154 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



worked up again. Being thus entirely freed from dust, b3 T 

 the passage over the sieves, the process is continued by 

 transporting the powder to the glazing mill. Here are 

 large revolving barrels with "manholes" on one side. Into 

 these barrels the powder is placed, with the manhole firmly 

 -battowed down, and a rotation is commenced, and contin- 

 ued until the grains, from constant contact with each 

 other, become highly glazed. 



In the lower grades of powder a very small quantity of 

 plumbago is used to assist in the polish. Even now 

 the powder is by no means ready for immediate use, 

 as it contains an excess of moisture, and must now 

 be removed to the dry house, which is a large frame 

 building, within which aie a long series of stacks of 

 wooden trays, which are heated by an outside furnace. 

 The heat, which is conveyed from the furnace inside the 

 building by a peculiar process, is kept constantly up for 

 about twenty hours, at a temperature of from 160° to 170° 

 Fahrenheit, and until the powder contains only 1$ to 2 

 per cent, of moisture, which it is necessary for it to 

 contain. 



From the dry house the powder is conveyed to the pack- 

 ing house, where, after again being passed over silk sieves, 

 to remove every particle of adhering dust, it is packed into 

 water-tight canisters and kegs of various sizss, and then 

 removed to the magazine. 



This building, which is an immense frame structure, is 

 perched on the hillside, at whose base glide the silent 

 waters of the Brandywine. It is a lovely spot, and we 

 forget the danger behind us as we gaze away up the 

 stream, with its silent, dark green waters, throwing from 

 their surface the shadows of the giant oaks and chestnuts 

 which cover the hills between which they are embosomed, 

 and whose picturesque shadows die away in the dim per- 

 spective, as if meeting against the distant skies. Here, in- 

 deed, the Indian warrior of by-gone days may have 

 plighted his troth to some dusky maiden, or his shrill war- 

 whoop may have sounded in strange contrast with the now 

 pervading quiet. Who can imagine how this stillness is 

 sometimes rudely broken by the crash and shock of an ex- 

 ploding mill— that these hills sometimes quake and 

 tremble, and their crowning trees bend and sway with the 

 terrible detonation of an explosion? Yet so it is, and 

 men who a short time before were full of the hopes of a 

 long life, are scattered piecemeal over these hills in 

 shapeless masses, even unrecognizable to their mourning 

 friends. 



From such reflections as these we retrace our steps back 

 down the shaded walk, between long lines of willow trees, 

 (SaMx alba) whose bright green foliage contrasts most pleas- 

 urably with the sterner oak, until we stop at the refinery, 

 where a number of workmen are busily engaged in boiling 

 and refining the saltpetre, which is manufactured here by 

 a double decomposition of soda aud chloride of potassum. 

 Here there are twenty iron cauldrons embedded in the iron 

 floor, each of which having a capacity of 1,000 gallons 

 is kept constantly boiling. After many crystalizations, 

 purifying and re- purifying, it is packed for draining; pre- 

 vious to this, however, it is pulverized under huge copper 

 rollers. Just outside of this building is the coal, or rather 

 charcoal house, where, in a peculiar sort of oven or retort, 

 is burned the wood (mostly willow) which is to be used for 

 charcoal. The wood is distilled of all its constituents, ex- 

 cept the pure liquid, which, after the distillation, has a 

 very disagreeable odor. 



Beyond the charcoal house is the soda refinery, which is 

 a new branch of soda manufacture wherein, for certain- 

 kinds of powder, nitrate of soda is' substituted for nitrate 

 of potash or saltpetre. Having wandered a little to look 

 at the great piles of peeled willow, which is stowed and 

 stacked away for daily use, we retrace our steps down the 

 yard, past the dreaded mills and the sulphur house, with 

 its piles of golden yellow dust, to the machine and mill- 

 wright shops, where thousands of dollars are annually 

 spent in endeavoring to devise labor and danger-saving 

 machinery, and as we pass out of the frowning gate we 

 realize that, although one may not think it the most che°r- 

 ful place to live in, yet there hovers a spirit of quietness 



over the place. Nedo. 



