Show I MODERN I FOR FORTS IS I NOT ATTRACTIVE Purposely Kept in Harmony Harmon y With the Miles of Land That Tha t Stretch Away in Either Direction Di Di- Not N Not ot Pretty a bit of or landscape nothing J j that would attract tho the slightest slighter t J attention or mark it as being anymore any anymore more or less than nn any other part o othe of or ortho f tho the several J miles lapped by the tho water that th ono might see sec True Truc on closer close r observation there thero is a It sort Bort of oC tank tank- like looking object upon spindles hu but t what wha t of or that Might It not be bo merely marel a 3 water tank on somo some seashore farm falm As s one gazes Jaze nt at the landscape thero hero is IR a light puff of smoke something that lint sends half hair a ton of oC water a hundred hundred hun hun- dred feet high drops within ft a few Cow v hundred yards there thero Is a n. dull muffled boom and one ono realizes realize that before th them m Is IN a 11 fort tort The forts of but ut a few Cew decades ago ao stood high and prominent their mus- mus denoting their strength and signifying power In III their high straight walls pierced with rows androws androws and androws rows of oC ports through which protruded protruded pro pro- the muzzles of guns UlIS ono one could not help from Crom being impressed ed with the dignity of oC tho the Pile of or stone and I Ithe I the frowning guns gum Picturesque Indeed are arc those old fortifications man many of them diem with t wide deep moats Monts surrounding them them them-j I precautionary against an attack b by byland land but land but they have no more of a place In the modern gnome game ame of or war than have havo tho ho hl sided high h sparred lofty and white while canvassed canvassed soiling sailing craft cruft that I tou fought hl in III the of 10 40 wars years ca s a ago o. o 1 I The exterior of the modern fortress tint tilt roast coast defense deCenso IK is I I totally without hour ali o an attractive feature ro Tho The mile or so MO of or tho the land lund occupied b by bythe the artillerymen looking at It t from Crom the sea side I is purposely k kept In ht halmon harmony harmony har hal mony mon with the tle miles of or land that I stretch streich away wu in either r direction I Yet at t a minutes minute's notice alon along this stretch a dozen steel cannon can thrust their theil long black noses alon along Its edge e and und send as man many pound 1000 shells shell yards awa away to un an Indicated spot with such accuracy that everyone o of oC the dozen sheila shells will fall within an anarea anarea anarelL area arelL of square feel feelo And AntI then before the smoke of ot the discharge has ha- cleared away these same guns willbe will willbe b be In readiness to duplicate tho floe trIck Tho The interior of ot the modern fort Is replete with Interest for the modern modern gun Aun is Indeed an engine of ot war In i deep concrete tc pit the monsters like rattlesnakes lie llo coiled colled on the top tOJI ofa of or ofa orn I a n vast IUt pile of steel wheels and I I j mechanism novel no Indeed to the tho lay lay- man The Tho gun un crew stands at ono one side at nt attention until the tile command of tho the officer rings out Then there is a n turning of a wheel hero and und there and antI the gun JUIl slowly rises on four tour steel stee j legs until Its Us muzzle Is level el with the top of or the lie pit JIlt there is a roar a cloud I of oC smoke and before one IIno has lime into to realize what inns has happened the gun Jun Is i crouched as ns It 11 was ns before tho the gunners i I have ha slipped another shell into tho the I breech and it is n again re d ready The accuracy of the coast defense erene I gunners Is wonderful anti and today loday the I various fort tort companies are arc sending In of perfect scores something n I that a few Cew years ago would have o been I laughed at as being even ell thought pos pos- I sl le When hen Brigadier General Arthur Arthur Ar Ar- thur Murray lurra referred to the fh first st of oC I these perfect scores In h his annual report re report report re- re port he cited It as an In example that would not likely ely be duplicated but be bt fore the report was published thero there oth other r reports of or perfect scores t to j fn hail h hc CI cl nd II U 1 I L t. t t bat a orlon tin h v p fI fIcor r cor t to tn it r tt ose San Dle Diego o. o Cal al Fort S and l 1 Fort rt Banks Mass lInn Fort Dade Pin Fin and an 1 Fort lort Wright ht M right Js X Y These scores sCorN were made with 10 and Inch 12 l rifles at i ranges varying front from yards to yards ards To a n. great extent the tile handling of I these those huge shooting far-shooting guns has b been n n red reduced to a 11 science e of ma mathematics I n tlc I and antI a a. Tango tinder finder an in exceedingly ly simple sim simple sim- sim pic but hut nevertheless Interesting problem problem im-I im lem cm to work out So o thoroughly Is the I aiming loading and firing of the lie guns gunK I I worked Into a system that evon even thin iho I powder Is subjected subjected to the most careful careful care- care i ful tul scrutiny It t is tested and blended the grains arc are counted ant and carefully weighed and then packed pl carefully In bags baSs of oC raw silk aUk to prevent chemical changes chunGEs taking place to reduce Its Is f c-f- ef With Rth the weight of ot the sh shall Il known nut and tho tiro amount of ot powder In Ina ina I C-I a Q given sun gun the distance to which th the Iho shell can bo be thrown be bo can figured to lo I within a few Cew feet I The Tho greatest and most important feature fea fea- ture turo has been Leen tho the In Increase in the efficiency effi of- 3 1 clency of oC tho Ian range e Under hIllers It had alwn always s 's been customary under a a. system that was wa In hr vogue until recently to lo tous ubo 1100 us o a R. plotting board operated In connection connection con con- I with men stationed at the ends of a n base line measure along the tho shore Railroad transits were used to determine deter detor- mine tho rho results of the shots shot which Were always alwn's tired at fixed targets at ut known distances Now the range finder Is le an entirely different kind of or a machine and so thoroughly has It been de developed eloped that Ula at a glance one mil may determine not only tho the ran range c triangle but bul tho tin necca- necca I sar gory sary corrections A base line of a n lashed la le 1 sired shed 1 or convenient length Is laid out I I and at either cither end In is stationed 1 a 1 man man who has hul a a. telephone connected with I the time tower towel of the battle battlo commander The observers telephone tho rho angle anKle I made b by tho the tat target get or whip with the tho base batie line lino I As AR the tho surrounding water front trait for or at I least bast ast three tulles miles Is laid on our in to squares with which in miniatures the officer who receives tho the Information from tram tho the I observer moves move d pointer across tho tiro plotting board to the time square In which the target or ship may be At Al a glance the time figures that thai have 1 be he been n worked out previously Rive give the range etc and the battlo battle commander turns to his writes tho the dire t- t for tor tho the gun Jun crews and In an nn Instant every cry gun captain In the time battel bat bat- tel lory Is IH reading his directions from the tho little machine on his gun un |