The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 13

THE EXA3ITJOSK, BAIT F1LAJVCISCCK SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 31, 1890. 13 rUFFS OF RIFLE SMOKE. FIVE MILES A MINUTE, SUNKEN AND FORGOTTEN. within the time limit of thirty seconds' firing at each distance. Some of the marksmen prefer to retain five of the long copper-covered 45-70 shells are held between the marksman's teeth.

The thumb of the right hand pulls the trigger, the breech is thrown open with the fingers, the shell extracted and a fresh one put in place, and the breech locked again with marvelous rapidity. So rapidly is this accomplished by some of the most expert that as many as nine shots have been tired into one target within the time limit of thirty seconds. The "sawbuck position is one in which the feet are crossed and the knees slightly elevated. In the thus formed the barrel is placed, and a good hold is thus obtained upon it The sight is easily taken, and the piece is held firmly In place. The prone is a more common oue, aud is frequently used by rifle teams in long-range shooting.

The marksman lies full length upon his chest and stomach, with his feet spread wide apart The shoulders are slightly elevated upon the elbows. This position has Mm t-ESEgaasEa "As the bicycle road makes a standard guage road, like the New Haven, for instance, into a four track road, without interfering with the regular traffic, it gives opportunity for through express trains in the center tracks, while there is no doubt that the time consumed in transit at present can by it be reduced one half. The capacity of the road would bo doubled what it is now ou each rail, and for two rails would be quadrupled, being a fourfold increase of capacity while doubling the speed, and eight-told gain in transportation powers. Freight cars on this system will weigh about five tons, will be framed of angle steel and designed for all classes of freight while grain, coal and all kinds of freight that can be dumped will be received through slidiug doors at the top of the car, and be dumped by opening sliding valves at the bottom, so that grain and coal can be dumped directly on shipboard or into warehouses. This is especially feasible, as the track can be built on a single line of osts, precisely as the elevated roads are built on some of" the lines of this citv.

Ten cars of this pattern will do the work of a 100 ordinary freight cars of the heavy pattern, while saving proportionately by their lightness and economical facilities. Of course these cars can be run upon the ordinary standard gauge road. The bicycle structure of wood is built of the best Southern pine sawed timber; it requires posts, one every thirty feet, and guiding planks 8x10 inches suspended above the tracks, live feet apart, directly over the rails bolow and latticed together. The cost with lumber at 30 a thousand, is $3,000 a mile in the South and West, where the lumber at the mills can be procured at $10 a thousand, with average not to exceed $2,000 a milo. Wire stretched upon the posts supporting the guiding planks will fence in the wood against cattle, at $1,000 a mile.

The cost with steel pipe posts and iron lattice girders will be about $6,000 a mile." The application of his bicycle system to elevated railroad structures is of special importance to Now York and Brooklyn. As already stated, this fact has struck the people in this city and Brooklyn so forcibly that they are carefully looking into the system. General George W. Wingate, attorney of the Brooklyn Elevated Railway Company, whom a Pret reporter accompanied in an inspection of the bicycle road at Graves-end ou Thursday, expressed himself yesterday as follows on tho results of his examination I have studied this bicycle system critically, and tho only conclusion I am able to draw is that it is remarkably well adapted to elevated railroad uses. I can't get around that conclusion.

Just consider the Two rails, or an ordinary standard single track road, afford two lines of traffic by the bicycle system. A two-line structure can thus be built ou a single line of pillars. The cars are light and, the most important feature, the engines are light while the bicycle engine itself runs so easily aud smoothly that there is hardly any rumbling and vibration. The engines and cars are so light, with no side motion, that a double system could be built over the single line of pillars, with a third line for express trains immediately above the two (as shown in the cut). The running of that car at Gravosend is ocular proof of the feasibility of the scheme.

There certainly are the car and the engine. As we observed, they ran with wonderful smoothness and lightness and speed, with no perceptible vibration. The car cannot Jump the track, for the guiding from above prevents that, unless a wheel should break, and even then the other end of the car would be held in osition by the wheels above as well as be-ow. The element of safety is certainly as great as on any other system. When it comes to speed, we certainly roll at the rate of 100 miles an hour, while one dash of thirty-throe seconds took us a mile.

