The Washington herald., 1908-03-05

reducHi powder charge. In the practice
in 1906. OF the coast Of Cuba, the target
used was a canvas IS by . feet. Hardly
six years ago the target used was 3 by
ie9 feet Ten years ago the target was
about seven times as large as now. But
things have changed. The target ranges
which are all ready for the Atlantic feet
in Magdalena Bay are OF canvas. 2 by
% feet, and checked OF in black and
white with a range measuring about 1,e50
yards.
The improvement in ten years IS re-
markable- In 1898, when black powder
WAS used. and the sights and others parts
Of the mechanism were poorly developed.
the firing was both slow and Inaccurate
Then, even with the large target. the per-
centage OF hits was small A lz-inch gun
was fired only once in FIVE minutes. a g.
Inch gun once IN from one and a half TO
one and two-thirds minutes. and other
guns in proportion. Now the larger tur-
ret guns make three shots and three
hits minute. 6-inch guns take only forty
seconds FOR each shot. and out OF thirteen
shots have made 1L5 hits minute For
merry S-inch guns We're allowed Two min
utes FOR each shot. Now they are expect
ed 70 make sc shots and SO hits per min
Ute. Ten years ago the percentage Of
hits was rarely over 40 per cent, though
the firing was slow and the target big.
Now many ships make from % 10 80 per
cent hits with all main battery guns. The
Marylands recent record IN Magdalena
Bay was 7S.S9. that OF the Tennessee.
which was second, was SS-24
Experiments OF the past years showed
that small charges IN target practice were
mistake, so in the past four years fun
charges have been used. Il costs. Of
course. bat the game Is believed 70 be
worth the candle. Each time a Pinch
gun is fred IL costs the government 500
It takes at least 500 90 year to nay for
the ammunition used up this way and
II is estimated that sl.5oo.00o would be no
mean amount 10 appropriate for this
work. Before the Spanish-American war
the heaviest expense for naval gunnery
training was - 1897. and that amounted
10 100000. but whereas only 4 per cent
OF our shots struck Cervera-s feet at San
uago al range Of $500 yards, ncw the
Atlantic Fleet has a record Of over 81
per cent made by Pinch guns at a 30-by-
0-foot target AT a range OF from 5000 10
1900 yards With such Improvement. the
money would seem well invested.
During its 1891 quarterly practice. the
Atlantic Squadron spent Sis. 900 and used
more ammunition in its gunnery training
than was used IN the battle OF Manila.
The ammunition now allowed each man in
the American navy Is greater than the
per capita allowance OF any navy feat
one viii hear more OF target practice in
the navy hereafter, the sailing Of the At
( lantic fleet having awakened a greater
interest in these things. Heretofore the
squadron would steam out % the Carib-
bean Sea every winter and about the 1st
Of April would begin a series Of practice
campaigns about Pensacola Bay. OF of
the coast Of Cuba, where at Guantanamo
is the largest target for small arms in
the world. Then the records of ships
made there wOul~ be compared with the
records Of others made elsewhere. and
the annual ceremony Of bestowing the
trophy would follow. Ships sailing at
the rate Of ten knots an hour along the
base OF an eQUilateral triangle are expect
ed 10 fire a gun at a time at the target
set at the triangle's apex. and make good
az their work Competition Is keen. pa
trictism and loyalty 10 ones ship at fever
height. X was after the unfortunate ex-
plosion on the Kearsarge that Koester.
dying from wounds and burns. cried.
Twenty shots and twenty hits Hurra h
for the kesrsargei" OF such men is the
American navy being built; by such men
and their craftsmanship is the nations
reputation lifted FAR above that of the
rest OF the world.