Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-14
First Utah Battery Host Last
Night to Brilliant Gather
ing at the Armory.
SHOW MODERN EQUIPMENT
New Artillery Material Exhibited and
Explained to Crowd Numbering
Over Five Hundred.

More than 500 people attended DIE
public reception given in the quarters
of the First Utah Battery at tho
armory in Pierpont street Monday
night to see the S-inch breech-loading
steel rifle, the latest army gun of its
kind Although IL was an Informal ef-
fair, society was we'll represented. The
quarters presented q pretty scene. Inc
walls were hung with the national
colors, and the ceilings were strung
with festoons OF myriad Japanese
lanterns. Christensen's orchestra OF
~ pieces attracted visitors to the low
er floor. where the exhibit OF the pat
tery was explained by the officers ana
men, the pieces being arranged just us
Enough they were in the field, except
that the intervals were smaller.
The following officers of the battery
gave interesting little lectures to
groups of visitors as they gathereo
around the pieces: Capt William u
Webb. First Lieut.. FREQ Smith, Secono
Lieuts, Max Brown and Alex Thomas
assisted by a number of non-comtnis-
stoned officers, including FIRST Sergt
Prank IL. Manning. Quartermas.er
ScrSt p NJ. Knapp and Sergts- sam
uel TAYLOR, Nj. a. Breecen, Jr., {, L
Clawson and Lynn Smith
The chiefs of sections alternately
put their crews through the drill,
showing how the new gun is manlpu-
lated and illustrating its good features
A number of regular army of1cers
inspected the battery, including Lieut.
Col Charles H. Clark, OF the ordnance
department, in command of the gov
ernment arsenal at Fort Sam Houston.
Tex; Col. Walter S. Scott command
ing the Fifteenth infantry at Fort
Douglas; Maj. ]. NJ. Arrasmith. Capt.
Willis Uline. adjutant; Capt. I. X.
Harker. quartermaster; Capt w. A.
Rowell. Capt. Bryan Conrad, and
Lieuts, r H. Sillman, a. o. Seaman,
n, Nj. Green, Alva Lee. and Fl. A. Bell
Gov. Spry and Adjt- Gen. E. A.
Wedgwood of the National Guard OF
Utah, and his staff, in uniform, repre-
sented oficialdom. The governor made
q brief speech at the close of the
evening. highly complimenting the men
of the battery on their efficient work.
and expressing q hope that the organ
ization would soon receive enough re-
crults to make a full complement. Gov. |
Spry was accompanied by Col H. E. /,
Booth. Col. II. NJ. H. Lund. Col e. S.
Wright. and Lieut.-Col. Rodney |
Badger.
Refreshments were served on the
lower floor.
OBJECT OF RECEPTION.
The principal object OF the reception,
aside from showing the people the new
guns, was to create interest among
young men In order to secure recruits,
as a full battery is wanted for the |
20 l.a l,..ll
at American Lakes near Seattle, OF at |
Crow Creek Indian reservation, in |
Wyoming, when the guard will re-
ccive instruction from the regular army |
in the annual maneuvers.
The First Utah Battery has good |
reason to be proud of its new equip |
ment. The new 3-inch breech loading |
steel rifle. 1905 model, takes the place
OF the old S.2-inch field piece. and It's |
advantages are numerous and i'm
portant. The rccoll is taken up by an |
oil cylinder. II has a traversing de- |
Vice with which moving object may |
be followed without relaying or shift |
Ing the trail besides an clevating de- |
vice, SO that the gun may be aimed at |
any angle or In any direction without |
moving the piece. With the old gun. |
the trail had to be moved in order to |
get new sight, and each time that |
tne old gun was fired. 1t had to be re- |
sighted. With the new gun. the piece !
never moves after the first shot Oniy |
the barrel moves. and It Is operated on |
a recoil cylinder. Every time the piece !
Is fired, the barrel recolIs 4S inches and |
then comes back into place without |
jar The new gun shoots more rapidly. |
from five TO six aimed shots per minute |
being the maximum
One of the interesting features NJ tbo
operation of the new battery is that II |
may shoot in indirect fire. at objects |
winch the gunner himself cannot see |
as the commander takes the ranges
with his telescope and communicates |
the ngures to the gunners by telephone
A signal detachment works In co-oner-
alton with the battery commander
The new gun is equipped Win rho
panoramic sight. used with the whole
circumference for either direct or In
direct firing. Another sight is used onIy
In direct firing. my
DESTRUCTIVE PRoJECTILES
The initial velocity OF the proJectlle
is 1,Io0 feet per second. 1t has an
extreme range of about $500 yards for
efficient work. The shell and shrapneI
are both in cartridge form, and are
set by fusc-setter. instead of In the
old way by which the shrapnel were J