THK BADGES WOBX BT THB SUCCESSFUL MAHKSMEX. the majority of their shells for the short ranges. That is to say, there are men who will only fire two or three shots from the long range, and when they reach the 200 yards distance will manage to get as many as seven or eight shots into the "5" target. Again there are men who prefer to shoot about an equal number of bullets at each range and take more time in aiming and loading the piece. When it is remembered that the rifles used are not "repeaters," but ARIZONA TEAM.

single-fire" Springfield, the rapidity which is shown is really remarkable. The score of the Arizona team, 757 points out of a possible 1,500, or a little better than 60 per cent, must be regarded as very good marksmanship, when it is taken into consideration that the shooter has to walk a What Uncle Sam's Soldiers Can Do With Powder and Ball PICKING OUT THE BEST SHOTS FOR THE GREAT NATIONAL CONTEST. Skirmish Firs In the Regular Army-The "Texas Grip," the "Hawbuck," and Other Odd Ways of Killing; an Enemy or Bitting; a Target A Picture of the Winning Team From ArUona. The clear notes of a bugle resound through the woodlands. From a clump of brush and trees a score of blue-coated men march forth in double line.

The sunlight glints on the barrels of ten muskets in the hands of those in the front rank. For perhaps a hundred yards the little troup march forward. Again the bugle rings out, and the step is changed to the double-quick." Another hundred yards is quickly covered. The clear blast resounds once more, and the soldiers come to a sudden halt Down upon the earth the front rank drops some upon their backs, some prone upon their stomachs, and others in a sitting posture. Then an intermittent line of puff- THE "WINNING ing smoke curls from the shining barrels; sharp reports ring out, the sing of the bullets is heard through the trees, and the hillsides re-echo with the fusillade.

At a distance of eight hundred yards the earth of the hills is plowed and furrowed and clouds of dust go up into the air. It is the last day of the United States Army's rifle practice at Camp Monterey, and the final "run" of the third team of crack sharpshooters, firing in skirmish line. After a lapse of thirty seconds the bugle sounds again, the men Jump to their feet, go forward for another two hundred yards and again drop into their strange- positions. Once more the sharp reports ring out again and again- Two hundred yards farther on the same tactics are repeated, and finally the score of men approach within two hundred yards of their imaginary foes. At this distance the firing is even.

more rapid and the targets are scarcely visible through the cloud of smoke which arises. When the bugle sounds again the troopers jump to the feet again and, turning, retrace their steps on the run. At each distance two hundred yards they are halted and turned to the targets again to.take another dozen of shots at thj lay figures at the foot of the hills. In this way the whole distance of eight hundred yards is covered in advance and retreat and three hundred shots are fired at the targets. The ten men who constitute this team are all of them crack marksmen and are skilled in the art of rapid firing.

After the last round has been fired a party, headed by a sergeant bearing a red flag, makes its way from the neighboring, bush and proceeds, under the command of two lieutenants, to mark the score. To the average marksman the targets which these riflemen shoot at would be a startling novelty. There is no bullseye to aim at, no encircling rings to grade the for the work, and besides their pay thev received all the free drinks they wanted. "The first day the tide was too low to move her and on the night of the second day a norther came up and somehow," said the Captain, with a twinkle in his blue eye, the old Hardie had to sink, and that settled my title to the property. I don't remember what I paid for the Inez when I bought her of Jim Fairfall and Tom Jones, but she lies at the northwest corner of Pacific and Drumm street1, on the line of Drumm, with her bow toward Pacific.

The Pacific Wharf Company naturally didn't care to have the ship used by them spoiled, so when my men drove piles for buildings in the slip in the daytime they had them yanked out at night I got a little tired of this, so one dark night I floated the Inez in, ran her up to where I wanted her and she was on the bottom in a few minutes. She was so close in to the wharf that her short bowsprit struck the wharf as she was settling and broke short off. She sank so rapidly that one of my men had to swim for it aud was almost drowned. The crash apprised the opposition of what was goinir on, but they were too late in finding it out to do any good. Then there was the English ship Bethel that is buried at the corner of Drumm and Clark streets.

Her bow points toward Drumm. She cost me $450. We exchanged a few shots before she went down. That is, I mean the Wharfinger and myself did. I had a line fastened to the wharf to steady her, and he started to cut it so she would drift away.

