New-York tribune., 1913-08-03

strained gares bsterngly down, and all breezes are
excluded by the pits concrete sides.
Four mortars are mounted in this, in all other pits
Therefore four SheltruckS are rushed from the maga.
zine and as many silk bosters-the mortarS but one
aDiece-are rammed in after the shells. The mortar
carriages rest turntables, balanced so decaely that
a child can easily work the mechanism that turns them
The stubbv morarS themselves rest on their runnions
with equal delicacy Of balance Standing in the window
OF a room built in the thickness Of the pits wall
man bawls through a megaphone the angles, vertical
and horizontal that just then telephoned from the
plotting ROOM and to be that no mistake is made he
hangs out the same angles chalked on blackboard. In
few secois the four pieces are raversed and elevated
so that all their big mouths point diagonaly upward
in exactly the same direction.
Nopping his hot face with his handkerchief, Young
Jones barks forth order or two man at each NOR
Tar hooks firing lanyards Of heavy cord fast to the
primers and stands ready The other men run 20 the
rear of the pit and form in line there Jones pea again
"Ready-y-y-fire.'
Each Of the four leans against his lanyard, the
ortars roar together and, driven before the flame and
smoke the great shells fly upward in graceful yures
visible until the distance pinches them into nothugness
Young Smith goes on without waiting for the shells
TO fall They may be nearly two minutes IN the orr and
he is little late as it is SO he breaks into rot as
he thanks the fate that prevented his having Z.
with a mortar battery.
MANY officers, especially very young office. feel
lNI about mortar batteries much does ~a-ond
Lieutenant Smith 1t is perfectly true that the rtars
lack the precision possessed by the guns. Il must be
so Mortars throw their shells far into the upr air.
No one can tell what currents they may meet There
how much those currents may defect them iron heir
true courses That is the why morars fred
in salvo always four and generally eight, ar .ine.
If one shell should strike its mark, nothing mor
auired The ship has yet to be launched that can st
a shell weighing one thousand and fifty pounds ling
from a height Of a mile and half, say 70 lis Oh ks
or rather through them. But 1t IS astonlsnin low
many Of the mortar shells do hit their marks, n ,th
standing the handicap under which they labor.
As he approaches the empacements OF the two c..k-
firing threench guns that his company is TO u-. his
dav Young Smith sees that the men are alrca at
their stations. He breaks into a faster run. ,. ng
lust in time TO take his post before tie sizing be-
gins and thoroughly aware that he has earned w ng
from his Captain for not having appeared before
None Of the dcliberation shown by the big gun
be observed here. The crews Of both hitecnporr IS
are champions in their class, trained to the econ nd
out for a ecord With their right shoulders 1g
against cushioned stocks, in principle like gun N IS
though differently shaped, the gun pointers stan IN
attitudes as tensely expectant those OF FOX terriers
that watch a rat hole. In their left hands the ng
levers are grasped-levers are quicker than Ian. is
for this sort Of work,-and their eyes are close 9. lie
Continued page II