Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-05

HOW FAR CAN
YOU SEE?
Some Valuable Pointers Which
viii Aid in Estimating
Distances.
THE EYESIGHT
IN WAR MATTERS
Remarkable Range az Rites with
Which Modern American
soldier il Equipped.

The probability that Congress VIII
make provision al its next annual scs
sion for a large annual appropriation
to be devoted 70 the purchase Oh
ranges, the equipment of ranges, in
door and outdoor. distribution OF an
munition to organizations OF Tiflemen,
etc, In accordance with the plan draft.
ed BY the National Board for the Pro
motion OF Rifle Practice. Is rsspon-
sible for renewed interest In ride and
revolver shooting, There are three,
yea, even four" as the psatn,ist
might say. requisites 10 goJi marks
manship: a gun, a target. ammuni-
ton and a place 10 81. u. The .sn
tional Board has announced rs desire
to secure an enrolment in the Ma.
tional Marksman's Rescr.e OF from
5000 to 1000. Doe men and II Con.
gress is really In earnest adequate
provisions must be made for The guns.
ammunition. targets, and, above all,
ranges.
But, pending appropriations for inis
purpose, those desiring 10 learn TO
shoot can find considerable amuse
ment and experience that will be val
liable later with a rifle, by undertak.
ing to estimate distances. In the
days 10 come more and more atten.
ton will be paid 10 shooting at I'M
distances and to get into the
trent rank Of shooters. skill in esti
mating distances IL essential. Pre-.
tire Ia this can be obtained very easi-
In BY first Learning u step distances
correctly one step to the yard, and
then, In course OF a stroll through
town or country. selecting an object,
estimating and counting the number
OF steps necessary to reach 1t.
This proposition appears 10 be ID
simple n but II Is more difficult
than lit seems and the results
especially Ii the trials are made by
parties of four or more. will be anus.
ing AZ well as instructive. Some
time & a party Of ~thirtyfive or
forty gentlemen, the most expert
rifle shots In the country. we're gather.
ed at Sea Girt. New Jersey, for the
matches on the result of which de.
pended the selection Of a team to 20
to England to shoot for the Palma
trophy. Some one asked how far 1t
was to q certain fence and immediate
ly every man estimated the distance.
After much good natured bantering
the distance raj paced and the result
was ludicrous. Every one had over
estimated the distance. the closest
guess being fifty yards out OF the
way. while the majority exceeded 1t
by two hundred yards. Yet twelve
of those am men went to England
won the biggest international rifle
match the world has ever seen,
10 0 know.
That at thirty yards the white OF a
mans eye is plainly seer and the
eyes themselves up to eighty yards?
That one hundred yards all parts
OF the body are seen distinctly, slight
movements are ~preceptibie. and the
minute details OF the uniform can be
distinguished?
That at two hundred yards the out
lines Of the face are confused and the
rows OF buttons look like stripes
That at four hundred yards the
face is a mere dot, but all movements
of the legs and arms are still distinct,
That al six hundred yards details
can no longer he distinguished
though files of a squad, If the ligh
Is strong. can be countedg
That at eight hundred yards tn
men In a squad cannot be counties
nor their individual movements dis
tinguished?
AT one thousand yards a line o
men resembles a board belt, the Ill
rection OF their march. can, however
be readily determined. At twelv'
hundred yards cavalry can be distin
guished from infantry and al tw'
thousand yards a mounted man usual
ly appears as a mere speck.
Yet In these DAYS Of long weapon
battles are fought at a distance Of on.
thousand yards and it is desirable 70
marksmen to qualify at that range
The new rifle. with which troop
to be equipped, has a maximum effst
tive fighting range of 4,7s1 yards q
more Than two and M hal fmilei
In other words. a bullet from this riff
will Kill or disable at a greater di:
lance than the man firing it can dis
tinguish an idividual enemy from tn
surrounding taudScaue