Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-10-11
that the Speaker will be forced to sue

that the Speaker will be forced to sue
cumb
The Army Board of Ordnance and
Fortifications is conducting some ella
borate experiments to ascertain the
best form Of projectile for the use #
the Coast Defense Artillery. There
are two forms of projectile, one known
as the armor-pierciug shot and the
other as the armor- piercing shell The
| first 10 more solid than the latter, has
smaller hollow space and so carries
less explosive material. although b Vi h
are really shells. The armor piercing
shell carries large quantity of high
explosive and while 1t may not 60 so
far through the armor of ship. it ex-
plodes with sucb terrific force that it
tears every thing In the vicinity TO
pieces. In these experiments armor
the same thickness and of the same
strength and hardness as that of 4
naval vessel is set up aud the great
guns at Sandy Hook are fiji ed so uareIy
at it, producing the same results AS
they would were they fred at the side
of an armored ship. The guns are
fired at short range. Of course, but SO
accurately can these things be calcu-
lated that by decreasing the charge OF
powder placed behind the projectiIe.
or shell, precisely the same effect can
be produced, at will, as if the she'll
were fired at ranges of 5000. 5000 or
5000 yards. ths latter being the great
est distance at which the big 12-lncb
coast defense guns can be fired with
accuracy. Thus far. the advantages In
destructive power seems to be with the
armor piercing shell, which was the
type of projectile used with such dead
ly effect by the Japanese on Admiral
Rojesventsky's feet.
When asked recently if the Russo
Japanese war did not prove valuable
object lesson to army ordnance experts
q prominent officer explained to your
correspondent that there was great
disappointment in this respect because
the Japanese have absolutely refused
to give out any Information regarding
the results Of their gunfire. They cap
tnred most of the Russian vessels.
even raising those which were sunk.
and as they have the only means of
gaining accurate Information and this
they have tightly bottled up for their
own use. The Russians, on the con-
trary. are willing to.tell all they know
although this, unfortunately, is COM
paratively little,as viewed from the
standpoint of the ordnance experts.
1t is declarec to be quite characteristic
of the Japs that they should refuse to
permit other nations to profit by tneir
experience, but it is very aggravating
to those who had hoped to gain valu-
able information from the first war
in which modern guns, smokeless
powder and modern armor were en-.
plOyed.
Speaking of the big guns of the army
and navy, some remarkable progress
has been made in both arms of the ser
| vice in the shooting of these great
weapons. Only 2 per cent of the sho 8
fired at Admiral Ceavera's fleet hit the
mark, while now naval gunners often
make go and 10 per cent of hits at SINH
lar ranges, that is at from 800 to 2 900
yards. while army gunners, who for
merly fred at targets only 1000 yards
away and then made only so per cent
of hits, have recently made 100 per cent
of bite at 5000 yards-not feet, but
yards, ~ 900 feet.