The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-11-22
"IKEY" MAINS HOME FROM
THE ARMY.

not. He has just completed three
year enlistment in the army and re-
turned home to Charter Oak. He has
made good use of his time while in
the army, and comes back much
better man than when he went away.
To talk with him is almost as good
as going to lecture, for he has so
many things to tell Of which we in
the interior of the United States have
no knowledge.
Mr.. Mains was in the heavy artillery
branch of the service, stationed at
Fit. Moultrie, near Charleston. In
the fort he saw MANY things which
make him believe that it would be a
mighty hard job for an enemy to get
in there if we did not want him in.
The instruments of measurement are
so accurate that before the enemy got
within range they would know all
| about his distance, his speed, the rise
of the tide he was coming over, the
swell of the sea, and everything else
the gunners could be influenced by.
If an enemy was coming, Uncle Sam
would have the habor so mined that
no vessel could come in without being
blown out of the water. These mines
are so accurately charted in the bay
that the men in the fort can tell
within four feet where they are at
any time. Then when vessel goes
to ride over them all the soldiers have
to do is to wait until it gets in the
right place, as it must at some time,
and then touch a button. A switch
board not so very unlike that at the
telephone station connects the tor
pedoes and any that are wanted car
be touched off. They are so arrang
ed that any one can be fired, or {
gang of three can be used, or bunch
of twenty one. About that time
you would see the incoming fleet be
come an outgoing or upgoing squad
ron.
You cannot make the soldiers ant
sailor believe that any other powe,
on earth has better navy or arm,
than ours. In Fl. Moultrie alone the
guns will throw 16 tons of steel fifteel
miles out to sea every minute. 1 Tn,
ten-inch guns which make part of tn
armament of the fort throw a sho1
weighing $50 pounds, using 225 pounst
of the best smokeless powder tt
throw it, and can repeat the dos,
every minute-and-a half.
| These guns are not in the house
but out in the front yard, where the,
can be found easily when wanted
This front yard would be something
of curiosity to stranger. The bat
teries are all masked, so that nothing
is seen of them from the outside
The guns are all of the disappear
ing" type, which are out of sight ex
cept when fred. They are loade'
below the top of the front wall ant
then raised into position and fired
This lifting is all done by steam, S,
there is nothing so very hard for tn
men. The gun weighs perhaps sixt,
tons.
The gunners that man these bis
guns are marvels of expert training
/. A target is set up 5000 yards gu
into the bay and no matter how fas
it is moving, these men will hit i
with cannon ball with nine shot
out of ten. They will actually rid
die target in about no time Ii
other lines they are expert, also, s.
i hat they are not altogether wrong
in saying that they are as good a
any people on earth.
i Charleston harbor would be a ba,
place for all enemy anyway. as i
has about Is feet of water in low
tide, but in high tide there is Ilent.
to float the largest boats. Tn
tide raises twelve feet.