Evening star., 1912-04-28
NIATlONAI n,GUARD
| DISTRICT llss |lSa c0LlI@lA

| in heavy marching order, determined to
| set a record that would stand for some
| time.
Chief Quartermaster A. A. Connor. Sec.
| ond Class Quartermaster J. A. RYAN and
| Seamen Burr, Mcmahon, Nolte, Milstead
and Miller started from 18th and II
| streets northwest at O'Clock Sunday
morning. The weather was misty and
| all hands were soon covered with dew
| but brisk pace was maintained. The
| first stop was made at Autovfiie at /.
| am where a twenty-five e-minute rest was
| taken. From that time on little rest was
| taken until the party reached Laurel al
| 1::,O am By this time the pace was
| beginning to tell on the inexperienced
MEMBERS and when the march was re-
sumed after breakfast, but five started
| The heavy roads had retarded the party,
and the last few miles before Laurel had
discouraged more than one lad.
With fifteen minutes rest at the end OF
each hours march, the miles were reeled
off with unvarying regularity. At Relay,
six miles from Baltimore, another mem
, party consisted Of Connor. Ryan. Milstead
and Miller when the city limits were
| reached, at 80 pm, ten and one-half
hours after leaving Washington.
! The four men marched to the office OF
| the Baltimore Sun. where they reported,
and then "hiked'' for lunchroom.
X X X
| With the opening of the outdoor target
season the members OF the Naval Battai-
| ion are beginning to polish their rifles
| in anticipation of a most successful year.
\ The sailors have always done remarkably
| well on the range, and their ngures OF
merit in recent years have been well up
| in the running.
| During last seasons outdoor target
period there were 156 men In the battai-
ion, of which 100 fired on the range.
| OF the 100 firing, 20 qualified as experts.
| 4 as sharpshooters, 13 as marksmen, and
12 fourth class or better. Thirty OF the
most reliable shots were at the Nor1oik
navy yard overhauling the gunboat
Oneida, which kept them away at the
4 time of their range duty.
| This season the absence OF Lieut..
Walter Burt, formerly ordnance ohcer
of the battalion. will be felt, as his con-
stant endeavor was to impress upon the
| sailormen the Importance of getting on
the range and making a good score. AT
present the vacancy of ordnance officer
created by the resignation of Lieut. Burtt
has not been filled, but Lieut.. Durston,
commanding the Oneida, has temporary
| charge of all ordnance property.
/ Probably the busiest member OF the
battalion these days is Lieut. Com
mander r. L. Farris, executive officer OF
the reserves. For the past two weeks
Lieut. Commander Farris and his chief
yeoman, B. C. Getsinger, have been work
| ing hard moving the headquarters ef-
! fects of the battalion from the ozark to
the new armory.
Twenty-six men and two officers OF the
naval militia took the Ozark to the Nor
| folk navy yard Thursday, April 1S. re-
| ceiving their sailing orders Wednesday,
| the day Of the John Paul Jones parade.
The ship is due to return today or to-
| morrow, thoroughly cleaned.
The crew was disappointed at not being
able to get the Ozark into a drydock i'm
mediately. The ship finally rested on
keel blocks Thursday. and the water
was pumped from around the hull.