I yelled at him to drop the knife, but he didn't so a bullet took it out of bis hand. But be cut the rope first No, there wasn't anybody hurt at that time; but there might have been. It was on election day, and the crowd, hearing the shooting, came rushing down to see what the matter was. Six-shooters were drawn, but no more firing was done. I stayed with the Bethel until she sank, when I rowed away from her; but I didn't get her in the right place.

She got on to Miller, Hough Cassly's property, so I sold her to them. "A little while after that I had my men at work driving piles between Broadway and Vallejo. It was in the night time and about four hundred men were working. Suddenly we were fired upon and one man was instantly killed. Only a few of my men were armed, but we returned the fire, being guided by the flashes to be seen when the others fired.

I don't know whether we hit anybody or not Before the firing ceased another man on our side was struck and that was me. Just put your finger at this spot," said the Captain, indicating his cheek. On either side a hole could be found large enough to admit the end of the little finger. That's where I got a bullet," he continued. The doctor said I must have had my mouth open giving orders, and I guess I diil, for it went clean through my mouth without touching a tooth.

You see my beard hides the wound. Next day I wore a handkerchief about my face and all the boys thought I had the toothache. I found 'it necessary to cut the chains of five vessels that night to get them out of the slip. They belonged to the wharf company. The ship Rome was a big Russian hulk that cost me about $1,000.

She was used for a coal ship and sunk by me at the southwest corner of Market and East streets, under where the Ensign saloon was. Her bow touches the edge of Market street I sank her for Joseph Galloway, and I had to do it in a hurry. Galloway bought a block of Smith. One morning he came running up to me and excitedly asked if I had a ship. I told him yes, that I had the Rome.

He told me an injunction was to be served to prevent him having any more piles driven, but that if he could have the ship scuttled before 1 o'clock he would be all right Before 1 o'clock my tow-boat took the Rome in to where he wanted it and down, she went I got $5,000 for that job. I helped to haul the ship Niantic in and sink her at the northwest corner of Clay and Sansome in the fall of '49. There is a house built over her now. Her bow is toward Montgomery. She was used as a hotel for a long time.

A hollow pile was driven down through the stern below the salt-water line and about the best water in the town was pumped from that well. Good water was hard to find. "The ship Apollo lies on Front street between Commercial and Sacramento with her stern towards Front street and is parallel with Sacramento. In '51 and '58 she was occupied for a boarding-house and restaurant kept by Lawrence Co. She was partly burned, as also was the Niantic.

"Opposite the Niantic, on the corner of Sansome and Clay, the large ship General Harrison rests in an angling position. This vessel was also used for a storage ship for a time. "The ship Thomas Bennett contained a grocery store. She is at the southwest corner of Sacramento and Front with a building over her. She lies parallel with Sacramento with her bow pointing toward Battery street A similar well was put down through her as the Niantic, but the water was not so good.

At the northwest corner of Pacific and Front was for a long time a vessel that went under the name only of the 'old She was used for a large liquor store. "On Davis near Market the Callao was cut tip for her wood and copper. A white-painted ship that has been much written about is the Alida. She lays on Davis street, between Washington and Jackson, and was owned before she sank by Ogden Havne, who sold her to Colonel Jones. He had her settled on his property.

Two Norwegians brought her into porD originally. We had a Methodist church in the Panama, on Davis street between Washington and Clay, and Father Taylor was the minister. He had a real pretty wife and I think that was the reasouSiiat the boys chipped in so liberallv. We paid Dr. Smith $300 for the space taken up by the ship, and helped the preacher out besides.

When religious services were no lonsrer held there she was taken to Beale aud Mission and cut up. Nearly all these vessels were sunk between '50 and '53." Captain Lawson has had charge of a large stock ranch near Tomales, Marin county, for the past seven years and it was there "that he was seen by an Examixeb representative yesterday. At one time he owned the property upon which the Grand Hotel is located, forWhich he paid $25,000, but later lost it through a defective title. A List of the Vessels That Lie Buried in San Francisco. HOW TITLES TO WATER LOTS WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Not the Globe, but the Cordova, Unearthed on Davie Street A Chart of the Different Ships Still Buried Beneath the Street or This City Kxcitlng Times on the Water Front Away Back in the Fifties. "Why, say! This is a mistake, sure," said Captain Fred Lawson, as he laid down a copy of the Examiner, in which he read the account of an old vessel being uncovered on Davis street a short time ago. The speaker was a rather spare man, slightly above medium height, whose long gray beard and snowy locks indicated that over seventy years had passed over his head, yet his blue eye was clear and bright, and he had the appearance of a man of forty-five. That could not have been the old ship Globe that was found, for the Globe was bought and cut up for wood and copper by Charley Hare in '51. He hired several Chinamen to do it, and he made a pretty good thing of it Wood was scarce in those days.

