The Washington herald., 1908-03-05
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

With The arrival this week OF the At
lantic fleet in Magdalena Bay for a
months target practice. there comes a re-
yiyal OF interest IN the increased excel
lence OF craftsmanship in the American
navy. For that Workmanship has al
ready made uS the envy Of the world
The Pacific feet, practicing for the past
month. made IT'S records. and gave way
20 the sixteen battle ships and their at
tendant fotilla that have recently cir
cled South America on their way 10 the
Western seas. Soon the world VIII see
the largest aggregation OF war vessels
al work AT practice shooting that u has
ever seen. and the soIitudes of the land
that the good Jesuit Fathers, apostles
Of peace. tried three and a half centuries
ago 10 reclaim for the uses Of mankind
with berry and wine, with cross 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 In such an
interesting event, and while one Western
navigation company addressed a letter 20
the Secretary OF the Navy asking his
opinion on running a line OF excursion
stes mers down from San Francisco 10
see the target practice. a Mexican line
did not wait. but proceeded 10 get out its
circulars and make its plans for hand
ling 4 large crowd out from Guayanaas
to Magdalena Bay. About the coaling
station tent city has arisen. and with
saloons and gambling outfits is ready
for business
The West Virginia. Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania. and Colorado began practice there
early last month. There was night firing
at record target practice. carried on for
the first time this year. and, as proof Of
the ever-g growing proficiency II is stated
that the hits at night We're greater than
those by daylight Of last year. The Ten
nessee and Washington were first in the
field. and an interesting feature OF their
practice is that I0-inch guns were used
for the first time in recent years. The
speed of these guns has not yet been de-
termined. whether nearer that OF the or
the 10 inch guns. The Tennessee made
the record OF an average OF nearly two
hits per minute. record greater than
that of any previous score Of ships with
u or l3 inch guns, though individual guns
have made this record before. This has
set a lively pace for other ships 70 fol-
low.
The Maryland has made there two
worlds records with her 3 and 6 inch
guns. Out OF 1855 shots per minute with
her S-inch guns she made 1855 hits per
minute. With her 6-inch guns she made
an average OF S4s hits out OF possible
I0Te She has made the highest indi-
vidual records and the highest score
among all ships. This marked increase
ma6a at Magdalena Bay in hits made by
6 and inch guns in the past mOn+i is
more marked c-om the fact that cOndi-
tlons are severer this year than last
There are four trophies TO be contested
for. These were provided for by order
Of the President, 10 promote greatec in
terest in target practice, and for four
years the bronze placques that represent
the annual prizes have been proudly
borne by the successful contestants Of the
four classes into which, Tor this purpose,
the President divided the navy. The prize
for the battle ships is a large bronze
placque two feet by eighteen inches N
size, showing in low relief a battle ship
at target practice. This is the work OF
Burr Miller. and is at present carried by
the Illinois. though the Oregon carried
It the first two years in which it was
contested for, and the Wisconsin the thirI
year The trophy for the cruisers Is Of
the same size as the one for the battle
ships, and shows a 6-inch gun crew at
target practice Henry ReuterdahL of
New York. designed this and at present
it is proudly borne by the Boston, though
the Raleigh was the first TO carry It.
The gun boat trophy, now carried by
the Princeton. is the work of TIE Gorham
Company. of New York. showing in bas-
relief a 4-inch gun. with inscription and
decoration. The Frolic was the first win
ner Of this trophy in 1905 The torpedo
boat destroyer trophy IS now in pos
session of the Preble. and is also after a
design by ReuterdahL representing a tor
pedo-boat destroyer in a heavy sea. On
each OF these placques is the inscription:
Trophy for excellence in naval gunnery
Presented by direction Of the President
OF the United States to the vessel making
the highest score in her class at the an
nual record target practice" Each year
the name OF the winning ship is engraved
on the trophy.
This year. to these trophies viii be add
ed cup given by the patriotic citizens
of Spokane. to ba competed for by the
Atlantic fleet when visiting in Pacific
waters At the suggestion OF the Secre-
tary Of the Navy. this trophy will be
awarded 10 the battle ship or armored
cruiser making the highest final merit
with all turret guns. Following the tar
get practice at Magdalena Bay, in which
altogether, twenty-six or twenty-eight
first-class vessels will have engaged in
February, March. and April, there Will
be battle practice in the fall near either
San Francisco or Manila. This will no
doubt be a comfort 20 the Secretary Of
the Navy, who deplored in his last report
that the naval training of the present day
overloOks the mobility OF the navy in
favor OF gunnery.
While target practice aEter a desultory
fashion has been known to the nations
since the days Of Nelson. it is only in
the past FIVE years thai II has attained
to anything worthy Of more than passing
notice. in that five years so much has
been done that our records for rapidly
and accuracy are the envy OF all na-
tons. Formerly the target was a barrel