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Show r GUNNERY AND GUN 8IQHTS. Result of a Prize Firing In the British Fleet for 1903 . The result of the prize firing in the King of England's fleet for 1903 are now known to the captains, commanders and commanding officers of the Royal Navy. Their Lordships note with satisfaction the Improvement In shooting with nearly all classes of guns. The return in question has been supplied to me for publication, and although the document is too lengthy to print in full its main features may be easily explained. The animosity of foreign nations to Great Britain is harmless only so long as the great guns of the British fleet are efficiently handled by the officers and men. For a long series of years gunnery was meglected. For thirteen years the average marksmanship of the Royal Navy, according to the prize firing returns, was two misses for every hit The returns for 1903 shows a considerable advance on that standard. The thirty-twbattle ships which took part in the competition average 51.45, or more than one hit for every miss. The forty-fivfirst and second class cruisers shoot a little better than the battleships, kheLr average figure of merit bring 5LG3. The 6eventy-sabout the average of the Navy for the previous decade. These figures show that the Bhlps of the navy are Improving, but that there is a great deal left to be desired Why, for example should the Majestic obtain the figure of merit of SO and the Benbow one of less than 12? The figure of merit of the Albion on the China station is about 80; that of the Victorians in the Mediterranean Is 49. The fighting value of the Albion is double that of the Victorious, and yet the cost to the taxpayers of the two ships, both as regards construction and maintenance, Is about the Eame. Turning to the cruiser class, the Good Hope, the ship in which Mr. Chamberlain went to South Africa, is at the top of the list with a figure merit of 97; while the Rainbow is at the bottom of the list with a figure of demerit of less than 8. The sixteen six inch guns of the Good Hope actually made a fraction more than 98 points per gun out of a possible 100; while the guns of the Rainbow missed the target altogether. Why? Passing now to what the ad mi rail ty calls "remainder of ships," the Bramble, in China, with her two four-incquick-firinguns, has a figure of mer-i- t of 83; while the Speedy, also with has a figure of two guns merit of 4. The tonnage of the Bramble is 710. that of the Speedy 810. Why should the Bramble shoot twenty times as well as the Speedy? This is a simple question to which the taxpaying public requires an anOn previous occasions the swer. found at the bottom of the is Speedy one prize firing, at all at and list, events, her guns failed to reach the mark altogether. The wide and unexplained margin between the merits of the good shooting ships and the demerits of the bad shooting ships is the proof that something more is required than goatl praise for the more capable. Punishment for bad shooting Is an essential to efficiency as the reward of merit A reasonable standard of merit, amounting to half the average of tho fleet, should be Instituted by the Naval Ordnance Department, and the attainment of that moderate standard insisted on by the Lords of the Admir-alltwith a penalty for not reaching it proportioned to the circumstance tt the case. If such a standard had been set up in 1903 the Empress of India, the the Sans Parell, and the Benbow would have failed to reach It. and the officers commanding those ships thould be called to account Among the first and second claj cruisers, the Terpsichore, the Tribune the Vindictive, the Royal Arthur (which H the flag ship of Australia), the Aeolus, and the Rainbow woull be placed on the blacklist. Of the other ships there are fifteen, cr one in five which deserve censure. Having noted the best and the worst of the ships, it is sufficient to point out that the China squadron is the best shooting fleet and the home squadron t.ie worst. This Is not as It should 1. The rhontlng of the home eq'iariron should be improved at any cost. The difference between the head and the tail clat is shocking and deplorable, and there is no reason why the evil should tot be abated. The Rojal Arthur, the flagship of o e six-Inc- h h g (1.7-Inc- y, An-tu- n, the Australian squadron, is last but two of the cruisers. Whether it be that the dinners and dances of Sidney are more attractive to those responsible for the gunnery of the Royal Arthur it ia impossible to say; but defective marksmanship on a flagship from tho force of example Is a menace to the efficiency of the whole navy and should be discouraged by the Brown Egga and Wfilta, OAhRlCO It Is a curious fallacy that ths'trowf y. rs coffee-colore- d same year (generally in November) as that in which the prize firing has taken place. This year Its publication in February has destroyed much of the good effect than prompter action would have insured. It is pleasing to eee that Che Renown and the Ramillles. which were at the bottom of the list of battleships of their respective squadrons in previous years, are now seventh and thirteenth respectively, in the order of merit No fewer than three flagships are within the first five. This 13 an estimable improvement, tor it shows that the Admirals are taking pains. The following letter 6peak3 of defects which require a remedy: , Jan. "H. M. S. Vestal. 