She had a large globe for a figurehead and was painted black. If you notice the color of this ship just found you will see that she was painted a lead color. She's the old Cordova, that's what she is." Captain Lawsou, a Norwegian by birth, landed at New York In 1887, and when the gold excitemont broke out crossed the isthmus and arrived in San Francisco in the fall of 1849. Three months spent in mining gave him enough of it, and he returned to San Francisco and secured the contract to grade Montgomery street and raise the clapboard shanties that lined it to the proper level. This work accomplished, at a to himself of several thousand dollars, though he paid his workmen $16 a day, Lawson began squatting on water lots.

At that time the old International Hotel stood on a bluff bordering the beach, the water reached Kearny at Jackson, aud the site of the Grand Hotel was an immense sand dune. One day a young man in rags, without shoes on liis feet or a coat upon his back, applied to Lawson for assistance. Lawson set him up in the real-estate business, and was so well pleased with his shrewd business abilities that he took him into partnership within a few weeks. The young man was Hiram Pearsons, the now doceased millionaire. The partnership existing between Lawson and Pearsons was not made public, and it was generally supposed that Lawson was alone in the venture.

The new firm purchased three blocks of water lots of Dr. Peter Smith, who seized much of the water front in default of a judgment for $300,000 secured by him against the bankrupt town. The first block was bounded by Vallejo, Broadway, Front and Davis, the second by Pacific, Jackson, Davis and Drumm, and the third by Washington, Clay, East and Drumm. Most of the property consisted of thirty -five feet of water, where were located slips for the entrance of vessels. Yes, sir; that's the old bark Cordova," said the Captain, his eyes glistening at recollections of the old days, "and I helped to sink her.

She was an American vessel and was bought by Captain Bowman from Good all Nelson for Palmer, Cooke Co. Goodall Nelson used her for a water ship. where vessels and housekeepers could get a supply of good water. Water sola lor 1 and $2 a bucket in those days. "Do I know of any other sunken vessels? Well, I should imagine so, when I had something to do with sinking nearly all of them Oh, I was in the ship-scuttling business in those days, and it was somewhat lively work sometimes.

You see, there were a lot of hulks in the bay, representing different nationalities, whose crews had deserted SIDE VIEW. them to go to the mines. Some of them had no owners that could be found, and those and others I gobbled up, for I had good use for them. At one time there were so many of them that they were a nuisance and were in the way of incoming vessels. When Pearsons and I bought the water lots of Dr.

Smith at tho rate of $3,600 a block we were not the only one who laid claim to the property, aud about the best way to get a perfect title was to float a ship in aud sink her on the spot I had been engaged in sending ships to their last resting place for some time, and when I asked $5,000 for the job of sinking tho Cordova and Garnet, Palmer. Cooke whose bank was located on the present site of the Bella Union Theatre, wouldn't pay that price and got another man to do it for $700. He took the Job, towed the Cordova in and went back for the Garnet When he brought the Garnet in the Cordova was missing and where she had gone no one knew. Strange things happened in those days, you know, and two or three days later the truant vessel was sighted on the other side of Goat Island. However, both were at last sunk, with my assistance, but the firm failed to name the exact place where they were to rest.

The mistake cost them an even $100,000, for they encroached noon land belonging to the Pacific and Broadway Wharf Companies and were compelled to buy the whole block at that price. "Just about fifteen feet in the rear of the Cordova lies the Garnet She was an American brig that I paid Captain Morgan $400 for. and sold to Palmer, Cooke Co. The first vessel I sank was the English bark Elizabeth. We gave $600 for her, and she now lies about 100 feet along East street between Clay and Merchant She settled in about thirty-five feet of water.

