The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-06

wherever the fleet might be. The prin-
cipal reason why the cost is so small is
that the pro1ectilcs to be fired are
smaller than those used In any other ma
neufers. Even In the case OF the tor
pedo destroyers the cost Is comparatively
small ftT instead OF using powder. the
cap Will be filled with water, which will
do no more damage than To take the
paint off the side OF the vessel II strikes
but which nevertheless will be suffI-
Client for test purposes.
IL is 70 Lieutenant Commander Leigh
Carlyle Palmer, chief OF the division OF
target practice and naval aid TO the
work Of planning this test falls II Is
In his division that the sealed orders are
prepared and the general arrangements
executed Commander Palmer is en,hu-
slastic regarding his work and is espe-
cially interested In the sailor and his
efficiency.
One hears good deal regarding the
position, which sailors occupy IN tho
navy he said. ITO a great majority OF
the people they are the drudgcs OF this
bs,n@ brnneh of OF the Is service. That is fsr fTom
held by these men arc extremely rcspon-
sible ones. II would be the sailors for
instance, who have charge OF the tclo-
scopes during the acroplane tests That
certainly is responsible position. as
through negligence on his part the ships
safety might be jeopardized In actual
warfare
Nor is the relation of the sailor and
his officer as bad as some suppose Dis
cipline must be maintained. OF course.
but the officer OF the day takes consid-
cradle OF his time In seeing that his men
are well trained and able To do their
share OF the responsible wurs durtn. an
engagement. And his endenvor rarely
goes unappreciatcd. for the sailors who
educated set OF men. They know in
almost every Instance. the various
branches of knowledge which touch on
their profession. Outside the navy thcy
,ft-a
places. as wireless operators. for In
stance. But very few cases OF ths kind
happen, because the navy offers an Gle
ment that attracts and holds the majority
OF Young men who enter the service.
THIS is the element OF chance In tar
get practice, In active service and in
many other ways there Is that uncer-
tainty and spirit OF gamble the love OF
which forms so important factor In tho
American youth
At the Sandy Hook proving ground the
tests. though OF highly valuable charac-
ter. will nevertheless be OH much small
or scale, with but about one hundred men
participating. They will be held as soon
as the special gun being MADE for this
particular work has been compile ted. This
sun consists OF a carriage and ba rrel so
constructed rs to discharge Drojectilcs al
an almost vertical position straight Into
special telescope sight. !, can be easily
moved: attain high velocity and rcach
great heights. The result of these tests
Will determine whether or not a practical
gun has at last been found for this spe-
cial use, and. II so. others will he con-
structed
The tests viii consist OF firing various
kinds OF projectlcs at balloons, and may
continue from two to fUuy weeks. They
VIII be held under the direction of Cen
eral Crozicr, in connection With the ord
nance board al Sandy Hook. The results
hoped Tor viii settle many important
questions regarding aeronautic warfare
The variety and number Of projectIles iL
is possible to fire. the hest means OF at
tack, the proper caIiher and weight uf
gun and the right graduation NJ sight
are among the things this test should
settle
II Is probable that a detachment OF The
signal corps Will also participate II so
they VIII have complete charge OF send
Ing up the balloons. Al the experiments
carried on last year. when similar tests
were made With the regular army rifles
the signal corps served In the same ca
pacity. The balloon used IS OF tho or
dinary captive type. lot out on n cable
and controlled from the ground by means
OF rope.
And then. after the tests have been
completed, II sdl remains for the vast
amount of material collected TO be writ
ten and published In book form. But
even that is not all. Uncle Sam thinks
so much OF his material that ne VIII
make sure each night that this book con-
tanning the results OF the tests Is locked
in safe. secure from spying eyes.