, -*><*- ■ 



The following from Blackwood may be interesting to 



our military readers as indicative of the change rifle prac 

 tice has made in warfare :— 



"The distance at which guns open fire, and the dread of 

 exposing them to the rifles of the infantry, prevent artil- 

 lery from being brought as much to the front as in former 

 times; while the system, of concentrating fire without mass- 

 ing toVether large numbers of guns causes batteries to be 

 scattered and out of hand, not only of the Generals of 

 corps or of divisions, but of their own proper command- 

 ant- consequently the criticism more than once passed on 

 the 'tactical employment of the artillery was to the effect 

 that their operations were too diffuse and not sufficiently 

 confined to the main object at issue. The very excellence 

 of our guns, especially of the new i6-pounders, adds to 

 the difficulty of solving the problem in regard to the line 

 of demarkat ion between the individual responsibility per- 

 mitted to commanders of batteries and their proper super- 

 vision by superior authority. The most effective fire of 

 artillery is at ranges over a thousand yards; consequently 

 to bring them nearer would be entailing danger without 

 any advantage, excepting the moral support that the pres- 

 ence of guns might produce; but the further they are re- 

 moved from the infantry the more they are beyond the 

 control of the General who would probably be directing 

 the movements of attack or defense, and there arises a 

 risk lest his intention, either from not having been suf- 

 ficiently impressed on the commandant of artillery, or on 

 the officers of the batteries, should fail to receive the sup- 

 port which the guns ought to afford." 



%ht Hifte. 



CREEDMOOR. 



—This week at Creedmoor has been a busy one, and in- 

 terest in rifle shooting has not flagged. As they may still 

 have a good month's practice, our marksmen do not seem 

 inclined to allow any opportunity to escape. On Thurs- 

 day last, the 7th October, the several regiments composing 

 the left wing of the Eleventh Brigade of Brooklyn were to 

 have been on the range for practice in the second and 

 third classes, as a preliminary for the Marksman's Badge, 

 but the weather kept all back save the Eighty-fourtfi. The 

 "Boylan" and "Conklin" badges were shot for by the 

 Eighty-fourth Rifle Club. Corporal Davis of company H 

 won the Boylan badge with 39 out of a possible 50, and 

 Drum Major Nolte carried of the Conkling with 35. On 

 Friday the 8th October, the Fifth Brigade Second, Division, 

 closed their practice. The Thirteenth, Twenty-eighth, 

 and Fourteenth sent their best men to the front to compete 

 for the prizes. Conditions: 5 shots at 300 and 400 yards:— 



THIRTEENTH REGIMENT. 



Yards. 



Name. 200 



Lieut. Watson 14 



Lieut. Coffin 17 



400 



12 



4 



Tt'l 

 26 

 26 



10 

 10 



30 

 26 



12 

 14 

 14 



34 



32 

 30 



Yards. 



Name. 300 4 r Tt'l 



Corpl. Fadenburg 23 24 47 



Sergt. Miller 19 9 28 



TWENTT-EIGHTH REGIMENT. 



Sergt. Feiten 19 21 40 Pvt. Schweitzel 20 



Private Lutz 11 21 32| Lieut. Bossert 16 



FOURTEENTH REGIMENT. 



Pvt. Robinson. 20 19 39,Capt. Parkinson 22 



Corpl. Miller 16 21 37 Pvt. Vauxhall 18 



Pvt. Smith 18 16 34|Capt. Maher Hi 



Corporal Fadenburgh's total 47, in a possible 50, is a tell- 

 ing score . 



On Saturday the Crouch and Turf, Field and Farm 

 matches were shot. The Crouch Match is better known as 

 the "Bullseye Match," the prize being given to the greatest 

 number of bullseyes. The weather was good, but the 

 breeze was uncertain. Conditions: 15 shots at 800, 900 

 and 1,000 yards; members of international teams ex- 

 cluded: — 



W. B. FARWELTi. 



Yards. Score. Total. 



800 4 04344555345 5 5 5... fit 



900 8 5 5 2 5 4 4 5 4 4 5 3 4 68 



1000 3 00455354543 4 35 53—167 



A. V. CANFIELD, JR. 



800... 2 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 3 4 5 2 4 63 



900 5 5 2 5 2 S! 3 3 2 2 5 5 4 5 50 



1000 4 4340555424534 3 57-170 



F. HTDE. 



800 4 5 3 3 5 5 i 3 5 3 3 3 5 4 55 



900 2 3543435232543 4 52 



1000 42554355444555 60—167 



E. C. BRUCE. 



800 2-5 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 3 5 4 4 4 3 57 



9i<0 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 4 3 5 4 5 5 52 



1000 4 3352435505534 3 54-163 



L. GEIGER. 



800 3 5 3 4 5 5 5 4 2 4 5 5 5 4 4 61 



000 544342305 3 2425 4 49 



1000 334232535555 3 2 50-160 



G. CROUCH. 



800 5 5 3342 3 52 3 5444 4 56 



900 .......333535^30335024. 39 



1000 3 5033503430040 33-J2S 



R. RATHBONE. 



800 5 305302333535 4 44 



900 3 3 2 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 42 



1000 004245542000 26—112 



The number of bullseyes made in order of merit was as 

 follows:— Canfield, 19; Farwell, 17; Hyde, 15; Geiger, 14; 

 Bruce, 11; Rathbone, 10; Mr. Crouch the giver of the 

 badge, 9. Last month Mr. Canfield won the same badge 

 with 23 bullseyes. It has been won with 18. 



