Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16

| Semdrhore signaling, Lieut.. W. Gran
vile GusS, executive officer, decided that
the command was badly in need of some
heavy artillery drill work. IT was the
| first time III six years that the men have
been given II drill with the heavy field
pieces, of which the local naval battalion
| has two.
| The heavy apparatus was taken from a
corner of the room where for long time
it has been more or less OF an ornament,
the long rope drags were dug out of the
storeroom, and soon the drill was on.
| Many of the young men who participated
IN Thursday nights drill were new to
navy work and had never before assisted
| IN handling artillery, but by the time
| Lieut. Guss dismissed them from this drill
they were working in the harness like
veterans.
Although the floor in the drill hall was
slippery. the men executed the commands
quickly. Soon the heavy apparatus was
| numbering UP the hall and down the
hall, the men not even slowing down to
make the turns at the end of the hail.
and 1t is no easy job to maneuver heavy
! field piece in small drill hall, especially
with slippery floor. The real action
came after Lieut.. Guss had determined
that the men could get the piece about
quickly.
The field piece was rushed to the end of
the hall and was prepared for action AT
a given command the thirty men drawing
the apparatus went daShing down the
hall. swung the heavy piece of machinery
about and set 1t. Members of the gun
crew took their places beside the appar-
atus Whlle others took the main supply
OF ammunition from the gun carriage and
placed 1t within easy reach while the re-
serve supply was taken far to the rear
The main body of the men also took their
places IN the rear, where they could cas-
lily come forward and fill in should any of
the main gun crew become disabled
Changing the gun quickly from one
| firing position to another was taught
10 the men, and it took them only a
few minutes to hitch up the long drag
ropes, take the field piece to another
part OF the hall and then replace 1t for
| firing.
The rapidity with which the men grasp
| ed the explanation of the various moves
was a source of much comment The
simple and concise manner in which
Lieut.. Guss explained the work to the
men helped materially In getting them
10 learn their various moves quickly.
Following the drill, Lieut.. Guss de-
ciared that he expected to have more
artillery work in the future. On next
Thursday night he said he expected to
carry the men further along in the
| work, perhaps reaching the point where
he can instruct them in the matter of
| setting the guns and in firing.
Some of the warmer evenings during
| the winter will find the whole command
out in the streets in the vicinity of
| the armory working under approximate
service conditions. This Will enable them
| to maneuver the heavy field pieces much
better than they are able to do on the
| slippery floor in the drill hall.
| The Commissioners of the District of
| Columbia have accepted the invitation of
| the Naval Battalion to attend the gen
| eral muster of the battalion, Thursday
November 20, and to inspect the COM
mand Arrangements We're completed
last Thursday night for the reception
| The decorations which were in use at
| the time President Wilson and Secretary
| Daniels visited the battalion are still
| IN place, and even the large cedar trees
which We're cut TO form part of the ex-
| terror decorations appear TO be just as
| fresh as they were month ago. The
| only extra work which remains to be
done in connection with the reception
| 10 the Commissioners is the restringing
of the electric lights among the cedar
/ trees.
/ At last the summary court is being
resorted to in order to force members Of
/ the battalion TO attend drills more
/ regularly. Court-martial papers have
/ been made out in number of cases
and Chief Master-at-Arms Connors was
given a number of the papers last Thurs
/ day night in order that he can serve
| them and have the defendants appear
| for trial next Monday night.
| Commander Dempf has declared that
he intends TO see that the men attend
] the drills and serve the purpose for
which they enlisted. The penalty provid-
ed by law for non-attendance at drills
is a fine of S15 and fifteen days in Jail
| During the past week the battalion
was visited by several of its old members
| who are now III the regular service
among them being James r. Oxford. A
considerable number of men who re-
celved their first taste of naval work
with the local naval battalion are now
/ in the regular service. said Lieut. BUST
| Z. Getsinger. The local naval battalion
he continued, has an enviable record for
supplying men TO the regular service.
Chief Machnists Mate c. c. Robinson
reported for duty last Thursday night
after two-month furlough, upon
which he entered Immediately after the
battalion returned from its target prac-
tice on the rifle range at Congress
Heights.
i i x
promotion, which are TO be held within
the NEXT month, Commander Dempf has
appointed the board which will review
the papers OF the applicants for promo
ton.
Although Il date for the examinations
had not yet been set, ii was stated that
II VIII De- only a matter of a short
time before the papers will be prepared
and the men ordered UP for examination.
The men who viii take the examination
tor lieutenant have already been named
but Commander Dempf has not as yet
} prepared the list OF those who will be
examined Tor Il commission as ensign
: However, il is expected that there will
be number Of new officers in the bat
talon about Christmas.
: i
Lieut.. Getsinger, who is dean of TIL,
school OF navigation Of the Naval Bat
talon has been busy during the past
few school nights in having his students
brush up on the various navigation mat
tiers III which he has been instructine
them. He is anxious that his students
, shall make good record in their exam
tunity of giving them a review in order
to freshen them up for the final battle
i
| Iii order to put the ordnance equipmen
OF the battalion into the finest shap,
possible. Ensign William r. Hoefer, act
. ing ordnance officer set his sunner's
! mates to work last Thursday night over.
! hauling all OF the guns. revolyers ane
other ordnance equipment of the bat.
TALON The men are taking great pain.
J with their work. and when they replac,
a gun in it's proper rack after WORKING
on il, it not only has the outward ap.
l.,t