Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-27

All are thrown out of gear, so as TO noiu
them steady under recoil. At the oroer'
"Aim" they are raised and lowered py a
rachel at the breech and thrown to the right
sights the piece.
The friction primer is inserted in the vent
and everything made ready. Then comes the
order, Detachment to the rear-Inarch!
As a precautionary measure against tne
bursting of cannon, the cadets abandon tne
battery while the guns are being fired. one
cadet to each gun, however, remains. he
stands upon the earth below his gun, lanyard
in hand, facing to the rear, right foot for-
ward.
The battery is now ready for work. In a
clear voice the commandant shouts. No. l.,
fre!"
Flame streams from the mouth of the great
sinooth-bore on the right. The report IS
deafening. and The gun is hidden in cloud
Of smoke. 1t was aimed at target, painted
upon a rock on Crows Nest, 2100 yards
away As the smoke rolls to the right, those
in line with the gun see the huge round shot,
weighing W. h 4So a pounds sailing pSd over deep cut
a second later it strikes some feet above
the huge white target, chipping the rock and
throwing up a cloud of dust.
Then the order, ''No. 2, fire!' is given. A
shot of the same size and weight as its pre-
decessor speeds over the bay and lands upon
the target.
The dust caused by this shot has hardly
risen, when the officer in command orders
No to fire. 1t is the eight-inch rifle gun.
The cadet at her lanyard shuts his eyes,
throws his weight forward and pulls the
string. The gun cracks like huge rife She
sends over the water a solid conical shot,
weighing 1S0 pounds.
mo 4, fire!b is the next order. 1t is the
thirteen-inch mortar. She spouts fame like
a volcano, and throws shell weighing 216
pounds. 1t flies into the air above the smok-
ing crater, and is seen by every eye.
la, and finally begins to fall into the depres-
sion on top which gives the mountain its
naIne-Crow's Nest. Before it disappears it
explodes, leaving in the air cap of smoke,
which expands and hangs over the nest for a
| minute or more.
Nos. 8 and arc eight inch rifles. The
| pointed shot sped from their mouths strike
the target spitefully and damage its face.
| The SIX pieces in this one round have land
ed over 1000 pounds of iron upon the noun
tain by the use Of 164 pounds of powder.
The spectators strewn over the hill in the
rear are thrilled with admiration. The cadets
continue at work. The gunners sight their
pieces with the utmost care, using their caps
to shield their eyes from the sun.
After more rounds are fired singly an order
to. fire by platoons is given. 1t is done in a
trim way. Each lanyard is pulled to the frae-
ton of second. and the reports are stimuli
| taneous.
| A faint breeze watts the smoke to the right,
and the three huge projectiles are seen flying
over the railroad cut like a small covey Of
partridges. They strike the target almost
IN mass and destroy much of its face
| With the second platoon the mortar is fred.
The huge black shell arises with such force
and on so great curve that it passes over
the top OF the mountain and Is lost to view.
But the report Of its explosion far. away is
heard, and tells that it has done its work.
Twice is the platoon firing repeated
Finally. the command by .battery-fre!'''
1900 pounds of iron are sent over the bay in
one discharge.
The shell from the mortar mounts above
the solid shot and again explodes on the rim
of the Crows Nest. The reverberations of
the reports from the platoon guns were start
ling, but these are simply terrific. They
sound like claps of thunder and come with
vivid dstinctness from the depths of the
mountains.
At the close of the firing the cadets fall in
line, mount the hill and return to the bar
racks in charge Of their sergeants. An hour
subsequent they are rushing over the espla-
] made at double quick after dress parade.