Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 248, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1915 — Page 3

HOW COAST GUNNERS ARE TRAINED

4 i tis upon the seaboard guns that the 1 security of the nation will depend should an enemy succeed in crippling our far-flung line, the navy, and drive mmmmm our dreadnaughts to the cover of the XhMtfL harbors and the protection of the jsnrjgpg heavy rifles and mortars of the army. ipTjl The question is, can these seaboard batteries hold a foe at bay? - on our continental shores we have a total of 26 coast defense commands, and 21 of these are located upon the Atlantic littoral. But even though there are fewer stations on the Pacific coast, still those are very formidable. Without considering weapons of eight-inch caliber and under, we already have mounted a total upon our two shores of 372 12-inch mortars, 105 12-inch rifles, and 132 10-inch heavy guns. The ■strength of the personnel of the coast artillery, according to the latest figures, is 758 officers and^

-17,901 enlisted men. This is a shortage of soldiers of 1,420 agreeably to the force authorized by law, and this is an intimation of the extremely heavy work that the men would have to face in case of hostilities, because we are minus a vitally necessary reserve. The average layman has but the slightest knowledge of the extremely technical character of the Coast Artillery corps, and to be proficient these soldiers receive a many-sided education. Theirs is the task of getting the advantage of the enemy before the foe can locate the position of our guns and mortars, and the whole system of defense is the exact opposite of the way in which a hostile squadron would approach its aggressive task. Prom the very beginning of the planning of our existing seaboard batteries the idea of concealment was the first concern. The mortars were designed to be hidden away in pits—each of them holding four of these weapons. The heavy rifles were not to be in plain sight,*, with their threatening muzzles peering over the crests of parapets. Instead, the disappearing carriage was invented for a mount. These gave the rifles the power to crouch while loading or awaiting service, and then, when the moment for action arrived, to spring up suddenly from behind their embrasures, to fire directly at the foe, and by the force of their own recoil to sink from view and into position for reloading. How is It possible for weapons of this sort to be aimed at their targets? It is commonly known that in naval service the guns are held upon their quarry by means of electrically operated mechanisms that swing and elevate the rifles so that the cross hairs of the telescopic Bights can be kept right on a moving target even though the sea be rough and the vessel roll. The gun pointers are undisturbed by this motion, and at 12,000 yards and more are able to do some wonderful shooting. But the gun pointers and trainers in the mortar pits and the emplacements of the big rifles do not, themselves, see the enemy. Yet despite this seeming handicap still they are able to do some extraordinarily effective work. The army gun pointers near New York, with 10-lnch disappearing rifles, have been able to fire four shots In a total elapsed time of less than one minnte, and these were concentrated upon a target four miles away being towed at the rate of something over five miles an hour. All four states struck the target and actually passed through a rectangle 24 feet high by 53 feet long. At 4,600 yards the same caliber guns at Fortress Monroe scored six hits oat of six shots at a moving target The total elapsed time of the firing was slightly over two minutes, the batteries scoring 1.4 hits per gun per minute. The science of surveying has made these achievements possible, even though, as has been u+i* the guns and mortars must be trained and elevated by men who cannot see their targets. It is a well-known theorem in plane geometry the length of the two sides of a triangle may be found if the length of the base and the degree of the two angles formed by the sides in question ,with this base are known. In the case of the

coast artillery problem the distant ship of the foe is at the remote tip of the Imaginary triangle, and the known base is the span between two observing or range-finding stations. This interval may be a mile or more and, within some limits, the longer the better for accuracy. Many have Been from afar at our coast defense stations what seemed to be big bird boxes mounted upon towering tubular supports or webwork of steel. There are always two of them, and officially they are known as the primary and secondary range stations. In each of them, in time of service, there are at least two men. One turns by means of a delicately graduated mechanism a powerful telescope from right to left, and his function is to keep the moving target continually at the point of intersection of two cross hairs in the field of his instrument. His companion reads off at prescribed intervals the angle made by the telescope with the permanent base and the far-away foe. The same thing is being done at the other range station at the opposite end of the base. A time bell rings at each of these stations every 20 seconds, and at the third stroke the man reading the angular scale telephones that measurement to the plotting room located where the enemy cannot see it and itself in telephonic communication with each gun or mortar division. In the plotting room a group of men make use of the Information coming to them intermittently from the range-finding towers and by a graphic process determine with great nicety the distance off of the steaming foe. The plotting table or board where the information from the observers is applied is a big semicircular affair —the curved edge being graduated to fractions of a degree, while the straight edge or diameter represents on a definite scale the length of the base line between the two spotter towers. At each end of this base line is a pivoted ruler. One is called the primary and the other the secondary—corresponding to the range-finding station with which its operator is in touch by telephone. Here is what follows: f The soldiers at the primary and secondary pivoted rulers or arms bring the free ends toward one another in accordance with the separate angles telephoned to them. A third man operates another ruler called the gun arm, which measures the distance or range of the axis of this triangle. At the word of command from the range officer the observers at the two telescopes bring these powerful instruments to bear in unison upon a chosen part of the remote ship. At the order “Take," the scale readers telephone the figures to the operators at the plotting board. In a few seconds the man in charge there has placed on a large sheet of paper a dot at the point where the two straight edges meet and has marked this pencilled point No. 1. • Again, 20 seconds later, another dot is made where the shifting straight edges meet, and this is numbered 2. Similarly positions are thus recorded for No. 3 and No. 4, and if the distance between these dots is uniform the plotters know that the target is moving at a steady speed and the path dots gives a visible trace of the dirao-

