Show I The Nen i r P R A ft 4 sALUTE i ih h w t L Li t i iGL u GL LEAN L C V T lJJ F. F mint mind het hern n the approved r ti meth- meth n Ith T salute I ha has from Crom time tine out of of ot cannon In Hi formal Cormal HE III booming oil oll u ushering In aye every celebration of or the tho Fourth of or July The discharge discharge dis dis- dis charge of ot big guns on our most memorable holiday Is of or manS man's improvement In course simply tho noise making line Uno upon young Americas America's practice of exploding lie lie- crackers and tho the Interest manifested In artillery salutes would seem to ls Is on Yankee e prove o that the average tho the nations nation's birthday anniversary merely a 0 small boy Loy grown tall fall Whereas Where Where- the thunder of or salutes is a Q feature as us Day celebration celebration independence of or every cn it te is left lef for Cor the tion Hon In town lown or 01 city to give Ive Ivo nato United States State army and na navy signi- signi to these salutes lutes their greatest nc nce e kinds J of or th ere arc are several different a salutes lutes that may lat gunnery commemoration laUon of or the lined in be or anniversary ly Iy r of or the tho 81 signing lB of oC r the or of Independence Per Per- Declaration national most common Is the Imps the tho state In Inthe inthe for oJ eVel every of oC one gun Is Union Another salute luto that the federal extent Is the thc old used to some 18 13 one foe or each of the salute or of guns salute Is In Ina Inn This colonies 13 original orl obsolete In so u as n a concerned occasions ocol are t ceremonial try un to especially eh lY cd but being o otho tho the Glorious Fourth It is Ja used on that Ken sa ea Finally there Is h. the and this this' is 1 y lute lute lutr of or 21 n guns suns titan than ally aUY other othern 1 heard moro frequently of DC the midsummer mer n the constitutes holiday guns one Twenty practice the International na- na in ht the special salute sa- sa t but It Is also U or of the lute juto or of the President l lant from these considerations Aside States deemed to bet be It Is t lons however the thees th unlined for fm else von On es the number 21 1 because of July In funned by the all ur of th the Ilg- Ilg 1 1 7 7 7 6 comprising tho o of ot Uncle Saris Sam's year lal I The rho firing Oring of oC salutes I Is b by no means old devoid de void of ot danger dunser as ns any an r person r may maybe ma maybe be convinced who glances over the thc list of ot accidents chronicled in the thc dally dall newspapers on the thc morning after th the Fourth It t must be admitted how how- over wet that a large lar proportion of or such accidents arc are due to the efforts of I amateur gunners and there fro comparatively com corn comI I fow ow mishaps when tho the sa salutes rat rat- 1 I lutes lute are arc IC fired by regular enlisted men I of oC the army or navy or even by bythe bythe th the members of oC tho the national guard or 01 naval reserves Not a few tew accidents noel acci dents are due to Inexperience In Ih the handling of or the thc guns or to errors in measuring or of manipulating the tho powder er ca' charges whereas many mishaps have hove been due to the uso use of or antiquated ed cd guns tho the powers o of resistance of or which were overestimated o by enthusiastic enthus enthus- gunners But Dut leaving the possibility of acc accidents accidents ac ac- ac- ac c out of or tho rho question It ma may bo be noted that the firing of salutes is by byno byno byno no means all fun Cun for or the man roan who makes make a business of ot It Few people know th that t the thc majority of ot artillerymen artillery artillery- men non in the thc army Im Imand and Jackets blue on I our naval na vessels thoroughly thorough detest the roar of the bl big guns It Is la not that they lire are afraid or are lacking I In experience for Cor veterans who have I been In the service lec for Cor years dislike the lute bark of or the Iron dogs of ot war quite as much as the raw recruits This sentiment might be the bettel better better bet bet- ter tel und understood if Ie the enthusiastic I crowds that on the tho Fourth of or July hear the echoing salutes in the distance dis dis- distance I tance could gain at first hand an idea to the men of or the th shocks administered behind the guns The strain of or waltin waiting wait walt in log ing for tor each report and bracing himself himself him him- self to withstand its shock Is 18 In itself It Itself itself it- it nervous nervous nerv nerv- gunners gunner's self a severe e tax on a nothing of or tho the singular sin sin- ous system to Pay my iy with tho the discharge dis dis- discharge gains gular misery that I Is charge ItS Itself Jf when whon the gunner In the face a Wi as though by a n L h cr H r D C 1 vf dE sharp harI gust gut ut t. t o of oC wind and sustains a Jarring ally of ot the tho that mn may J 1 leave ve vc him with n a severe severo headache head head- ache acho or days day afterward aCtor Perhaps tho the best Idea of or the power n of the concussion lon of ot big guns has been boen afforded tw the by effect upon dogs dog and other small amaH animals that have havo be been bean n noAr when artillery holiday hollday salutes were beilig fired llred and which have in inmany inmany many ninny instances died from the of- of ef t- t Incidentally it may b bo be remark remark- remarked ed cd that thal Americans stand the 1 shook of Mu sueji h d detonations better than al- al fin tiny any other people The Th A American Amen Ameri can an who were on oft board the Chinese vessels at the battle of ot Yalu I relate that the roar of ot the big guns drove numbers of the Mongolians stark lark mad math and they groveled at the f feet feel et of oC U. U the white gunners and Implored implored im Im- them to 16 C cease tiring tired fired by detachments of af the army and navy on the Fourth of July do not of or course approach in point of or noise the uproar of or a genuine genuine ine inc battle or even e of target practice since Jn c not only is there but one discharge dis dis- discharge charge at a time tilde but lighter is to used The Tho gigantic Inch 12 or 13 Inch barkers of or the tie navy and abd the tho h hv vy siege end cba coast ast t d guns Uns l at of the he ar army