21, 1904. No prize firing ia this fleet was to take place until after the arrival of the new Commander-in-Chief- ; but, as we have to go up to Behrina Sea we were ordered to complete ours und I expect we are the first ship to test the new rules. "With our guns we fired 101 rounds and struck the target twenty-eigh- t times; but it was all a matter of luck. ai we' could not tell whether the shot went over or through fje target, and as one or two fired at the same target, heaven only knows who did make the hits; the only thing was to load and that Quickly and trust to tuck is what all the ships are going to do. "Who made out such stupid rules for the Admirallty I do not know, but It must have been some one who knew nothing about gunnery. What we want to know here is how is the promised King's medal going to be awarded when the men do not know their own scores?" "Chatham, Feb., 26. 1904. I went on board the Prince of Wales today and learned all about the defective sights. "The gun trials came off on the 19th and Captain Scott pronounced all the sights defective. The sight of the guns are defective inasmuch as parts of them are entirely exposed, and any small shot, even a might cut them away and put the turret out of action. "The 6Ir.cn sights will all have to be altered by the ship's artificer when she commissions, as the defies tion scale is in the wrong place. I do not know why this alteration Is not carried out before a ship commissions, but it never is." Hong-Kong- 12-Inc- h very generally made in favor of what is regarded as the richer and superiot article. The practice of deception id Uiua encouraged. The bMI of thi white egg is stained In the simplest possible way, perhaps by immersion in a decoction of coffee berries or by means of an aniline dye. This recourse may satisfy the eye, but, after all, there la probably not the slightest dffiterencs from the nutritive point of view between the naturally brownrcolored egg and the white one. There is mostprolably, "however, an Important dietetic difference between two eggs, the yolk of one of which ia a very pale yellow color and that of the, other a rich, almost reddish color. It ia a notorious fact that the country-prduced eggmay usually be placed linden the latter description, while the eg produced by the hen who is under aq unhealthy and limited environment, shows an amaemlc color, generally a, very pale yellow. Th"e eggs of wild birds as, for example, the plover show a yolk of a rich reddish color. The BuEstance which contributes color to the yolk of the egg is iron. Just as It ia iron which gives color to the blood, and there seems to be little doubt that the iron compound in the yolk of the egg is of a similar nature to that of the blood. It is easily assimilated, and eggs are regarded as a suitable food for the anaemic person, as they present a concentrated and generally easily digested form of nutriment rich in iron. The iron compound of the egg ha3, In fact, been termed a "haematogen because it ia probable that from ft the blood of the chick is derived. The amount o! iron in the yolk of an egg would appear to Increase with the Intensify of its color, arid there can be little doubt that the Is reached In the richly colored of yoQk the egg produced by a fowl exin isting healthy surroundings, tor then its processes of nutrition would be working under very favorable conditions. As an article of diet, therefore, the egg sCould be Judged, not by the color of Its shell, but of the yolk, which should be of a rich reddish rather than of a paie yellow color. The Lancet o max-lmu- m three-pounde- r, JOKAI WROTE 351 NOVELS. Was the Most Prolific Novelist of His Time. In fifty years Jokal wrote 351 novels. Within a few years after Us death appeared one of his best works 'The Yellow Rose." This story, written In hie old age, and with literal! trembling hands, displays the same brilliancy ai the works of his youth. He seldom left his home during bis later years, or even the retirement of his etrdy; for his books are really the outcome of close association with himself rather than with" the outdoor world of nature. It was bis custom to arise at 5 o'clock In the morning and work with but few hours of in terruption, until sunset By 1 SCI, no less than 1 CI volumes bearing his signature (Including new edition had appeared. After this, from twenty to thirty volumes fiew MM Ion s appeared per tear. At the time of his death he as writing short serial novels for weekly papers and composing a dra-Qi- a for the national theater at Budapest, la ms, he celebrated his Jubl-e- e his fifty years of labor and the whole nation took part In the rejoic-ngprrpnting him with many rari and valuable gi Jr. Review of Re riews. (la-rlud!