The Turf, Field and Farmhadge followed. Distance, 200 

 yards, won by Mr. Elmendorf with 43 out of a possible 50, 

 which is quite good shooting:— 



Name. Score.) Name. Soore. 



W S Elmendorf 43 W. Burton 38 



L. H . Greve 42 1 W. C. Clark 38 



C. E . II u ntragton 3g 



T. L. Price 37 



D. Chauncey, Jr 37 



E. A. Ferrv 35 



P. Hyde 36 



C. P. Bobbins 36 



J. V. Meserole 35 



F E Scrysmer 41 



J L. Allen 41 



W A. French. 41 



S. G. Perry 41 



W. B. Farwell 40 



II. Fisher 39 



G. Crouch 38 



L. C. Bruce 38 



There were' seventeen other scores under 36. 



There should have been held on Saturday a Marksman'* 

 Badge competition, to have been shot for by the rifle in- 

 spectors, but as none were on the ground the match was 

 indefinitely postponed. 



At a meeting held at Creedmoor on Thursday evening, a 

 Creedmoor Rifle Guard was formed, composed of the 

 markers and officers of the range. W. H. Brower was 

 chosen President; E. H. Brower, Secretary, and Captain 

 Klein, Treasurer. On the 19th inst. the Guard will have 

 a competition for badges. The range will be 200 yards, 

 ten shots for each man. 



Supplementary Prizes at Creedmoor. — Prizes offered 

 by Mr. Steward, of London, were awarded as follows: To 

 E. H. Sandford, score 115, highest aggregate in the Gatlin 

 Match, a binocular glass valued at $45. To F, Hyde, score 

 173, highest aggregate at short, mid, and long range, a 

 "Lord Bury" telescope, value $40. Protest of the Seventy- 

 ninth against score of the Twenty-second, in the Gatlin 

 Match, was laid over by the committee of the N. R. A. for 

 further action. 



Rifle Engagements for October. —Luther Badge, 

 Amateur Rifle Club, Saturday, October 16th at 10:30. Dis- 

 tances, 800, 900 and 1,000 yards; rounds, 5; weapon, any 

 rifle; to be won three times. Seventh Regiment Shells 

 Challenge Badge, Saturday's Oct. 16th and 30th, at 3 

 o'clock. Distance, 500 yards; weapon, Remington. Seventh 

 Regiment rifles, Tuesday's, Oct. 12th and 26th, at 3 

 o'clock. Distance, 200 yards, weapon, Remington State 

 Military Rifle; rounds, 5. First competition for the Hep- 

 burn Trophy, -N. R. A. Saturday, October 23, 2 o'clock ; 



any breech loader; distances, 500, 800 and 1000 va-l 

 rounds, 7; entrance fee, $1. ; to be competed for montbl 8 ' 

 and to be won three times, not necessarily consecutiv 1 

 Morrison Medal, Scottish American Rifle Club, each W V 

 nesday throughout the month at 2 o'clock; open to mem" 

 bers of the S. A. R. C. ; distances, 200 and 500 yard * 

 weapon, any rifle. Fifth Competition Hofele Field Glass' 

 Eight Regiment Rifle Club, Tuesday, Oct 19th, 2 o'clock 

 open to memoers of the Eighth Regiment; distances 200 

 and 500 yards; ten rounds; weapon, Remington State ilili 

 tary rifle. Challenge Cup, Saturday, October 16th at 2 

 o'clock, Irish American Rifle Club, open to members of 

 the I. A. R. C; distances, 200 and 500 yards; rounds 7. 

 weapon, any rifle. On the 19th the Washington Gray 

 Troop Rifle Club will shoot at Creedmoor for prizes. 



— At the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Direc- 

 tors of the National Rifle Association, Major Henry Fulton 

 resigned his position as Secretary, and Col. H. A. Gilder- 

 sleeve was unanimously elected as his successor. Col 

 Gildersleeve previously held this position to the satisfac- 

 tion of the board, and was cordially welcomed back to it. 



—Some of these days skirmishing competitions must be 

 started at Creedmoor. The-English system is somewhat 

 as follows: Competitors stand with unloaded piece", oppo- 

 site their respective targets at certain specified distances. 

 On the word advance, the marksmen run forward and. 

 load and fire. Say the rifleman starts at 500 yards. Be- 

 tween the stake at 500 and 400, he may be required accord- 

 ing to the rules, to fire three times at the target, or having 

 ten cartridges, to fire ten times between 500 and 100 yards 

 or with five cartridges, to shoot as he passes the 450, 350 

 250,200, 150 yard stake. There would be lots of amuse- 

 ment in this, though the markers might see no fun in it. 

 That it would greatly improve the soldier is evident. Ef- 

 ficient skirmishing is one half of a battle. 



