A signal is received at one of the guns and a
flash of flame and yellowish gas tells that the
great shell is on its way toward the horizon. The
spotter in the towering mast watches the pro
jectile's course with his glass and notes the dis
tant geyser which marks the watery grave of the
shot. Instantaneously he estimates how far short
of the target it struck, for it was many hundreds of
yards from its goal. He telephones his guess to
the plotting room. The range is plotted according
ly, and another shot is fired. The white fountain
in the distance close to the target informs the
spotter that his guess was a good one, and he
telephones his latest opinion as to the correction
required The new range is instantly communi
cated to the gunners and the ship, ploughing along
through the sea, shivers as the salvo of shots leaps
from her side and speeds on its way toward the
canvass covered framework far distant, represent
ing the vitals of a battleship. The spotter notes
the geysers and the fact that there is little left
of the target except the posts between which the
canvas was spread.
The destruction of the major part of the target
does not stop the firing, however. The range and
the rate of its change is known. The gunners fire
their giant pieces accordingly and the shots tear
their way between the posts of the distant mark,
or drop around it, where their descent is photo
graphed by two cameras so placed on the stern of
the vessel towing the target that their lenses
sweep the sea in front and in rear of the target.
