The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-16


at anchor in Magdalena Bay
~ lower California, will begin the
serious work of record target
practice tomorrow morning, according
10 official wireless dispatches re-
ceivcd here, and for the next two or
three weeks the usually quiet waters
OF this harbor will splash and dance
under the rain OF shot and shell.
The targets will be set and ranges
established at the lower end OF the
bay. whore 1t narrows to an island
parted channel leading to A1mejas Bay,
another lnnd-locked harbor where nat
ural advantages would stand out strik-
ingly in the search for a naval base
In any other part of the world than in
close proximity to Magdalena. The
ranges are to be set first at 1000 yards.
They will be next extended to 1000
yards, and then to a maximum OF 1900
yards for the smaller target which is
twelve by twenty one feet in size.
For the great turret guns-the twelve
and thirtecn-inch rifles-thc ranges
are heightened from 5000 to 1000
yards, and the targets are increase to
thirty by sixty feet. AS one ordnance
officer on the battleships expressed It..
II is absolutely essential that the gun
ners should be able to see the target
before they can train the sights upon
It. At 1000 yards the white canvas
object to be shoe at appears as tiny
speck.
High Record to Bent.
The gunners of the Atlantic fleet are
conscious OF the fact that they have a
hard task before them to surpass the
records made at Magdalcna Bay by
the armored cruiser guns of the Pa
cific fleet. under command of Rear-Ad-
miraIs Dayton and Sebree. These ships
nj NI, ma
grounds in the Mexican Bay for the
last two months. and six OF them have
completed their work. The Maryland
outdistanced all of her competitors
among the armored cruisers OF the sta
tion, with percentage Of 1888 hits
out of possible 100 with all classes OF
guns. The Tennessee came next, with
a percentage of 1924 hits, the Colo
RADIO being third. with 1858: the Penn
sylvania fourth. with $3.50; the West
Virginia NTH. with $50. and the
Washington last. with $3.50. The
seemingly low score of the Washing
ton was expected, as she Is brand
new ship. with new guns and new crew
but It serves 70 make all the more
Important the splendid record of the
Tennessee, Admiral Sebree's flagship.
which Is Just as new as the Washing-
ton, and which went to the targets un-
der the same conditions as to green
pieces and gunners.
New Ten-Inch Rifle.
The Tennessee and Washington also
FOR the first time used ten-inch turret
r,hes. a new weapon for American
cruisers, which were put on board the
vessel in response to the demand OF
ordnance officers for heavier guns than
The eight-inch rifles of the west wv
vinia class. The heavier guns and tUr-
rets added nearly thousand tons 20
the weight of the Tennessee and Wash
Inpton over the West Virginia. ana
caused thinning of the main arnor
belt from six to five inches. The tur-
ret protection was increased, however,
from six and one-half inches to nine
Inches. All Of the big armored cruisers
are ranked with the battleships in
summing up their target records, and
for this reason their scores are OF uh :
usual interest at this time, when the
world girdling OF the feet is about TO
begin its target work.
Flotilln in Fine shape.
PANAMA, March 15.-Lieutenant
Hutch I. Cone, the commander, and
the other officers and men of the
American torpedo boat flotilla are de-
lighted with their reception here. This
morning the destroyers moved up
closer 10 FdHdHld dilu aie ~" "t'H.'
the zone limits They will be open to
visitors every afternoon from to 6
o'clock.
All the men Of the flotilla are proud
OF the record which the little boats
have made. With the exception of a
few minor repairs, the destroyers are
in practically the same condition as
when they left the United States.
Last evening the officers of the fleet
attended a dance at the Tivoli Club
where they met many OF the proru-
nent people of the city and the canal
zone. There was baseball game to-
day between nine from the destroyer
Stewart and a local team, and later
every man who could be spared from
the boats went to see bull fight. In
which male and female bull-fighters
%oo1> mart. Eitt