Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-30

FORMAL ton which Is essential at such
speed that half dozen half ton shots
can be thrown into a ship from q sin.
gle battery In the space of less than
four minutes. The drift Of the shot
IS the distance to the right which a
revolving projectile from rifled gun
will go In the course Of q given dis.
lance. The range and the point where
q vessel will be at the moment shot
could reach it are reckoned in actual
practice at least once in every twenty
seconds. The establishment of twenty
seconds as the interval when fresh
survey shall be taken is based upon
the fact that no boat could change it's
speed or its course sufficiently in that
space OF, time to affect the probability
of a shot hitting it,.
The gunner may have all the knowl-
edge Of what to do when hostile ship
appears and know exactly what his
gun will do under any given condition,
but there are two things which cannot
be learned until the exact moment
when the gun is to be fired. One is the
direction in which the gun Is to be
pointed, and the other is the amount
OF elevation or depression which must
be given the muzzle in order ito have
the shot reach the exact spot where
the vessel will be when the shot may
be expectedsto reach there Attached to
the carriage OF the gun; and; high
enough so that the gunner can look
through it over the parapet is a tele-
scope with hair lines crossing the
opening at right angles to each other.
The telescope is set SO that 1t can be
moved from the left to the right by
means of a thumbscreW.
This permits right and left correc-
tons to be made in sighting the gun
after the range has been determined.
The amount Of elevation which is nee
essary in order to make the shot scar
~" to the exact spot where the enemy
will be is "set of" at the gun by means
of another mechanism. At other points
in the fort are heavily built towers
containing the instruments for secur-
ing the frapge and the apparatus for
automatically working out the caIcu-
lations instantaneously. There are two
Of these instruments at known dis
lance apart y
8$3A hostile warship Is seen in the
ofing. The two surveying instruments
are turned upon 1t from their respec-
tive angles, while the gunner takes his
place at the telescope attached to the
gun. Others are busily engaged In
loading the gun. The man at the tele.
scope shortly receives from the towers
directions how to set his sight, while
the other men charged with laying
the gun in direction and elevation re-
ceive the data by which they make
settings" at the gun. They swing the
gun around until the object which Is to
be struck appears In the center of the
hair line eyepiece Of the telescope anl
set the mechanism which will insure
the proper elevation when the gun
rises from it's cradle. Suddenly the gun
springs up. The muzZle shows over
the parapet. A cloud Of smoke bursts
forth, and the men who have not taken
the precaution to rise on their toes and
open their mouths receive shock tina
disturbs their equilibrium and threat
ems their eardrums. The gun settles
back In Its place once more. Soor
there is ocular evidence that the sho
and the hostile ship five miles away
have met, to the damage of the war
ship. The decks amidships are seel
to omen and men run back and forth
Steam wells the hull, for steam pipes
have been pierced. Scientific gunnerJ
has conquered, and at the expense Of
a few hundreds of pounds Of powder
and steel vessel which cost $2,00O,0O(
or $3,OO0,0O0 has been incapacitated.-
New York Tribune