- s. ie When you a twohoree power raan with a power voice look out for a continuous vocal fifty-hors- e ex-jkwi- Aflele "Do you turn down the jra when Harry calls?" EstCJle "Well, I shourj say not; y could turn dawn that Jay." to-o3- Where He Made His Start. A mufre in a certain town had Just finished marrying a young couple, an 4 yoceeded in a paternal way to give them good, solid advice. Turtlng to the bridegroom, he said: "N.ver spend your money extravagant y, and be saving in every way Doaslble,"'- - EATtNQ MANGOES, BY A LION. tJBBBSBBISB colored egg la necesartty superior t Che ordinary white egg, a belief while) has led to the practice of artlflciaJl coloring the latter in- - imitation of the former. It la doubtful whether thi color of the shell bears any relationship to the nourishing qualllty of tne egg, Ab those who rear poultry know, it U merely an indication oftne strain oi the laying bird. Still, a preference is The delay of the admirallty in this return is mysterious. very commonly shown for the brown or egg; the color is attracHitherto the result of tne prize firing led tive, and, fleet to in the by the eye, the choice is the have been known pub-llshi- CMC! Cams Ranger .KUrs the Great Beast With a Sheath Knife. Game Ranger "Woihutex of the Transvaal Government game reserves had on adventure Aug. 23 an extraordinary with a lion, In which' he Bhowed great bravery and presence of mind. The story is sent to the Field by Major J. S. Hamilton, warden of the game reserves, and attested by the certificate of Alfred E. Pease, resident Magistrate of the Barberton eistrtct Woihutex, who was returning to the Sabl from a patrol, tells the story In these words: "I was riding along a Kaffir path about an hour after sunset; It had been a long march, and I bad pushed on ahead of the 'boys.' My dog barked at something, and a moment later I saw a lion crouching close to me on the off side. I turned my horse sharply in the opposite direction, and this no doubt caused the lion to miss his spring. "I was unseated, and simultaneously I saw another lion coming at me from the opposite direction. The horse rushed off, with the first lion in pursuit, and the second, no doubt considering me the easier prey, picked me up almost before I touched the ground, and, gripping me by the right shoulder in such a position that I was face up, with my legs and body dragging underneath his beEy, proceeding to trot off down the path, uttering all the time a loud, growling, purring noise, Just like on a small scale, a cat does when she walks off with a mouse. "I have read Livingston's account of his being taken by a lion but the state of apathy and absence of pain which he speaks of were not at all present in my case. I suffered terribly, both physlcalCy and mentally, espaclally th tatter my thoughts were horrible, as at that time I saw no possible way of escape. The lion took me nearly two hundred yards, my spurs all the time catching the ground, until the leathers broke. Suddenly I bethought then of my sheath knife, which I carry on my belt behind my right his. "On reaching a large tree with overhanging roots, the lion stood, and I then stabbed him twice In the right side with my left hand near where I Judged the heart to be. I afterward found that the first stab touched the bottom of the heart and the second one slit it down for some distance. The lion immediately dropped me and I again struck him in the throat with aU my force, evidently severing some large artery or vein, as the blood poured over Trjwaal toe. "He Jumped back and stood two or three yards off, facing me and growling I scrambled to my feet and, having read of the influence the human voice Is said to have. I shouted all the mobt opprobrious epithets I could think tf at him. I expected him to come at me again, but after a few moments he turned and want slowly away, still growllag. Soon the growls turned to moans and then ceased, and I felt sure Tbe briar groom listened respectfully and then rcmarktd: "Well. Judge, we might as well begin he was dead. "Before this, however. I had got up an you," and he proceeded to give tha tree as fast as my injured arm and the 50 cents for tho knot squire tying shoulder would allow me. and I was Public Philadelphia Ledger. hardly securely seated, some twelve Mrs. Sparrow This is au awfully feet from the ground, when the other mail nest; there won't be room for lion coursed along on my blood spoor to the foot of the tree. Ho had been all the c?a. Mr. Sparrow I know It my dear, pursued throughout by my dog, a largo, rough and very courageous anlmaL but what do you expect lu Harlem ? By this time I was feeling faint and Harper's Bazar. tied myself to the tree, for fear of losing coasclousness and fa'Jing off." Mothers will find Mrs. WInaloWs He was finally rescued by his "boys" Soothing Syrup the best remedy to and carried to Barberton Hospital. use for their children during the The Bon he had S3 plucklly fought was tccthlcx period. an old male, with his stomach absolutely empty. The knife used was an ordinary aheath fcnlfa London Mall. Deafness Cannot Be Cured by local applications, as they cannot Tou have been fighting again. Tomreach the dlccajvcd portion of the ear. There is only one way to cure deafness, my! "I couldn't help It mamma. That and that is by constitutional remedies. Statleford bov sassed me." Deafness is caused by an Inflamed conwas no reason for fight ne. 