Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-01

seem more distant than otherwise when he
Is looking over a depression in the ground,
when poor light or fog ihtervenes, when
only a small part of the object can be seen,
or when the eve is looking from low toward
higher ground.
Estimation Of distance by sound also en-
tiers into the course. It Is explained that
sound travels at the rate of about 100 feet,
or 36S yards. per second. A distant gun
being fired, the soldier must count the num-
Der of seconds or parts of seconds between
flash and report. Multiplying these by 1865
he obtains. approximately, the distance OF
the gun in yards. This method will, OF
course, be Of great assistance on battle
field, where it will correct the estimate of
distance to hostile battery. Under the
new regulations failure to attain a certain
average in estimation of distance lowers
soldiers shooting qualification one grade.
Thus. man having previously qualified as
a sharpshooter. but who later falls below
the proficiency in distance discrimination
prescribed for his class, must be rated as
mere marksman in the annual report of his
post.
Effect Of Weather on Workmanship.
Meteorological conditions have a great
effect upon accuracy Of fire. Inaccurate
shooting Is noted especially on bright hot
days, when local currents, produced by the
differently heated ground, cause unaccount-
able reflections. When portions Of the
range are in the shade. and therefore
cooler, the adjacent air. being of greater
density, offers increased resistance to bull
let's, and inaccuracy of shooting will result.
When the light is alternately bright and
shaded by passing clouds bad records may
be looked for. The most favorable weather
for accurate practice Is that offered when
the sky is overcast. the light being of a dull
gray. evenly diffused, and the air over the
entire range being Of uniform tempera-
ture and free from local eddies
Calculations of the distances beyond which
firing at various objects becomes ineffective
have also been made to a nicely. The fire
Of the average soldier will not tell when d.
rected upon single man lying at distance
greater than 600 yards, upon man kneel-
ing beyond coo yards. upon one standing be-
yond 700 yards upon one mounted beyond
800 yards or upon squad lying beyond
LOCO yards. But columns OF companies or
small compact bodies of artillery or cav
airy can be fired into by one soldier If 1850
to 800 yards away.
Standard Of Accuracy.
"a standard of accuracy has also been
established Every soldier not physically
defective is expected to effectively hit indi-
vidual objects up to 600 yards. The more
expert will extend these limits to 1000 or
1,2OO yards and the collected fire of we'll
practiced company should, 1t is estimated,
be effective against masses of men 1900
yards away.
Army horses are being put through a pre-
liminary training to accustom them TO pls-
toll shots. Blank cartridges are being fired
near them each day while they are being
groomed on the picket line, and all forms
of targets are shown Them until they cease.
to shy at such sounds and sights. The
mounted men are drilled in rapid aim while
their horses are in motion. They are taught
to fire at silhouette targets, arranged about
the riding tracks. A course in pistol prac-
tice, still more advanced. comprises shoot
ing at swinging disks of leather, five inches
in diameter so suspended near the riding
track that they are kept In motion by the
blasts of the pistols.
For each army post shooting gallery,
fifty-fve or sixty feet long, is being pro-
vided Each is so arranged that there Is a
strong light upon the target. The light at