Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09
ARMY AND NAVY GOSSIP

ment 20 encourage rife practice among
schoolboys has the hearty support Of
the National Rifle Association, the ma
tional board for the promotion Of rifle
practice and the War Department All
| have recommended to Congress an APP
milton and prizes and the expense of con-
Quoting contests open only to schoolboys
or students of colleges and universities
on the order of the one recently held
in New York city.
Under modern conditions the instruction
OF boys in shooting Is attended with sub
stantiaNy no danger whatever. First
they are taught to aim and fire a gun
attached to machine known as a SUBJ
target machine No ammunition is used
in connection with this continuance but
the gun Is connected with needle-like
rod, so that it registers on a miniature
target the point where the bullet would
have struck on the regulation target had
the gun been loaded.
After the boys become proficient in aim
ing they are put at work on % caliber
rifles. which are of the same weight and
which have the same sight "a the regu-
lar army rifles. With the reduced dis
tances and targets the same results are
obtainable indoors as outdoors, except for
light, wind and mirage and by an in
gentous system of allowances for these
problems may be worked out indoors as
we'll as on the open ranges. After the
student is thoroughly grounded in hold
| ing and sighting the % caliber rife and
learns how to correct his sights so as
to allow for wind he is taken on the
range and for the first time allowed to
rifle.
Oldest Two Soldiers.
John Tempany. veterinarian, 9th Cavalry,
United States Army. at Fort Lawton, is
the oldest army officer on the active list.
Though seventy years OF age he possesses
his vigor and has no thought of retiring.
He was born in New York city in 1898
He enlisted in the LIST Dragons in 1858
and has been with the army practically
since that time. The LIST Dragons were
ordered TO Washington d. c., In 1861.
The regiment was renamed the list Cav
airy. Mr.. Tempany served with the regi-
ment in the Army of the Potomac during
the entire civil war. He has served with
The 9th Cavalry for twenty-eight years
and fought the Apaches in Arizona and
New Mexico. He was also with Custer
in the 9TH on the expedition that opened
the Black Hills country.
The oldest enlisted man on the rolls
of the United States Army is Sergt David
Robertson of the Hospital Corps, sta
toned on Governors Island. He is a
native Scotchman. first enlisted May
p 1854, and he has been in continuous
service. having had the extraordinary rec
ord of never having lost q day. He is
seventy-four years of age.
Reserve Supply of Medical Stores.
Surgeon Gen. O'Reilly OF the army is
following out the recommendation OF the
Dodge commission which investigated the
conduct of the Spanish war. namely that
, the medical department of the army ac-
cumulate and keep on hand q years re-
serve supply. sufficient for an army at
! least four times the present actual
strength. of all medicines. hospital furni-
ture and stores that can he SO kept with
out deteriorating in quality: Medicines.
as a general rule. do not deteriorate If
properly cared for. Gen. OReilly has
asked for an appropriation Of 100000 for
supplies. an increase of $4,000 over last
year. which. if granted, will enable him
TO continue the policy of accommodating
the proposed reserve.
Submarines for Manila.
1t has been decided to send the SUBJ
marines Porpoise and Sharkto the Philip
pines for service at the new naval base
TO be established in tile vicinity of Ma
Mia. The Porpoise and the Shark are
at the New York navy yard and will be
I transferred to the first collier which sails
| from New York for the Asiatic station.
Need Stronger Searchlights.
The coast artille-ists are engrossed with
the problem OF increasing the range OF
/ the beam from the searchlight At pres
ent the range OF the searchlignt is not
more than $500 yards. The experts are
devoting themselves to the development
/. Of an Improvement OF the light SO that it