The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-04-29
THE WORK OF THE
COAST ARTILLERY,
SsNSAS@SAsAS0G0sN

our coast Artillery during the las
ten years has been most satisfactory
to the military authorities; indeed the
enerSetic devotion of the Coast Ar.
tillery officers and men to their work
IN target practice, range finding and
mine laying has led 20 constant i'm.
proyementS in material and methods
suggested by the experience gained
so that to-day the United States in
personnel and material stands high
among the coast artilleries of the
world.
No small part of this improvement,
especially in material. is due to the
excellent organization and the ener-
setic support of the ordnance depart
ment Of the army. which under its
present able chief. General Crozier.
responds cheerfully to every intelH-
gent demand made by the Coast Ar
tillery and keeps its guns and aces
] series as perfectly up TO date as the
appropriations by Congress permit.
/ Sui. the actual work OF the Coast
Artillery has been perfected to its
present state mainly by the Coast Ar
tillery itself. and to this corps is due
the highly satisfactory condition of
our present coast defences so far as
the forces now manning them are
concerned. The country can rest
satisfied that the money spent on
the Improvement in the organization
and administration of this branch
in the army has brought in q proper
return.
Target practice is the final test of
coast artillery efficiency, the capacity
70 hit is the criterion OF all its train
ing, and in this respect there has
been 2 gradual improvement during
the last ten years. and in the last
Year very marked improvement.
This improvement is noticed not
only in cannon of various calibres
but also in mortars. and indeed is
greater in the latter than in any
other. which is 2 very important fact.
inasmueh as the mortar projectile at
tacks = warship in its most vulner-
able part. namely. the deck. and be-
cause the accuracy of fire of mortars
was a. one time seriously questioned.
To-day our mortars firing sinsly)
can make nearly hit q minute. one
hit in less than : minute and q
quarter has been made. and if we
remember thar our mortars are ar
ranged in groups OF four and eight
and that the mortars of entire groups
are 10 be fired simultaneously in &C
tual battle the power Of this weapon
TO hit will become apparent. No
battleship can safely venture TO come
within the range Of fire of our NOR
tars batteries. with their projeetiles
Weighing 10Q0 pounds. carrying
about sixty pounds Of high explosive.
There is no longer any doubt re-
sardins the accuracy OF fire OF NOR
tars. aud this is particularly pleasing
to the military authorities because
our coast defsuces are more ge1er-
ously supplied with this weapon than
those Of any other nation.
The practice with rapid fire suns
has also improved from year TO year
and during the last year an innova-
ton in this practice was made in
the form OF night firing. in which
the ammunition was provided with
the Seupta tracer 10 indicate the
flight u the proiectils and 10 enable
the gunner 10 correct his aim.
The work Of the Coast ARTILLERY in
range finding and vessel tackling has
also made remarkable strides in the
last ten years and has now reached
5 stage Of perfection highly satistac-
tory TO the man behind the gun, Who
has 70 use the information II fur
ntshes in order 10 hit
The submarine mine service. how
ever. has undergone the greatest rev
olurion- Six years ago there was
10 practical mine laying carried On
except ar the school for that purpose
ST Fort Tetten. WIlIscs Point. y. Y.
land that on boats inprovised for
such work.; to-day IL Is conducted
81 every Coast Artillery fort where
mines would be laid in tine Of WIZ
by regular mine planters built for
the purpose.
Among other Improvements by our
CoaS1 ARTILLERY in this domain may
be mentioned the automatic anchor
for submarine mines. which will en-
aele mines 20 De Planted rapidly in
any depth OF water without knowing
the depth beforehand The iupor- <
r2nce OF this can hardly be appreci-
srsd by the lGyu2r- Heretofore
soundings had to be carefully made.
cables cut 10 proper lengths, and
much other work done before mines
were planted in any area but by this
Improvement that Is no longer nsces-
s2ry. Most Of the European nations
have been stDdElng this problem for
Years without satisfactory results.
One Of the greatest problems in
submarine mining solved by the
Coast Artillery i the eEectual ufn-
Ing OF the swift and Geep waters Of
the Race II the eastern entrance 10
Long Island Sound. For many Years
It was generally believed By army
21d navy oficsrs that il WIS not pos-
stels 10 mine the Race effectively.
owing 70 Us enormously swift current
and very great depth Indeed the
2uEhortgles on the subject were very
generally agreed thar mining At such
, depth and in such ! current was
out Of the question The present
chief Of Coast ArrflIsrT. Geuersi ltur-