once more sighting. This time he
fired at will-he was trying to make time
Another cracking report another breath
less interval, and the exploding she'll sent
up its fountain closer to the target This
was repeated five times. At the last shot
the target was hidden In the squirt of foam.
The lieutenant rushed aft along the
bridge. A gun In one of the after turrets
began firing, almost as regularly and
quickly as a pulse beat. Between each
shot came the clang of the breech block.
Evidently the second gun made better time:
A smothered cheer came from her crew.
Intense Excitement.
The officer skipped 'midships, the ensign
with him There was no mistaking the
repressed excitement of the gun crew. The
men had thrown open their thick jackets
the gunner had thrown his off. His arms
were bare; the muscles sweiled and shrunk
as though the brown skin held imprisoned
snakes. His lips were parted, exposing his
teeth as though he were snarling.
His first shot struck the target full, put
ting a hole through one Of the canvas
wings, the shell exploding slightly beyond
Again came an tmpulsive cheer, or MUIR
mur OF admiration. rather. The small
black mustache of the lieutenant went up
ward as he jotted down some figures on his
pad.
The frst shot evidently made the gunner