162 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Trial of Telemeters at Shoeburyness, 19 th May, 1869, before 
Colonel Elwyn , R.A. 
True 
Distance. 
Errors made in determining the distance of a horse¬ 
man, by the instruments of 
Adie. 
Clerk. 
Elliott. 
Nolan. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
865 
+ 71 
-i- 6 
+ 
15 
+ 2 
1200 
0 
+ 19 
+ 
10 
+ 4 
1649 
- 19 
+ 35 
— 
149 
+ 15 
1900 
+ 12 
+ 48 
— 
190 
- 6 
2558 
+ 156 
+ 104 
— 
168 
- 24 
2706 
+ 244 
+ 111 
— 
6 
+ 8 
3452 
+ 231 
+ 300 
— 
352 
+ 22 
3380 
- 147 
+ 217 
— 
480 
- 26 
3802 
+ 164 
+ 115 
— 
1002 
- 8 
3040 
- 93 
+ 160 
— 
240 
+ 4 
2717 
+ 133 
+ 160 
— 
517 
+ 17 
2354 
- 154 
+ 84 
— 
154 
+ 7 
1975 
— 95 
+ 40 
— 
95 
+ 25 
1640 
- 80 
+ 29 
— 
120 
+ 9 
1205 
+ 31 
— 
25 
+ 19 
944 
- 8 
+ 
16 
+ 6 
Remarks in report :—“Wind down range,-with occasional rain storms.” 
“Colonel Clerk used a base of 100 yds., Lieut. Nolan 57 for the first five 
ranges, 98 for the last.” 
Most of Nolan's ranges were taken with a specially drilled squad; but 
while these were at dinner, some were taken by an ordinary Shoebury- 
ness detachment. 
In Mol. VIII., Part 1, p. 77 of the “ Proceedings of the Department 
of the Director of Artillery and Stores," will be found an account of a trial 
which took place at Aldershot, on three days in October, 1869, under 
Col. Smyth, R.H.A., and Brigade-Major Oliver, R.A. 
The following is an extract from the report made by Colonel Smyth:— 
“ Tire guns were worked by Lieut. Gower. The experiments were carried 
on under many unfavourable circumstances that, might arise on active 
service. 
“During the first two days a strong and intensely cold wind was blowing, 
raising clouds of dust, which several times seriously delayed the observations. 
“At Twesel Down the position for the battery was purposely chosen on 
ground so hilly and broken as to render it most difficult to bring both guns 
into.action and use the instruments at the Same time. 
“ Previous to commencing the third day's experiments, the guns were trotted 
over rough ground for about four hours, and one of the instruments received 
a more severe shaking than had been intended, from the lid of its box flying 
open and remaining so for some time without its being noticed. 
“The only difference, however, produced was that on making test obser¬ 
vations of already .ascertained distances, the ranges given by the instruments 
were rather less than they had been the first time.* 
* I believe the true explanation of the apparent improvement caused by the trotting to be simply 
that the gunners worked with more confidence on the third day than on either of the two 
preceding.—J. P. N. , 
