Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-19
HANDSOME: NEW : So.
ARMoRY OF COAST
ARTILLERY, n. G. S. N;

A handsome souvenir has been is
sued in connection with the dedication
on Friday evening, Jan. Fl next Of the
new Coast Artillery armament at the
Portland Armory, in the form Of a neat
folder Of extra heavy paper bearing on
the title page fine cut Of the disap-
pearing gun in the armory, on the two
inside pages an interesting description
of the Armory and the equipment and
on the last page a roster of the or
CARNATIONS in Portland. The descrip-
tive matter is well worth the attention
Of every citizen and is here reproduced
in full:
The Portland Armory was erected
by the City of Portland in 1895, at a
cost of about $4,000. At the NUM-
cipal election in December. 1913, the
citizens of Portland, approaching the
ever increasing efficiency required of
the National Guard, particularly since
its transfer to the Coast Artillery
Corps, and the necessity of providing
improved facilities for the training of
the militia as members Of the first
line of coast defense, by an over
whelming referendum vote, approved
the transfer of the Armory to the
State of Maine. This public spirited
action made it possible for the State
ment to place in Portland one of the
very few installations of complete
dummy coast defense armament.
Work of installation was COM
menced in January, 1914, by the
United States Engineer Corps under
the direction Of the District Engineer,
1t. Col. William E. Craighill. U. S. A.,
and his successor, Major Francis A.
Pope, U. S. A.
The actual work has been under the
supervision Of Capt. Henry w. Hobbs,
c. A. c., n. G. S. NJ, Artillery Engi-
neer, and his foreman, Electrician
Sergeant Frank L. Peters, c. A. c., N.
G. S. M. A majority of the crew also
have been members of the National
Guard. 1t can therefore be truthfully
said that the Maine Coast Artillery
Corps has installed its own equipment,
a condition undoubtedly unique in the
country.
The total cost has been about $780,
600.
The equipment includes:
A 10inch breech loading rifle, model
Of 1911. mounted on a disappearing
carriage, model Of 1912. This dummy
gun and carriage is of the same size
and functions similarly to the service
model. While it is lighter in weight
and somewhat cheaper in construction
than the service model, the rifle as set
up weighs about SO tons and cost about
$4,000 at the arsenal.
Four observing stations, equipped
with telescopes (azimuth instruments
and Lewis Depression Position Find
err for determining the location Of and
range to targets.
Two plotting rooms exact duplicates
of those in our Notifications, equipped
with instruments for locating the tar
get and determining and correcting
the ranges for use at the gun.
An elaborate system Of telephones
and signal bells.
A power driven target which travels
across the floor at speeds, on a re-
duced scale of from to % knots per
hour.
An electric ammunition hoist for
conveying projectiles from the maya
zines to the battery,
A power plant, storage battery and
switch board room.
A searchlight and electric controller.
Classmates and magazines for stor-
age of power, projectiles, oils, tools
and equipment.
government radio station.
A war game board for solving prac-
tically tactical and strategical Coast
Artillery problems.
All of this apparatus is identical
with that in every day use in our
Coast defenses, it is adjusted 70 the
reduced scale of the Armory and our
local Coast Artillery Reserve COM
panies can now be Systematically
trained during the winter months in
every phase Of Coast Artillery work
required OF them during the summer
encampment, from the first observa-
ton Of the target, up to-but, natural
ly, not including-the actual firing of
the gun.
1t is now the program for our regu-
lar army to man but fifty per cent. of
our coast Notifications and batteries,
the other fifty per cent being handled
by the National Guard. The Maine