The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-12-05
INDIAN HEAD.
James D. Desiong, Former Teacher Of
This County, Gives Much Information
Of Very Interesting Place.

ana exploding apparatus, and
the site on the Potomac was
selected because of Its secluslve.
ness. For years the Naval or.
dance proving grounds were
situated at Annapolis, but the
gradually extending limits OF
that ancient city soon dangerous
| ly encompassed the reservation,
while the increase in the range
of the big guns tried on the place
became menace to the safety of
vessels plying the waters off An.
napolis roads. 1t was about IL
yeers ago that Uncle Sam packed
up his experimental paraphernal
ia and betook himself for further
research to the uDdisturbing
loc alton on the Potomac.
Here the specialists in the art
OF war can pound away and blaze
away deafeningly and serenely
without fear Of plugging holes in
the sides of scioolhouses or 10
the craft of friendly mariners en-
gagged in their peaceful and hon
orable pursuits.
Since Indian Head became the
official testing grounds of the
navy there have been great i'm
provements in the trial process
es, and there are now sundry ad
juncLs TO the blishment which
we're unthous hit of when it made
the outskirts Of Annapolis lJs
home. OF the modern accessori
es, chlef IN interest is the powder
plant, an extensive institution,
with It's several buildings some.
what removed from the scene of
the tests.
But OF first importance is the
proving grounds proper, that
hill hanked vale with its fringe of
cannon mouths skirtlng All area
Uttered with debris. The tests
conducted 10 this place cover
every Character of arm and every
species OF mmunitlon used IN
the navy and great many that
are not used, for those that do
not measure up to the require
ments of the service and to the
standard of excellence that must
be maintained to insure an un
tarnished efficiency are promptly
discarded and black.isted or re
turned TO the sources from which
they come with recommendation
for improvement.
A PLACE OF ARMS.
Big and little guns, rapid. d.hre
machines, shells that stand the
height of man's head, projec
tiles that weigh half a ton, long
bands and magazines of small
cartridges that are discharged IN
"bunches," powder, smokeless
and smoky, and of almost every
imaginable size and shape; ex
plosives of peculiar names and
highly dangerous characteristics
armor plate as thick as the wall
of an office building and a few
score other warlike contrlvances
are included IN the category of
things testable and tested at In
dian Head
Each and every test Is conduct.
ed with The utmost regard for de-
tail Each particular is looked
after with exactltude and pre-
cislon. A record is made and
preserved of the mlnutest feature
OF each step toward the accom-
plishment of the test.
Let 1t be giant 10 inch gun
which Is to be mounted in the
turret of battleship. A
thorough study is made of the
composition of the metals of
which Il is constructed, of the
manner in which It's several bands
are united, of its rliling, of the
nechanlsm of its breech, of lts
mount, Of It's Ting apparatus, to
say nothing Of careful notatlons
OF its various dimensions, the
bore being sufficiently large to
permlta o man to crawl through 1t
easily. This gun IS tested for
its throwing power, the accuracy
OF lis bore and for its ability to
withstand the tremendous pres
n