The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-26
MILITIA WILL soon
GET RIFLE RANCE
Board Agrees on Plan for Test
ing rounds at Virginia
Beach.
STATE TO SPEND $4,000
Norfolk and Southern Railroads
Will Build Spur to Site
Good Pay for Marksmen.
STATE TO SPEND $4,000

Virglnia's rife range. about which
there has been so much talk and so
little action, win soon be a reality--a
range under the sole control of the
State---the Military Board having met
in the Governors Office Monday night
and approved plan for laying out
and equipping 1t at cost of 1000.
The range Is to be located at Vir-
ginia Beach, on the site given the
State by the people of Norfolk, city
and county. The two plans suba1itte d
by Captain *. X. V. Casey an EXPERT
on ranges, whose services were given
by New Jersey powder company,
were rejected In their entirety, put
the plan agreed upon by the mem bers
of the board combines in it the best
points of both his outlines. one of his
plans contemplated the expenditure
OF $4,000 and the other $4,000.
Combining the two plans. the State
viii spend $4,000, $4,000 of which
was appropriated by Congress and is
now in hand, and the other $4,000
10 come from the Virginia Legisla-
ture.
Site Large Enough.
The State Will not acquire any more
property at Virginia Beach than is
included In the deed which the In
dustrial Commission OF Norfolk will
present TO the Governor. The targets
will be- placed SO as to have the firing
done ia a southerly direction. To
protect the houses and residents near
the range, "A sixty-fiVe foot high shot
received" will be erected. The tar
gets Will be erected In front of sand
dune thirty-five feet high. On this
many heavy logs will be piled, and
sand will be packed between them 80
as to make the structure solid. IL
Is not believed that any OF the bullets
will fly higher than 65 feet. In the
event they do. they will not jeopar-
die property or life, as they will
not be able to fall until they strike
the water.
J. a. c. Grcner, assistant general
manager OF the Norfolk and South
ern railroad. which Will carry all
soldiers TO and from the range, at
tended the board meeting. He want
ed to know II the State meant bust
ness. and the board wanted to know
II the railroad company meant bust
ness. Mr.. Groner said as soon as the
State began the work of equipping the
range the company would start laying
the spur tracks to the range. The
company intends spending $4,000 In
constructing the spur. A contract be-
tween the board and the railroad
company will be drawn up and sign
ed Within the next few days. Captain
: Philip Ysatman, secretary of the Nor
folk Industrial Commission. also APP
peared before the board. He said /,
was not necessary to buy any mere
land for the range, and that IL auy
further purchases were made resi-
dents, who had already contributed
literally 10 the gratuitous site, would
be inconyenienced.
Governor Mann. Adjutant Genera
Sale. Secretary OF the Commonwealth
II. o James. General c. G. Vaughan
and Joseph LeMasurier. clerk to the
board. attended the meeting.
General Vaughan, Colonel Perry
Colonel +! edy and Colonel Noting
ham were detailed to attend the rifle
competition at Camp Perry mex,
month. In which the Virginia marks
men will participate. The board viii
present bronze medals to all the Vir.
gtnians who shoot in the matches
The medals offered by the Governor
Adjutant General and Military Board
will be presented this year. The board
decided to pay the enlisted men who
90 to Camp Perry the regular State
pay besides the United States army
pay. Therefore the privates will get
$3.50, corporals sl.95 and sergeants
1 $2.s0 a day, while the officers viii
receive only the allowance made bS
the United States army for rifle range
service, which Is not greatly in ex.
cess of that OF the enlisted men.