Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-16

| headquarters last week, announcing that
officers and enlisted men who qualified
as expert rif1emen last season will not
be required to shoot through the preced-
ing grades of marksman and shapshooter
again this year. but can complete their
qualification for 1910 by firing only over
the expert rif1emens course. is expected
| to result in a marked increase of inter-
est in National Guard circles.
A large number of officers and men
who shot through the entire course last
year and qualified as expert rif1emen have
been unable to spare the time to a like
proceeding this year and have kept away
from the range in consequence. The new
order is expected to bring out a number
of these in the thirteen days remaining of
| the rifle season.
Neither the interest manifested in the
| Work nor the scores attained at rifle
practice has been satisfactory to the
| Guard officers who have been watching
the results. There is a larger number of
men in the fourth class-those who have
| falled TO qualify as markSmen-than ever
before. To date 7O2 men are in the fourth
class. and those interested in the work
| feel that every possible minute of the re-
naming time should be employed in an
| attempt to take off at least 100 of that
number.
| THE provision of the circular will, it
| is believed. be helpful to a number. of
| expert rifiemen who qualified last season,
| but who. thus far. have not found the
| time to fire over all the ranges to attain
| that grade this season." said Lieut. Col
James +. Bell. National Guard, District
of Columbia. retired. inspector of small
arms practice.
| The expert course, which comprises
| ten snOts at 800 yards and 1850 yards
each. need only be fired with totals
| of forty shots at $40 yards and thirty
five shots at 1000 yards. according to the
new ruling.
With thirteen shooting days of the
! rifle season left. difficult problem pre-
| sentS itself as to the best method of quail
| Tying the IO2 fourth-class men yet re-
manning. The entire matter rests with
| the company commanders. some of whom
| nave shown a decided lack of interest
| in the rifle work of the season. When
the final review of the work is accom-
| pilshed II Will be question of response
bility; the officer or the enlisted men.
/ III the methods adopted by Capts
Saver, Brian. Feland and Lieut.. Clausel
and few others had been followed by
other company commanders in securing
| qualifications the fourth-class men at this
date hardly would number 100.
THE recent matches, although winding
up on a rainy day. were satisfactory
in every particular much of which sue
cess was due to the tact and skill of
Lieut.. Col. Reichelderfer, chief ranger
officer, and his capable assistants"
II The new New York National Guard
rifle range. which will be completed
this week at BIauvelt. Rockland coun-
ty. y. V, is probably the most COM
plete target range at the command of
II National Guard regiment and I'M
doubtedIy will he used in large part
as a model for other state military
bodies in laying out new ranges.
The rifle ranges, skirmsh field and
grounds cover 325 acres, and are sur
rounded three sides by thickIy
| wooded mountains. According to the
superintendent of the range, it will be,
when completed, the largest. best
equipped and most expensive rifle range
! in the country.
The 20O-yard range is fitted with fifty
six targets, which are operated by the
latest improved mechanical racks the
latter being behind heavy concrete
abutment. All concrete work exposed
TO the rifle fire has been faced with
Il special carbonized steel, which the
bullets cannot penetrate. Behind and
dlOnRSl0e the dDutInent are long con-
orete walks. all safe from the flying
bullets, and containing seats fer the
ner who work the racks.
| The 3O0-yard range has thirty tar
,Cts, and is fitted in the same manner
as the 200-yard range. The two ranges
arc connected by a concrete tunnel. 200
yards long, in order that The men at
work behind the buttresses may pass
from one to the other WITHOUT beng
exposed TO the rifle fire. t'y next May
it is expected the sin ride ranges. the
pistol range and the SkirnliSh held viii
all be in full operation. Eight hundred
yards of concrete tunnel viii be used
To connect the various ranges.
Inst behind the firing line. which is
on a large enbankment 100 feet long. are
the scorekeepers' tables, fifty-six in num-
Der. all lined up like an outdoor school
Behind the scorekeepers is row of tele-
phones set on iron stanchions. for COM
| munication with tho target men. All
| wires are underground and Enclosed in
concrete ducts.
The skrmish field is just to the right
| of the roo yard range Al the north end
| there will be ffty-six targets for skir-
mish practice, all equipped in the same
manner as those on the finished ranges
and also fitted with targets representing
human ngures. These will be the various
positions such as an enemy on the Skin
mish line would be likely to assume in
actual warfare. When the skirmshers
are in the field they will go through all
ming. lying down. charging, etc, the
object. being, of course. to perfect their
workmanship and efficiency at the vari-
| Ous>ranges. The men will be graded ac-