The Forest and Stream Badges.— The first match for 

 the new badge presented by this paper was shot on Thurs- 

 day evening last at Mr. Conlin's gallery, No. 930 Broad- 

 way, The match was shot under the Creedmoor rules as 

 to counting, etc., and at a target reduced to correspond 

 with the 200 yards range. The following is the result, Mr* 

 Win, Klein taking the first badge for the best score, Mr. 

 G. W. Hamilton the second for the best score of centres, 

 and Mr. J. E. Whitely the third for the best score of in' 

 ners. The next match will be shot on Thursday, the 21st: 



Scor?, 

 29 



Name. 



Thomas Llovd 



W. K. Williamson... 



L C. Bruce 28 



W.Conley ae 



F.Hyde \\\\\% 



William Baily ->S 



William Moser or 



P. H. Lord V.'.'Zfy 



J. McGlensey §5 



Alonzo Forrester .,Jil 



S. 'Freman r \'.M 



John Barclay ........21 



James Wright 1 ! " '.20 



C. M Veile .' .' '20 



E. P. Jones ]9 



H. Crowell . is 



A. E. Witley ,..17 



H. M. Wheatmoore... .. 17 



10 



Name. Score, 



William Klein 42 



G. W. Hamilton 40 



D. L. Beckwith 39 



M. P.. Lennon : 39 



Robert McFeely ' 35 



W. B. Farwell 36 



W. McDonald 36 



Robert Miley 35 



A. Q. TTellwig 35 



J. O. Wrloht 36 



II. C. Merry 35 



T. C. Noone 34 



A. Marsh 33 



Joseph Woodward 32 



H. M. Post 31 



George II . Glenney 3-1 



J. E. Whitley 30 



E. P. Whitney 30 



H. C. Faber 29|Robert Boyde 



J. H. Ripley 29 1 



Yorkers Rifle Assoctatioh. — The new Morsemere 

 range at Yonkers, of the Yonkers Rifle Association, was 

 duly opened on Saturday for the first competition. The 

 Association numbers already thirty-five members. The 

 officers of dhe Association are as follows:— President. G. 

 Livingston Morse; Vice President, Col. Matt. H. Ellis; Sec- 

 retary, H. L. Garrison; Range Committee, Frederick Shon- 

 nard and Douglas Smyth. Among those present at the 

 opening of the range, were Thomas Cooper Campbell, 

 Cyrus Cleveland, John T. Waring, Dr. J. 1ST. Swasey, 

 Jonathan Yail, Colonel John Bodine, L. W. Ballard and a 

 large number of ladies. The first match was for two 

 prizes, a handsome field glass and a life membership. 

 Ten shots at 500 yards. We give the six best scores:— 

 Name. Score. Total. 



Frederick Shonnard 5 3 3 3 5 3 4 2 3 2 P3 



Henry Quibn 3 3 3 4 4 3 5 3 5 33 



Douglas Smyth 3 2 4 2 4 2 3 3 5 4 32 



Colonel Bodine 4 4 40 4 J 2 3 23 



Edward Connell 3330303205 22 



E. L. Morse 2 3 2 4 2 4 2 2 21 



In the tie between Shonnard and Quinn, the former made 

 a centre to the tatter's inner and recured the first prize won 

 at Morsemere. A handicap followed of 10 shots, which 

 was handsomely won by Mr. Smyth, though having 

 against him such doughty opponents as "Old Reliable" 

 and Mr. Ballard. We append the scores:— 



• Name. Score. Total. 



Smythe 4 554444544 43 



Bodine 4 344355554 41 * 



Ballard. 4 3 5 3 5 5 3 3 4 4 • 39 



Quinn 3 4 3 4 5 4 5 4 2 5 39 



Shonnard 2 225 353 45 5 36 



The opening of the range at Yonkers was a most bril- 

 liant one. The name chosen— Morsemere— is a happy one; 

 the final "mere" is of the same family as our "moor" of 

 Creedmoor. 



Parthian Rifle Club op Hudson, N. Y.— The last 

 competition match for the field glass by the Parthian Rifl* 

 Club, took place at the close of last week. The glass was 

 won by Mr. Thomas Denegar. In addition to this valuable 

 prize there were three other prizes offered, one being a year s 

 subscription to the Forest and Stream, which was won 

 by Mr. J. A. Smith, the second a score book, won by Mr- 

 Leonard Geiger. 



—The Sixth Division Rifle Association, at Syracuse, has 

 the following directois:— Major-Gen. D. P.Wood, Gen- 

 Richardson/ Col. Hawley, Lieut.-Col. Manning, Major 

 Griffin, Major McCarthy, Capt. Birchmeyer, Lieut. W' 

 wards and Messrs. A. C. Chase and F. B. Klock. At » 

 late meeting Major Griffin of the range committee presentee 



