Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/57

* TARENTOLA. 37 TARGET. terranean region (Tarentohi Mauritanica), gray- ish brown with inJelinite markings, and about six inclies long. It has been introduced by ships into Southern France, and when it takes up its abode inside a house becomes almost domesticated. Some other geckos are also mistakenly called by this name. An interesting account of their habits niav be found in Gadow, Amphibia and Reptiles (London, 1901). TAREN'TUM. See Taranto. TARENTUM. A borough in Allegheny County, Pa., 21 miles northeast of Pittsburg; on the Allegheny River, and on the Pennsylvania Railroad (Map: Pennsylvania, B 3). It is pri- marily an industrial centre, being interested largely in the manufacture of plate glass and bottles. Other products include brick, lumber, steel and iron novelties, steel billets and sheets, sack and wrapping pa])er, etc. Coal is mined in the vicinity. The government, under the charter of 1842, is vested in a burgess, elected every three years, and a council. The electric light plant is owned and operated bv the municipality. Population, in 1890, 4027: in 1900, ?,'rl. TARGET and TARGET PRACTICE. By target practice is meant the method by which proficiency is attained in marksmanship. In its military aspect, target practice is de- signed to give a thorough individual train- ing to every soldier in the fighting use of his rifle. The prescribed course of instruction usual- ly includes (a) preparatory instruction, embrac- ing the construction, nomenclature, and mechan- ism of the rifle, the theory of fire, principles of aiming, pointing and aiming, judging or estimat- ing distance, gallery practice, and blank car- tridge firing; (b) range practice, in which the distances are known, and accuracy and steadiness of aim are developed; (c) demonstration firing; (d) collective or volley firing at long range; and (e) field or combat firing. Throughout Conti- nental Europe generally, the school target con- sists of a wooden frame covered with jute cloth on which the paper targets are pasted. The cen- tre band is white and the two outer vertical bands light blue or gray. The bull's-eye is in the centre of the target and usually there is also outlined an oval which represents the limit of dispersion of correctly aimed shots, aiming at 200 and 300 paces at the lower part, and at 400 paces at the upper part. Figure targets are frequently colored to show details, otherwise they are plain light blue in color. Figure and section targets are used as fixed, moving, and disappearing targets. For firing at long ranges large groups of targets are used representing lines and columns in battle form ; cavalry, guns, caissons, etc., arranged as in action being made to move or disappear so as to show different phases of a battle. Typical of European practice are the perma- nent German Army ranges which have various figures arranged as disappearing or moving tar- gets, manipulated from covers not noticeable from the front. A target representing a line of infantry a hundred meters (330 feet) long may be erected in ten miniites bv eisht men. Avhile but one man is necessary to work it. The figures are so constructed as to be capable of standing erect or lying on the ground at the will of the operator. To represent the reenforcement or thinning of a line two or more of such lines of targets are placed close to each other, the figures in the rear showing through the intervals between those in front. Since the Boer War considerable ingenuity has been exercised in devising a new system of in- struction in musketry and field firing in the British Army. The war proved the musketry regulations of 1898 practically worthless, so that a new course was devised which was completed in 1903. The ground used at Aldershot enabled one battalion to advance to the attack with as near an approach to the conditions of actual war- fare as is possible. The battalion performing the exercise advances in column of route when fire is suddenly opened upon it by a single gun posted about 800 yards to the left front. It is required that development be made at once and the gun silenced. As the firing line reaches the crest of a long hill perpendicular to the front, they are able to recognize the first position of their supposed enemj' about 900 ^-ards distant. The ad- vance of the firing line is subjected to artillery fire from a battery about 2500 yards away. The targets representing the enemy are movable and can hardly be distinguished, as only the heads and shoulders are exposed, and that only occa- sionally. As the advance continues the enemy is supposed to have retired about 800 yards to a position which has a deep ravine in its front, through which runs a main railway line. The enemy's object is to destroy this line before the advance can occupy it, and with this object in view an armored train is dispatched to coyer a party of men sent down to blow up the tracks, which they are supposed to succeed in doing. The advance continues beyond the railway and up the hill where the enemy is found to have taken his last position near the guns already mentioned. The battalion thus makes three positions, cover- ing about 3500 yards. The targets are merely dummy figures of the crudest construction. They are all worked by men in pits by means of ropes and springs, with the exception of the armored train and the wrecking party. An elaborate system of telephones is installed, which con- nects all the pits and enables the commander of the range to be in constant connection at every stage of the firing. The ground is under clo.se ob- servation of the umpires, who are stationed in covered pits where they can see the advance by means of mirrors, in all its movements. Greatly increaseil interest has been taken in the target practice of the various combatant branches of the United States Army. In 1877 the Creedmoor target with its method of scoring hits was introduced by General Ord, an innova- tion which was rendered doubly valuable by an increase of the ammunition allowance from 10 to 20 rounds a month for each soldier. In 1886 individual skirmish practice was introduced, the objective being in turn the figure of a standing man, a kneeling man. and a man lying down, followed by company instructions in field firing. Targets and materials diflfer according to the scheme of practice issued each year from the headquarters of the army. In the case of small arms practice the period selected for practice on a range is announced annually by department commanders and all orders containing instruction governing their preliminary methods or practice with a rifle, carbine, nr revolver are issued each year from army headquarters. The education of