Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-24

tiers, the vessel available for the use
Of the president and his family. He
supersedes Lieut. Christopher r. p.
Rodgers, who has had command Of
the converted yacht for more than a
year.
Lieut.. Rodgers will be detached and
assigned, probably about April ], to
command torpedo boat destroyer.
Lieut. knauss has been in Washing
ton for some time on waiting orders.
This is his first command
Lieut. Knauss is to be married in
the middle Of March. He was attached
to the Mayfiower as a junior officer.
Through the sympathy Of Secretary
Daniels with his matrimonial aspira-
tions. he was relieved when the May
flower was ordered to Mexican ports.
- -
The navy department has been ex.
rerimenting with the plan Of operat-
ing its own dining-car service when
Transporting drafts of men by rail,
and with such satisfactory results
that this plan viii be followed here
after for large bodies of men and over
considerable distances. says the April
Popular Mechanics Magazine It has
been found that the department can
feed its own men better than was the
case under the old arrangement with
the railroads, and at considerably less
cost. The food is prepared in tour
list kitchen car, which is simply a
regular tourist sleeper with two sec
tions removed and large coal range
installed in their place. The remain
der of the Kitchen car is used as a
sleeper. A table IS provided for each
sleeping section on the train and the
sbluejackets are fed in their own sec.
lions. Between meals the tables are
removed or may be used by the men
in reading, writing or card playing,
With this arrangement the regular
sea-going routine can be followed
When meal is to be served. the mess
call is sounded by the bugler. At $50
IN the morning the reyeille is sounded,
while taps is sounded at 5 O'Clock at
night.
What is thought to be the biggest
single improvement made in the ar.
tillery service in a decade is compris-
ed in the new field gun recently adcp-
ted by the United States government.
The carriage of this gun has double,
or split, trail. the word trail being
used to designate the long beam. or
prop, that supports the gun on the
ground at the rear The old-style
single trail prevented any great low
ering or the gun breech and therefore
limited the angle to which the muzzle
could be elevated With the split
trail the bTeech drops down between
the halves, and any elevation of the
muzzle that is necessary may be Sc
cured. BY means of handwheel. the
gun may be swung quickly and easily
in a wide horizontal arc without shift
ing the trail. which is another great
improvement over the old-styIe car
rage. The gunners are thoroughly
shielded by steel plates only two
tenths of an inch in thickness. but
OF such strength and toughness that
they cannot be penetrated by a steel
jacketed, needle-nosed bullet fired
from service rifle at distance of
100 yards. Even the gunner who
sights the. piece is not exposed. By
a system of mirrors and prisms the
telescope sight zigzags upward and
passes out through port in the shield
foot or more above the gunner's
hear The projectila fired by this gun
gun is three inches in diameter and
about 1, foot long. but contains enough
explosive and balls to wipe out a
whole company.-From the April num-
Der of Popular Mechanics Magazine.
-. " -
1t is stated by army officers who un-
derstand conditions at tho aviation
camp at North island. near San Di-
ego. that the old type of Wright ma