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER. IND.

tion in which the foe is advancing. As yet none of the weapons has been pointed, nor, if mortars are to be used, even been loaded. The plotters marks upon his paper a fifth point ahead and in line with the four other dots. This is his “predicted point" where the enemy vessel should be a minute later. In this Interval of time it Is necessary for the men in the plotting room to do a number of things necessary to make it possible for the weapons to score a hit. The mere range is not enough to know. Let us assume that the foe is to be attacked by means of mortars and that the projectiles are to soar thousands of feet into the air upon their long flight that may take the better part of two minutes before plunging upon the vulnerable decks of the hostile dreadnaught. It is needful to know how long the shells will be in the air at that range; how far the target will move during the flight of the missiles; how much the path of the projectiles will be influenced by drift due to their own rotation and the efTect of the prevailing wind; the exact powder charge that will be needed to propel the shells—this being determined by the range and the state of the atmosphere; and finally, how much ahead the mortars must be aimed in order to allow for these factors. These complications are due to the method of indirect fire employed, and in this particular the mortars are not so accurate as the big rifles and, therefore, are more difficult to handle in order to insure good results. The final point set in the plotting room is No. 6 and two minutes further along than No. 5, the “predicted point,” the latter being verified by the angles given by the observers at the spotter stations when the vessel is duly reported at the proper moment. , All of this has taken longer to describe than actual performance calls for, because the error factors which have been just mentioned are tabulated and are quickly worked out graphically by means of cunningly devised apparatus. It must be evident that in an interval of four minutes a big ship 12,000 or 16,000 yards off. would not get measurably closer, and once the proper range its found and the mortars loaded the shifting ranfce is quickly verified and the guns set accordingly. The men in the towers and those in the plotting room are. at work all the while. At definite intervals the instructions are sent by telephone from the plotting room to each battery or mortar pit, and lest these vocal directions be misunderstood the figures and orders are visibly reproduced. For this work the telautograph is employed, and thus words and numbers in writing check the telephone calls. As has been said, there are four mortars in each pit, and as a general thing there are four of these pits at each defense station. In other words, a salvo of 16 high explosive shells can be launched by indirect fire at a foe. If but two of these hit the enemy she would either be destroyed or gravely damaged, because none of her decks would be able to withstand such an assault. In practice the performances of such a battery have been splendid. As a matter of record, one mortar company has fired as many as ten shots in 6 minutes 49 seconds, and in that interval made six hits, while another company has scored eight times out of ten shots during a span of 9 minutes 28 seconds. These mortar projectiles weigh from 800 to 1,000 pounds, and are charged with from 30 to 60 pounds of high explosive. For the disappearing guns the modus operandi differs in some particulars. The time of flight of the shot is far shorter than in the case of the mortar shell, the powder charge is not varied to suit different ranges, and the state of the atmosphere is not a deciding factor. Therefore, corrections are more easily made, for the rifle, when it does fire, is pointed right at its target. The principal concern of the battery commander is to know the range, and this is telephoned and reproduced by the telautograph at the firing stations. The battery commander also follows the enemy ship with a telescopic range finder that employs a short vertical instead of a horizontal base. This eerves as a check and at each gun there is a telescopic sight which is functioned independent of the weapon—the operator looking over the parapet and following continually the moving quarry. By swinging his telescope horizontally he causes the lateral angle to be indicated at the gun station below, and there the trainer swings the weapon in unison and the elevator raises the muzzle agreeably to instructions from the rangefinders. When the rifles have been loaded and the moment for action arrives these great war dogs rise upon their steel haunches and thrust their muzzles above the heavy parapets of concrete. Instantly there is a thunderous boom—the speeding projectiles are on their murderous mission. Before the thin veil of smoke has been swept aside the guns have sunk behind cover, and but for the momentary flashing of their muzzles there is nothing to show the spotters on the hostile craft where the attacking guns lie.

HER EQUIPMENT.

“That girl is fishing for a husband." “Then I suppose sne uses a beauline in hopes of a good catch."