'That dition of the mucous lining of the Yon should hav remembered that "a Eustachian Tube. When this tube Is Inflamed you hive a rumbling sound or soft answer turnelh away wrath,' and Imperfect hearing, and when It is en- given him a soft answer." "I sld tit him with a chunk o mud." tirely closed. Deafness Is the result, an 4 i nnle-Chicago Tribune. the Inflammation can be take-out and this tube restored to Its nortr Jimmy Ma. did y buy Georgia a condition, bearing will be destroyed forever; nice cases out of ten art tlrthday present? Ma Yes. Jimmy. caused by Catarrh, which Is nothing Jimmy Ma, what did y buy f pacify but an inflamed condition of the mo tne 'cause 'tain't my birthday? oou surfaces. Commercial-Tribune- . We will give One Hundred Dollars frr any cas of Deafness (caused by The Duke of Sutherland, who is now ja'arrh) that cannot be cured by Hall's Catarrh Cum Smid for circulars, free, ta Montreal, will tour Canada to the F. J. CHENEY 6 CO., Toledo, O. ' Pacifio coast He Is said to be the r In the Brftlsh largest Bzli by Druggists, 75c L2! 1,000 seres. about owning Hall's raolly Plia srp the best a Cln-dnsa- tl land-holde- s. An American's Experience In Dealing With the Mexican Fruit "One day I was asked to dine at tha house of a Mexican gentleman," said the young man who lately returned from Mexico. "When I arrived at tha home of my host I found him, his wife his married daughter and grown boa and an American guest .We went into, the dining-room- . Everything passed off well until we came to the dessert Then a dish of mangoes was brought In. Did you ever eat a mango? Nof Then "your education is still defective. The mango is fair and Innocent ta look upon, having a rich yellow com plexlon with one red cheek. In shape It is much like a pear which has been. 6at upon. But notwithstanding its mdld appearance the mango is a most, deceitful fruit "With a mango I was given a fork with three tines, the middle one about twice as long as the other two. Don Carlos, my host, t51d me how lo pierce the fruit at one end bo that the long;, tine would penetrate the seed at the one point where It can be pierced," Then when the fruit is thus impaled it is peeled. I drove the tine of my fork seemingly to the vital spot, then tried to revive the skin, as I saw the others) da as I was gathering speed! the mango flew off the fork, caromedi against the sideboard and landed in the gray silk lap of the senora, my hostess. "I apologized profusely and the man. go was restored to me. During my Second attempt the thing struck the American in the right eye and then made a parabolic curve and fell into the patio. I started with another uaneo and this time finished the peeling successfully. "About me the others were their mamroes in dignified casiieating ths fruit noised gracefully on the forks, "while they nibbled about the suburbs of the pit I prepared to do likewise. I closed ray teeth firmly on the yellow) meat It had a pleasant turpentlny flavor, but when I tried to disengage my bite from the Eorsounding pulp I found that the fruit was held together by hundreds of fibres. In my mad efforts to break these threads with my teeth my face became glazed with a thin coating of mango. My second bite tras a repetition of my first, and this time both ears were filled with the pulp and one eye was entirely closed. I wondered if one could absorb his man. go through the pores of the skin, but I attacked tho fruit for tho third time. On this occasion there was a general breaking loose of the pulp from the seed. The Juice dripped from my chin In fllvulets and sparkled on my shirt bosom like many topazes. "I threw away my fork and took the mango resolutely in both hands. I was oblivions' of everything but the to conquer that mango. The sticky Juice ran up my sleeves as I gnawed at the pit as a dog gnaws at a bona "I finished the mango amid a pro found silence. Then as I looked up, an adrip &nd shining with mango juice, my Mexican friends began talking in m polite but feverish way. But the American kicked me under the table and said In a stage whisper: Now excuse yourself and tke a bath. "If you ever go where there are mongocs begin in private by eaUn half a bushel cf them. Put on a mackla- -' tosh, a pair cf rubber boots and gog. glea. Then get a clamp to hold the mangoto table while you gnaw.-- -, ts Chicago News. The Middle Name In Philadelphia. "PWladelphia cms to be a city eg middle names- .- said the cosmopolitan, Philadelphlans have at least one he often Insists upon havicg a spelled' out in full. A mre Initial won't do at alL Just gliar over the society columns of the newparers and you will see. For my part! don't see Just where CWe is any more dignity In Johr Brown SniU than in j0Dn B. Smith, but the average ihiladeUTtfan seemg to I Save frequently been think tWe Is. Impressed bjf the punched reports of weddings In bich the names are Invariably as much as possible, ow, m New Vork, If a man happens to Lave a middle name, be doesnt flaunt it on every FostfWe occoslon. 1 bare Just teen reading about the plans for the coming wedding of Miss Elsie Woolen and Robert Ooelet of New York, and 1 was Impressed by the fact that the published reports do not crM Mr. Ooelet wiU even a middle initial, and the same spplies to every one of his six ushers. And yet theyare al prominent .society men- Phlladslshia Record. |
