Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-11

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and members Of the u. 5. Marine
Corps in the art Of handling the new
Springfield Rifles, which Is now the
standing military arm OF the United
States. Il Is safe 10 say that when
the work now In progress is finally
completed the Marine Corps will rank
with the best shooting organizations
In the world and will rCbaOly have
mere expert shots in proportion TO IT'S
members than any other corps In the
world. A camp OF instruction has
been established on the New Jersey
range at Sea Girt. which was placed
at the disposal of the Marine Corps
through he cinrtesy OF General Bird
w. Spencer. Inspector of Rifle Prac-
tice Of that State Capt. William e.
Harlee, L. s NJ. c.. Will be in charge
of the camp assisted by the follwing
Marine Corps officers: Capt. ID. G.
McDougal and LIST Lieutenants c. h..
Matthews. w d. Smith, Merriam.
Wirgam, Ccyle and TORY. Capt. Har-
lee was Captain of the Marine Corps
team at Camp Perry last year, which
took fourth place in the match in
which fifty states and regular service
teams competed. He will be Captain
of the Marine Corps team in the Ma
tional Match TO be shot at Camp Perry
in August of this yea.
Cape, Harlee has assembled at Sea
Girt number of selected enlisted
men of the Marine Corps who will be
there practically an summer in at
tendance on school dealing with the
rife. The marine Corps is now armed
with the Krag and il is desired that
before placing the new Springfield in
the hands of the Marine Corps the
men should be instructed as to the
proper use and care of the new weap-
on. especially in regard to metal foul
ln.. The camp mas been laid out TO
accommodate 200 men and their oni-
GERS and in a 'dition 10 those attend
ing the school detachments of fifty
men each will be ordered from the
Brooklyn and Philadelphia Navy
Yards and from various vessels at
New York and Brooklyn to Sea Gift
for practice. The camp will be COM
pletely equipped with all appliances
in use for such praciice and tests
will be made of a number CT new de-
vices in connection with military
rifles. Prominet among these will be
the Maxim gun-silencer. which VIII
be employed between the gallery prac-
tice and the range practice.
The course of instruction will begin
with the subtarget gun machine on
which the men will ~ractice at sight
ing and aiming without the expendi-
tue OF ammunition. They will then
proceed TO the gallery range of 50l
feet where the ordinary government
.22 calibre fife will be used. At this
range practice will lso be had with
the L. S. 20 caiibre riffs fitted with
the new army telescope sights as well
as various Schutzen rifles, with and
witout telescope sights. The Maxim
gun-silencer will then be brought into
play as with il there is. of course,
much less noise and much less recoli
tnan with ordinary new Springfei6
and the idea is TO educate the re-
cruits to the use of the new rife by
easy stages. The men will then be
put On the range and shot through
the courses up to LOCO yards.
The special class vii. be instructed
in the use of the Colt auton.a!c re-
volver. will be taught how to select
and calibrate rifles, to take down and
assemble rifles and instructed in ali
that pertains to their care and use
Exhaustive tests will be made with
different range devices including what
are known a.; the angle OF fire con-
trolIers. invented by Ordance oni-
GERS Ely and Phillips As is well
known, in the excitement of battle.
soldiers are prone to discharge their
weapons at almost any angle, the bui-
lets frequently passing over the heads
of the opposing force, or to strike
the ground at some distance in front.
The angle fire controller, of which
two will be tested, is designed to
overcome this by locking the piece so
that II cannot be discharged except
when pointed at a cersin angle
Invitations viii be issued 70 expert
rihemen such as Capt. K. V. Casey.
1t. Col. Vim. A. Tewes. DIR. w g.
Hudson. Capt II. W. Mcbride. Maj e.
II. winder and other crack military
rifle shots and theoretical experts On
IHfes. ammunition and targets. to de-
liver lectures TO the school during the
summer. A detachment will leave the
camp early in August for Camp Per
~. Ohia. to participate in the Ohio
State Rife Association matches. On
the individual showing made in these
matches the Marine Corps team for
the great National Match will be Sc
Ilected. After the .Natiosl Team