Evening journal., 1908-08-06
MILITIAMEN TO
FIRE BIG GUNS
Delaware Soldiers to HurI
PrOjeCtiIeS Down the Bay
Tomorrow

and the ground shakes under you to-
morrow afternoon or evening, don't be-
come alarmed. 1t only viii be the Organ
lied Militia of delaware firing the big
rifles at Fort DUPONT, for the militiamen
tomorrow viii be given practice in the
actual firing of projectiles from the eight
inch, ten-inch and twelve-inch rifes
mounted to protect cities along the Della
ware river from invasion by hostile feet.
AS vessels will try to run the gauntlet OF
the forts tomorrow night and evade the
scarchlights. the exercises for Delaware
citizen soldiers tomorrow at the fort VIII
be the most interesting Of the week, and
many visitors are expected there In the
afternoon and evening.
The State militiamen entered upon
the fourth day of their maneuvers With
the coast artillery at Fort DUPONT yes
terday and advanced several degrees
TO the point when they will be actu-
ally filling the role of seasoned artill-
erymen. The day, with the exception
of Sunday was the quietest at the
camp, and visitors were rare. Ths
afternoon drill at the mortars and guns
and the o'clock parade were omitted,
and the camp was saved from abso-
lutte dullness only by the morning drill
and a reception 10 the officers OF the
garrison and the militia in the after
noon by Governor and Mrs. Lea at
their summer home at The Orchards
near Delaware City
From artillery nomenclature and
study Of the mechanism of the batter
les, the battery drill yesterday morn
ing brought the reserve artillerymen TO
ship tracking practice. During this
the appearance of a supposed ship was
signalled by q system of bells from
the fire commanding station overlook
ing the Delaware, and as those sig
nails indicated the progress of the fan
ciful battleship, the soldiers, under the
coaching of the regular commissioned
and non commissioned officers elevat-
ed or lowered and swung the big ma
chimes i'm accordance with the scale on
the gun tables. This is the most val
liable practice that the reserves have
received and, with further experience,
practically constitutes the full course
Of the weeks instruction. Given ac-
tual projectiles, with their present
practice, the militiamen could in a
manner make a fair display against
hostile feet But, whether, they could
hit anything remains TO be disclosed
when practice with moving targets is
taken up.
With the morning drill over, the mill
tiamen were either idle or on guard
or fatigue duty for the rest of. the
day. routine duties being the only in
terruptions.
The afternoon parade, which affords
so much pleasure every afternoon to
visitors. was omitted, so that the Off
GERS Of the garrison and of the re-
serve artillery could attend the recep-
tion g.ven by Governor and Mrs. Lea
The vain brought great relief to the
soldiers at the camp. the hot weather
prevailing this week having been most
oppressive because of the steady glare
of the sun on the open field. During
their stay at the fort, in fact, a diver
sion for the milltiamon has been the
shower baths placed at their disposal
/ by the garrison.
In the evening Captain ]. c. Good
fellow, u. S. A., lectured in the mess
hall on Position Finders and Their
Use in Coast Defense"
This morning there were battery and
| fire command drills by the reserves
after which they were drilled in SUBJ
GERS. Tonight, the lecture to the mill
tia officers will be by Lieutenant j
NJ Fulton, IT, S. A., on Submarine
Mines and Their Use in Coast De-
Tense" The lecture will be followed
by searchlight drill by the regular
searchlight detachment. Sub-calibrt
practice. according TO Colonel j. r
williams program. win be completed
tomorrow and there will be celebration
firing on the S-inch rife. The schoo
for officers will be suspended, and II
is expected that the endeavor to pass
up the river by a hostile fleet" viii
take place. The militiamen are await.
ing this fleet" with much anxiety, fol
if IL succeeds in passing the fort with.
ont being found by the searchlighi
and escapes the ranges, IL will NEAR
the doom. theoretically, of Wilmington
The fleet" is to consist of a govern
ment tug and two small boats.
As the result of the excellent sani.
tary arrangements at the camp, tn,
I brief but heavy rainfall of yesterday
afternoon caused no inconvenience.
Lieutenant J. c. Lawson, of Com.
pany ID, was officer of the day yes
terday. and Lieutenant Jesse A. Nc.
Kay officer of the guard.
Private Leroy Curlett has been de.
tailed as headquarters clerk.
No one has been made i'll by tn,
heat.
-Four minor cases of illness have beer
treated at the hospital tent. which /,
in charge OF Sergeant II. p. Witt, O.
the hospital detachment of the mill.
tia. With Sergeant Witt at the hos.
pital tent is Sergeant Westcott c
Joselyn, of the garrison hospital de.
tachment, and both assisted yesterda,
afternoon in entertaining Mrs. w. T
Joselyn, Miss Florence Joselyn, Mis-
Margaret Doriot and Miss Emily an,
Master Ellison Doriot, all of South
westville. n. j.
Yesterday afternoon the militia on
GERS were photographed in a group.
The militiamen are allowed out o
the garrison bounds only by pass,
number visited Wilmington yesterday
About 16 rockies" were hazed b.
tho regulars on Tuesday night an,
there was literally ''howling fun" 70
the regulars and the reserves. Thi
militiamen themselves enjoy sucl
horseplay nearly every night befor
taps.