The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-16
COST OF FIRING BIG GUNS.
One Million "A Year Required by the
Navy for Practice.
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
one million three hundred and thirty
six thousand dollars for target prac-
tice! That is the somewhat astonishing
sum that Uncle Sam is asked to appro-
pirate TO train the man behind the ma
val guns for the ensuing year. More
over it is estimated that when the
ships now in course of construction are
added to the fleet this sum will have
10 be more than doubled-that is, the
annual cost of ammunition for target
practice in the navy will be $2,690,00
Is this an Indication of extravaganza
or growth?
First, we must take into consideration
the enormous growth of the United
States navy. In 1897 just six years
ago, the number of enlisted men was
limited to 1900 Now the number is
$4,000, and if you add to that the 8, $50
marines, who come in on the matter
of target practice, you have "a total of
24,150-nearly five times as many as We
had before the outbreak of the Span
ish war. The ships and guns have in
creased in practically the same ratio,
so that to-day we have none too many
men to man them. The naval register
of the present year gives the names of
or FCscGlSs large ana S4lldll. AllIlOuSn
this list includes tugs, some of which
are not armed, and forty-two vessels
which are still under process of con-
struction, vet it will readily be seen
that to keep the 34,750 men in good
practice at the guns means the expen-
dture of an enormous sum of money,
Tor modern naval gun practice is eX-
ceedingy expensive. 1t is necessary,
however, for in the ability of the men
to shoot rapidly and accurately lies
the practical value of the navy.
To fre 13-inch gun, the largest
type used on our warships, costs for
powder and shell just about $500.
-Four times year the men are ex-
erclsed in big gun practice, with reg
ulatlon charges, each man of the guns
crew firing four shots at these trials.
Inere are seven men in a guns crew
on these guns. Now, if you multiply
seven by four, that by four again, then
multiply by the number of 13-inch
Guns In the navy and take into con-
s!ueratlon that every two shots cost
sLOoO, it is not difficult to see how
last the big guns burn up the appro-
pIIatlon. But the number of largest
guns is not 1.-THE of the and inch
guns, in addition to the 5-inch, the
4-lhch' the 6-pounds and 1-pounds,
~ NOiiiOCI Is leSlOn, anu Oh WHICH
s1e practice is just as important and
sssslduous as on the big ones. Luckily
sne cost of these is less. To fire a
.,incn common shell costs SIT. G.
PPouhuer 1886, a 1-pounder $1.14
very ship has a battery of Colt au-
t.ol1atle machine guns which fire car
.usiuses IN steam fed from a belt at
oie rate of 400 a minute. Four times
o, year each man fires two belts on
o ome OF these guns. 1t takes a little
~ Two minutes and it costs about
Win mat is the regulation gun practice
NJ actual ammunition which has
Gu Gu IN vogue of late years, but re-
buy another and important custom
trai. oeen added. That is the record
wang wing for the title of gun captain,
sn i,cn carries with it certain honor
is 70 a month more pay. Any man
eiiglole for this, be he landsman,
evsAdh, gunner or cook, and all are
tipiecIeu to take part in the compe
cbsn The title carries with it no
pm se Oh duties. The cook may be
bn, captain and he must cook still,
eage,i Inc title and the 81 extra are
orS .e sought. Moreover, a good rec
of Oh this sort puts a man in the way
possible promotion.
subeaIfber Practice.
td ven this amount of actual prac-
eno,,s Win full charges, however, is not
t'gIsh to make the men what they are
worrIalS the best naval gunners in the
od ~, ,u' another and inexpensive meth
II u, 10 used for daily work at the guns.
n d modification of what we used
IL - aH subcaliber' practice. This used
IN % zone with a rifle barrel inserted
fri pore of the big gun, aiming and
DIS the big gun at properly re-
The .i target near by, but useing only
r1oatay charge. This method has been
HE 1 1s again by the late Lieut.. Nor
VII me Charlestown navy yard with
Tba rs known as the Morris tube"
ova- Iine is a 22-Flobert. rugged just
{, - 'ne big gun. There is frame
IN ne muzzle and box arrangement
YER, .Ch the bullet. The target is a
ue small one, just beyond the muz-
R,p,n,,o is so arranged that an in
lsll . mechanism makes this target
~Aa pitch as q ship would In ae-