Gilpin observer., 1908-04-02
NIGHT FIRING PRACTICE.
Brilliant Spectacle of Battleship Fleet
at Maqdalena Bay.

6fiiliant spectacle OF battleship Fleet
at MasdaIena Bay.
Magdalena Bay, Mex.-Via San
Diego.-The night firing by the battle
ships of the Atlantic fleet is brilliant
ly unique spectacle. 1t is of vastly
different variety from the ceaseless,
unvarying shooting at the white canvas
targets by daylight, from sunrise to
sunset, which finally becomes dull,
methodical and monotonous enough. 1t
is the perfection of pyrotechnices.
The sweeping of the great shafts Oh
light from the searchlights; the burst
ing flashes Of fire from the gun
muzzles; the spark-strewn pathway Of
the soaring and flaming Shells the
ricochets that resemble giant sky
rockets, and the tremendous echoes of
believing sound that break across the
waters and ring over the silent, fog
enshrouded hills, combine to present q
scene that thrills long after the firing
has ceased.
1t is the work of repelling attacks OF
an enemys imaginary torpedo craft.
Black targets with white bulls-eyes are
the objects at which the shots are di-
rected. Two or three ships may be
seen firing at time. Perhaps second
ship may be standing by assisting with
her searchlights the one which is firing,
in bringing into palmer outline the
black targets sitting far out across the
water. Sometimes the firing ship does
all its Illuminating. Big searchlights OF
intense brilliancy and power of pene-
tration, high up in the fightingtops of
the mainmasts and foremast, turn on
the targets long before the ship comes
upon the firing radius.
The lights of the ship are all blazing
out. Every port hole is white light,
standing out in the inky darkness.
Other lights hang here and there on
the lifted gangways and other neces-
sary locations. The ensemble is Of ir
regular outline, bearing no resemblance
to the lines of battleship. The sin
gle red truck lights are oscillating back
and forth at the mastheads as the ves-
sci rolls slowly to one side or the other.
The red and white signal lights, strung
up the halyards of the foremast, are
alternating in their colored flashes,
transmitting official messages to other
ships. Heavy clusters of electric lights
are on the forward and aft bridges, the
big ref1ectors turned sharply down
ward, ten feet distant, where they IL
lumine like day the breaches of the
guns. The gun crew works in perfect
light, as though the sun were shining.
The ship steams on the range at a
rapid speed, her powerful searchlights
hung out this way and that. The brill
liant shafts of light may one instant
be flashing upon the disturbed waters
fifty feet from the side of the ship.
then with incredible swiftness travel
ten miles to the shore and search
steadily there for minutes along the
black irregular beach line. Now and
then they alight upon other ships of
The fleet Illuminating decks and super
structures and every object with a
white glow. Soon the ship passes a
red buoy signal light. 1t is the stand
by" signal. The searchlights are now
concentrated upon the targets, tiny
spots far off the port bow.
A whistle is blown, an officer shouts
the sharp command fire" The three
Founders and three-inch guns go in
stantly into action. These pieces are
semi-automatic and the crews are
working to break records iE the total
Of shots and hits per minute The ex-
ploding powder flashes out from the
muZzle in puff of flame, and the pro-
jectile leaps away towards the target.
1t traverses the intervening distance
in an instant.
BY means of what is known as the
might tracer" the fight of the shell, is |
followed with the naked eye. 1t is a
stream of fire that shows in the wake
of the shell. Its operation is strict |
military secret. The projectile is seen
to strike the water at the target, then
bound high into the air for miles dis
tant.
The height which the leaping shell !
attains is almost incredible. 1t must |
sometimes be 500 feet, for it occupies
a minute or more in its flight and
stands out in the sky like shooting
star. 1t strikes again and bounds
away from other flights, skipping and
bounding until it's force Is finally
spent. Sometimes upward of eight or
ten of these flying balls of flame from
single gun may be observed at one
time. ricocheting in diverse directions
across the water.
A whistle sounds, the firing ceases,
and the ship passes off the range.