The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-04-04
NIGHT FIRING PRACTICE,
osi!lant Spectacle Of Battleship Fleet
at Mzqdalsna Bay.

NasdaIena Bay. MeX-Nia San
Dieso--The night firing by the batrie
ships of the Atlantic feet is brilliant
iy unique spectacle. 1t is of u vastly
difle-ent variety from the ceaseless,
un' lrylnS shooting at the white canvas
targ"'o by daylight, from sunrise to
sunset which finally becomes dull,
method!cal and monotonous enough. 1t
is th" perfection of pyrotechnices.
The weeping of the great shafts o.
llsh' from the searchlights, the burst
ing flashes of tire from the gun
mu LleS The spark-strewn pathway Of
the soaring and flaming shells, the
ricucAets that resemble giant sky
roehets, and the tremendous echoes of
believing sound that break across the
waters and ring over the silent, fog
enshrouded hills. combine to present
Seen that thrills long after the firing
has ceased
Il is the work of repellinG attacks OF
an "uemy's imaginary torpedo craft.
Bla 4 targets with white bulls-eyes are
the objects at which the shots are di-
rected. Two or three ships may be
seen firing al time. Perhaps second
shin may be standing by assisting with
in bringing into palmer outline the
blaok targets sitting far out across the
wat"r, Sometimes the firing ship does
all lis Illuminating. Big searchliehts OF
intense brilliancy and power of pene-
tration, high up in the fightinstops of
the matnmasts and foremast. turn on
the t1FSets long before the ship comes
upuu he firing radius.
The lights OF the ship are all blazing
out Every port hole is a white light,
staining out in the inkv darkness.
Othcr lights hang here and there on
the lifted .angways and other neces-
sary locations. The ensemble is of ir-
regular outline, bearing no resemblance
to the lines of battleship. The sin
gle red truck lights are oscilating back
and forth at the mastheads as the yes
sci rolls slowly to one side or the other.
The red and white signal lights, strung
up he halyards of the foremast. are
alternating in their colored flashes,
transmitting official messages to other
ship. Heavy clusters of electric lights
are ON the forward and aft bridges. the
big Ietiectors turned sharply down
ward ten feet distant. where they il
lunlue Like day the breaches OF TIL"
guns The gun crew works in perfect
light. as though the sun We're shining.
The ship Steams on The range at IA
rapid speed, her powerful searchlights
hung out this way and that. The bril-
liant shafts of light may one instant
be flashing upon the disturbed waters
fifty feet from the side Of the ship,
then with incredible swiftness travel
ten miles to the shore and search
steadily there for minutes along tha
BLACK irregular beach line. Now and
then they aight upon other ships OF
the fleet Illuminating decks and super
structures and every object with
white glow. Soon the ship passes
red buoy signal light It is the stand
by" signal. The scarchlights are now
concentrated upon the targets, tiny
spots far off the port bow.
A whistle is blown. an officer shouts
he sharp command fire" The three
Founders and three-inch guns go in
stantly into action. These pieces are
semi-automatic and the crews are
working to break records in the total
If shots and hits per minute. The cx.
ploding powder flashes out from tho
muzzle in a pun of flame. and the pro
ectile leaps away towards the target.
1t traverses the intervening distance
IN an instant.
By means of what is known as the
night tracer" the flight of the shell is
followed with the naked eye. II is
stream of fire that shows in the wake
Of the shell. Its operation is a strict
military secret. The projectile is seen
% strike the water at the target. then
Jound high into the air for miles dis
ant.
The height which the leapng shell
4ttains is almost incredible. 1t must
scmetimes be 500 feet, for it occupies
a minute or more in its flight and
lands out in the sky like a shooting
star. 1t strikes again and bounds
way from other flights. skipping and
Jounding until its force is finally
spent. Sometimes upward of eight or
en- of these flying balls of flame from
4 single gun may be observed at one
ime, ricocheting in diverse directions
cross the water.
A whistle sounds, the firing ceases,
aud the ship passes off the range.