ny are seldom if It ever I used d dI I in firing salutes salute that duty devolving dc upon weapons of smaller caliber However the blank cartridges In Inmany inmany many Instances give a louder report than would ft d. regular charge in a agun agun a agun gun of or n the same alne class The firing of ot Fourth of or July salutes at our military pouts posts and naval stations sta stR- sta-i sta tl bans I Is ii in good hands for It Is 15 no exaggeration exaggeration exaggeration ex ex- to say that the men of or the United States Army and Navy Y are the best beat gunners in to the world The rho govi gov gov- ovi ov- ov i em eminent anent has been decidedly liberal during recent years yean in rte Its appropriations I I lions for target practice and tho the burning burning burning burn burn- ing up of or millions of dollars dollars' worth of ot powder In this cause has given Uncle Sams Sam's gun crews a marvelous facility In iii handling their guns rapidly and scientifically i The Yankee gunner CUlmer in tills this opening decade of or the tho twentieth century is hI a mighty versatile Individual 1 ot ot only is ho be an tin n man of df r the army or navy TU qualified to do 10 al that falls fall to the lot of oC the thc private In our righting fighting forces on land or sea but be he in is also an expert export mechanic an un electrician a Student of ot the principles R of steam engineering en en- engineering In and a a. man fIlan o of thorough practical practical I and theoretical theor knowledge of or high Joi For sometime p past t the naval na naI naval na- na I val gunner Iras has had 1141 1 to have as a part of or the Intellectual equipment for or his position a familiarity of or the principles and aDd uses IEee of or torpedoes and submarine mines arid acid 1 now W this life branch brunch of or Instruction lion tion is being extended to the army Uncle Sam has for tor some sonic years past maintained regular schools for or gunners gunners gunners gun gun- ners where the men not only acquire all the knowledge that ma may be h learned arned from rein books boOk but also lIf get t pra practical Ueal lessons lessons les lee sons in ordnance factories where our heavy weapons are manufactured In some BOrne Instances this Instruction course I is not a long one covering only 1 17 weeks' weeks study all nil told but hut it Is 1 vel very a Tt FL rLEE r J. J L. L The classes In gunny i rv v vare are open to any enlisted man roan who has proven by his record In the service Ice I that ho Is HUed fitted for tor advancement to such position for Cor for be he It known the expert cx ex pert gunners constitute th the tho aristocracy of oC the lI lighting forces under the Stars and St Stripes ipes During his course of Instruction n the future gunner must answer each week a series of ot from 1 16 j to 60 CO printed ques ques- lions Opposite each question is 18 set et dow i the place where the tho Information may be whether gained gained whether in shop drill books book or from Crom the thc Instructor The rhe answer to each query must be written out in full ant and the tho young defender de do- fender of th the flag oJ is 18 marked upon his hie showing Just as the pupil in ID an ordinary ordin ordin- ordinary ar ary school chool might be graded according Ito to tho ho showing of or his examination p papers pors About once a week M say every Monday morning a gunnery ela class undergo undergoes undergoes un un- un- un dergo examination on the tho WOI k of the tho preceding week and each cach pupil Is rated according to his Individual showing snowing A gunner gunnor gets a taste o 0 of the intensely intense intense- J ly practical part of or his future work through hl his assignment to assist the workmen In the shops where the manufacture manufacture man mall of or ordnance l is carried on orl For that matter malter a pupil mn may be called upon to construct a miniature gun complete even to procuring the metal mota from the foundry and co casting the gun mount mouTH In this manner he familiarizes himself with the machines in the shops the lie the lathe shapers and milling machines ma ma- chines and chines-and and not only knows their uses but I. I In Is able ble to use them himself Guns Gun Are ATe also aleo taken apart a ad d reassembled Sin n order I that tho the name and use of or oh part may be le thoroughly un under under- el J C 77 i 1 arll and blu until print i fiT are Introduced and th the tic prospective marksman taught the rudiments of or technical draughtsmanship draughts draughts- manship A separate course In the gunner gunners gunner's It education I is devoted to tn the subjects 4 of ur electricity and high explosives and at mast three months must be he devoted to tot title this t J branch of ur preparatory work When a young man graduates l from an American gunnery school chool he lie can do elo I almost anything with a u big bIB gun except shoot straight with it H and this Is ls of oC course an accomplishment that comes coms from practice It costs more SOO I for ammunition to Or fire a u single shot from rom one of Uncle Sums Sum's largest guns KunJ so that obviously It is h Impossible tl to I permit promiscuous target et practice a aan as ao asan I Ian an object lesson for tor newly qualified gunners i In Order to get the best results with the thc smallest exp expenditure new gunners practice first Arst with Jtb small arms arias and anti gradually as 88 th their lr marksmanship ImI improves im Im- improves im- im I proves they are allowed to handle larger and larger weapons Target practice with ordinary rifle fitted within tIl the bores of till the big gun gUll Ie Is also an nn approved method of or enabling the gunners to 10 acquire thorough familiarity familiari familiari- ty In handling g and aiming the big bark barkers The Theo United States government government govern govern- ment mont is doing everything in its power pO to encourage our gunners to maintain and Increase their prestige as the tho best marksmen In the time world In the na navy for Instance a first class gun Kun pointer p I Is now allowed 1 10 0 a R. month over ov r and above the regular pay and also has hus a chance at special tal prissy s of or Ud tidy sums of money which are offered from time to time Walden Valdon Faw Fawcett ett f |