The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-11
FOR TIFICATIONS AT The FAIR
SHOW LATEST ARMY METHODS
Model United States Coast lie
fense Near Government Build
ing Manned by Soldiers
Who Built rhe Works.

Thousand. -, TN. visitor. who daily
watch the drills .. the One Hundred and
Nineteenth Company ~ Coast Artillery.
under command % Captain Archibald
Campbell % the United States Army. a;
the great guns At the west end of the Gov
ernment briIdinG at the Worlds Fair. 10
not know that IN. same soldiers VINO give
such splendid exhibition. AZ irIil, also built
these fortihca;ions and installed The guns
and their equipment.
Ssacosst defensss are bull; according 20
pisrs ard specifications prepared By IN.
Engineering corp. OF the United sta ;es
Army. and the work is done b. sxiilei
-rea under the direction OF the very best
os army engineers. In the case ~ the de-
lenses ~ III. Fair. however. e-e-y detail
u ih- construction enanated from tn.
hrsia Of al artillery ofic.r. Captain Camp
bell IL vas re who conceived the general
plan Of the Notifications. sporint-niel the
construction from the time ground WAS
broken until the guns were manned and
ready TO give drills. With tn. exception Of
the concrete and plsstering. every part OF
the construction vas done by the rncn
For reasons OF expediency. the ioca ;ion
Of magazines and ammunition hoist- Is not
-hoNE, but in other respects the emplace-
mcnts represent very accurately those In
use along our ocean and gulf coasts.
Captain Campbell besan work on the
plans OF the fertilization at Washington
September q. is5. and October actual
construction began at the Worlds Fair
The work progressed rapidly, and on June
- last the first drill. were given at the
Fair. Two months alone we're require d
to place the big lz-inch disappearing run
IN place. The otn.cr armament Of the forti-
ficstions arc s-lnch rspid-fire gun on dis
appearing carriage. s-.nch rapid-hre gun
on Barb<tte carriage. ffteen-pounder rap
id-fire gun. Barbefte mount. i2-inch sea
coast mortar on spring return carriage.
finch siege hovitzer. finch mortar anc
81 heid guns
Hundreds OF the guns o. the type. her.
shown are already installed on our sea
coasts. tn. number will be doubled within
the next ten years.
On Labor Day 800 visitors witnessed the
two exhibitions OF firing tn. guns at 1890
first drill was given. great crowds have
witnessed the Interesting exercises. In
drills the big disappearing guns are moved
back into pisc. with the aid Of electrical
power but when they are actually being
fired with full charge OF powder. the
force OF the explosion brings the heavy
weapon back in portion to be fired again.
In drills Il requires three and one-nalf
minutes for the gun To disappear. bur " II
yer. being fired at an enemy the recoii
would bring IL back into position In three
seconds ready 10 be loaded again
While IL might ne interesting to have
,h. gun. frcd with one OF las regular
charges minus the proJeciil-. II is not like.
Iv ,ha, the visitors to the Fair will witness
such performance Discharged with =
fulI complement OF powder. the force of
~, expIos.on of the l2-inch gun would
do serious damage even 70 the Government
building with It's steel girders and strong
Foundation. while there would hardly b.
anythIne left Of the Louisiana building
and other state psvilions In the immedi-
ate vicinity OF the big gun However en-
IoyabJ. IL might lie to many. Captain
Campbell would hardly take chance, on
firing the gun
a,,r. hu, n is nothing more than a primer.
and the noise IL about AZ great as the
striking OF a parlor match. Nervous wor-
on who witness the exhibition for the frsf
time Invariably muffe their ears. expect
in1 sorne deafsning noise to follow the cx
pjosjon and II Is interesting TO watch this
proceeding At target practice and tn war
fare the canoncers remain at their post
about the piece except In the case OF the |
mortar. when they retire slight distance
in the rear TO avoid the extreme effect Of |
the blast The men are cautioned TO wear
cotton In their ears. l
In connection With the guns! there is