Folk We Touch In Passing

by Julia Chandler Manz

WHAT WILL THE HARVEST BE? When The-Mother-of-Five dropped In for a friendly chat with the mother of The Little Maid she found her frantically sewing on a filmy lace frock for the child, who stood at the window, her great, wistful eyes watching the children at play in crisp winter air. "I hare had a wonderful tramp,” said The-Mother-of-Five. "The winter air is such an excellent tonic to the nerves. It is beautiful out. Why don’t you put up your sewing and take The Little Maid out in the glorious sunshine V "O, I can't,” answered The-Mother-of-One, in a superior tone. “The Little Maid is to dance for the Twentieth Century Club today. I have worked for a week on her dress. It Is Just about finished now, and I am too tired to go out. “Margaret, for goodness sake, stop that fidgeting and fretting,” she ended, Irritably, addressing the five-year-old girl who stood at the window. The Mother-of-Five glanced at the finery on the speaker’s lap—the finery that had shut both mother and child away from the life-giving air and sunshine for a solid week. But, what of that! Isn’t a lace dress in which to show off The Little Maid’s tricks of more importance than the air, the sunlight, and the throb of the earth? “There,” said The-Mother-of-One, "it

It Was Pretty Enough—the Swirling Little Figure in the Soft Lace Frock.

is finished. Come here Margaret and let’s try on your new frock.” A light flickered up in The Little Maid’s eyes and brightened her waxen features as she came to her mother’s call. She responded eagerly to the finery. “Now recite ‘Little Orphan Annie,’ ” The-Mother-of-One invited the Little Maid when she was all decked out in her filmy lace, and the child, responding to the pride in her mother’s voice, lisped 'the lines of the poem, embellishing it with many bodily contortions and much uplifting of the eyes that looked like veritable moons in the wan little face. "I can say another, mamma,” suggested the baby, when she was at the end of “Little Orphan Annie.” She is like her mother to the corepoor Little Maid—eager to show off! "No,” said The-Mother-of-One, “dance your dance instead.” It was pretty enough, the twirling little figure in the soft lace frock, but The-Mother-of-Five lost interest in the intricate steps through the pictures which kept crowding into her mind of the round, rosy-faced children she had seen in her walk of the afternoon, dancing the mad dance of the winter wind as they had romped in the open air. At 7:30 in the evening—when The Five were all sound asleep in their cosy beds—The Mother-of-Five and her John nassed the home of The Little Maid. The parlors were anlaze with light and filled with guests. The Little Maid was quite ready for ner evening performance, and The-Mother-of-One was proudly showing off her tricks, and the little lace areas, i Returning from some calls at 10:30 The-Mother-of-Five and her John

dropped into a moving picture show. When they had slipped into their seats and their eyes had become accustomed to the darkened room they saw that they sat beside The-Mother-of* One and The Little Maid. ' “Margaret did her dance just bean-' tifully,” said the mother of The Little Maid proudly to The-Mother-of-Five. “She was so tired that I thought I would just drop in here tor a little rest,” she went on to explain. Rest! What a place for-a little girl; of five summers to rest at 10:30 in the evening! The first film was that of "The Night Riders.” When the masked men bound .their victim to a tree and lashed him into seeming insensibility The-Mother-of-Five took the hand of The Little > Maid into her 6wn and felt its convulsive quivering, and she was not surprised, for the horrors depicted on the screen set her own pulse leaping, and tore at her own nerves until they were on ragged edge. Then what of this frail little child who should have been in bed hours ago after a day spent largely in the great out-of-doors? The-Mother-of-Five looked from The Little Maid to The Mother-of-One. THE-MOTHER-OF-ONE WAS LAUGHING. At 11:30 The-Mother-of-Five passed the home of The Little Maid as she made her way home with her John.

The lights in the parlor were still glimmering brightly, and sounds of revelry penetrated the walls. “I wish The Little Maid would die," said John. “OH!” exclaimed The-Motherofr Five,” shocked. “Yes; I wish she would die,” Insisted the husband of The Mother-of-Five. "It would be a mercy if she did. For if she lives—” "What will the harvest be?” came the singing voice of The Little Maid to the passing couple, and with its shrill and weary tone was mingled the loud applause. of the foolish Mother-of-One.

Got Him at Last.

Old EJben was walking along the street one morning and one of his arms was in a sling. Mrs. Horton, who had often employed the old fel low for odd Jobs, happened to meet him and asked: “Why, Eben, have you met with an accident?” “Yes, ma’am,” replied Eben, I did, I’se done up now, fer sho’! You .See, dis arm in de sling, ma’am, don’t your* “Yes, Eben,” said the w<nnaa sjm pathetically, "what has happened?” “Well, ma’am,” the old colored man answered, “I’ll be seventy-one years ole hex’ harvest. I done see lots ob trubble in my day, ma’am, but by de grace er God I miss de Kuklnx an* I miss de Whitecaps, ma’am, an* 1 miss de Vlg’lance Committee an’ de Regulators, an’ now, ma’am, here in my ole age dem waxiaators kotched me!”

Full Stop.

“Si*theory last of*that kind of Junk I’m going to buy, if that's whe* xrr\rt moon ** you mean.