Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-06

dalena bay for a months
w target practice there comes
| IL AA revival 1e interest in the
49, - increased excellence of
craftsmanship in the Amer
lean navy. For that marksman-
ship has already made us the envy
of the world. The Pacific fleet, prac-
ticing. for the past month, made its
records and gave way to the sixteen
! battleships and their attendant flotilla
that have recently circled South
America on their way to the western
seas. Soon the world will see the
largest aggregation of war vessels at
work at practice shooting that 1t has
ever seen, and the solitudes of the
land that the good Jesuit fathers,
apostles of peace, tried thTee and a
half centuries ago to reclaim for the
uses of mankind with berry and vine.
with crosa and psalm, will be reused
with the thunders of the ''reeking
tubes" of the apostles of war.
American and Mexican thrift saw
early the possibilities for revenue lp
such an interesting event, and while
one western navigation company adj
dressed a letter to the secretary of
the navy asking his opinion on running
line of excursion steamers down
| from San Francisco to see the target
practice. a Mexican line did not wait.
but proceeded to get out its circulars
and make it's plans for handling a
large crowd out from Guayamas to
Magdalena bay. About the coaling
station a tent city has arisen and with
saloons and gambling outfits is ready
| for business.
The West Virginia, Maryland. Penn
sylvania and Colorado began practice
..e.
night firing at record target practice,
carried on for the first time this year,
and, as proof of the ever-growing eff
cheney. 1t is stated that the hits at
night were greater than those by day.
| light of last year. The Tennessee and
Washington were first in the field and
an interesting feature of their practice
is that ten-inch guns were used for
the first time in recent years. The
speed of these guns has not yet been
determined, whether nearer that of the
| four or the ten-inch guns. The Ten
nessee made the record of an average
of nearly two hits per mintue, rec
ord greater than that of any previous
score of ships with twelve or thirteen
inch guns. though individual guns have
made this record before. This has set
lively pace for other ships to follow.
The Maryland has made there two
worlds records with her three-inch
and six-inch guns. Out of 1885 shots
per minute with her three-inch guns
she made 1856 hits per minute. With
her six-inch guns she made an aver
age of S.43 hits out of possible 1912.
She has made the highest individual
records and the highest score among
all ships This marked increase made
at Magdalena bay in hits made by six
and eight-inch guns in the past month
is more marked from the fact that
conditions are severer this year than
last.
| There are four trophies to be con-
tested for. There were provided for by
| order of the president, to promote
greater interest in target practice, and
| for four years the bronze placques that
| represent the annual prizes have been
proudly borne by the successful con-
| testants of the four classes into which,
] for this purpose the president divided
| the navy. The prize for the battleships
| is a large bronze placque two feet by
| eighteen inches in size, showing In
low relief battleship at target prac-
tice This is the work of Burr Miller,
and Is at present carried by the llll-
| nois, though the Oregon carried 1t tn 2
| first two years in which it was con-
tested for, and the Wisconsin the third
year. The trophy for the cruisers is or
| the same size as the one for the bat
| tleships and shows q six-inch gun crew
at target practice. Henry Reuterdahi
of New York designed this and at pres
ent 1t is proudly borne by the Boston,
though the Raleigh was the first TO
carry it.
| The gunboat trophy, now carried by
the Princeton, is the work of the Cor
ham company of New York, showing
| in bas-relief four-inch gun with in :
scription and decoration. The Frolic
was the first winner of this trophy IN
1905. The torpedo boat destroyer
trophy is now in possession or the
Preble, and is also after design by
Reuterdahl, representing torpedo boat
destroyer in a heavy sea. On each or
these placques is the inscription, "Fro-
ply for excellence in naval gunnery.
Presented by direction of the president
of the United States TO the vessel max
! ing the highest score in her class at
the annual record target practice" :"
Each year the name OF the winning
ship is engraved on the trophy.
This wear to these trophies will be
added a cup given by the patriotic. citi-
zens of Spokane, to be competed for
bv the Atlantic fleet when visiting in
| Pacific waters. At the suggestion of
the secretary of the navy this trophy
| will be awarded the battleship or ar
mored cruiser making the highest final
merit with all turre. guns Following
| the target practice at Magdalena bay,
| in which, altogether, twenty-six or
twenty-eight first class vessels VIII
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