The next one was the hulk of the ship Noble. She was used as a storage ship. I put in plenty of ballast and scuttled her, and she now can be found somewhere in the block bounded by Pacific. Jackson, Davis and Drumm streets, with her bow near Pacific She. cost me $500.

I slipped her in very quietly one bright moonlight morning about 3 o'clock. Before I could drop her to the bottom the Pacific Wharf Company had the Antelope astern, and before 1 could prevent it she had fastened a line to my boat and began to steam away. She didn't take me manv feet though, for with a cutlass I cut the line and with pistol in hand ordered them to keep oft. They did so. There was a large crowd on the wharf and I expected bloodshed, but luckily there was no cause to fire any shots.

"About twenty feet from the Noble and directly opposite Clark street is the English brig Hardie. She was a large, fine vessel, and I bought her of Captain Ames for $OU. Ween I sunk the Noble the Pacific Wharf Company objected so strongly that we made a sort of compromise, and I brought in the Hardie to help remove the Noble from her position. The company furnished the men The New Bicycle Railway That Is to Revolutionize Travel. FROM NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO IN TEN HOURS.

The Inventor Makes Some. Sweeping Statements. But Backs Them lp Willi Facts Can Run on the Regular Road With Very Little Alteration Railroad Building Greatly Reduced In Cost. The Boynton Bicycle Railway system is just now receiving the careful consideration of the several elevated railway companies, who are cautiously inquiring into its merits. It has already received the commendation of several railway and engineering authorities of high standing, and is attracting so much curiosity and causing so much speculation in the railroad world that the New York Prat gives an account of this novel scheme, which may cut a prominent figure In the solution of the rapid transit problem.

The distinguishing feature of the system is that the cars are supported on single wheels, precisely as the human body is supported over the wheels of the bicycle. The wheels are doubled flanged, so that they clasn the rail on which thev run. The cars fare less in width than one-half of the stand ard gauge road, so that two bicycle trains can pass each other on the present single track railroad. This obviates the construction of new tracks, while not interfering with the old system of transportation. Of course the bicycle car would topple over without support at the side or top.

The required support is secured at the top by wheels supported horizontally on perpendicular supports attached to the top of the car. The wheels are arranged in pairs, one pair near the front and the other near the rear end of the car. Between the wheels and runniuz directly over tho longitudinal diameter of tho car is a continuous beam, which forms in effect the upper rail of the system. This beam may be of iron or wood. The wheels on the top of the car run along this beam, separated from it about an inch, so that the car top cannot wobble more than an inch.

This beam is part and parcel of a wooden structure constructed throughout the whole length of the track and inclosing the car in a continuous trestle work. Iron or wood may be used for the structure as well as for the beam. Every boy is aware that in rolling a hoop the faster the hoop goes the loss it wobbles, and the bicyclist knows that a bieycle going at full speed has little or no tendency to tip over. So the bicycle car, which can be rapidly started by a bicycle engine, is almost immediately able to stand on its own legs," so that the top wheels of the car impinge but very little upon the guide beam at the top. The features of superiority which are claimed for the Boynton bicycle system over the present one are briefly summed up: That the trains will be onfy one-fifth the pvesent weight; that the construction will cost only one-tenth that of the' present double track lines; that the operating expenses will be reduced one half that the friction will be diminished 90 per cent; that the safety of passengers and freight will be increased; that the system is applicable to any existing road, surface or elevated; that the capacity of the present road will be increased fourfold, and that a speed 100 miles an hour for continuous passage can be readily secured, while 300 miles an hour can be obtained if desirable.

These claims are so sweeping as to take one's breath away. Yet Mr. Boynton seeks to prove them good in view of the following statement of facts The motor power is a bicycle steam en gine, although ho has also developed an electric engine, which ho thinks will supersede the steam. There are two patterns of the steam engine, known as engine No. 1 and engine No.

2. No. 1 weighs 22 tons, driver diameter 8 feet, with 8 cylinders, 13 b3' 14 inches, making pressure of boiler ISO THE NEW pounds to the square inch average stroke, high pressure, 600 revolutions a minute; speed, with four cars weighing 20 tons, seating 432 passengers, 100 miles an hour. The side view of this engine is somewhat similar to that of the ordinary steam locomotive. Bicycle Engine No.

2, resembling somewhat the old dummy engine, weighs seven tons, has two cylinders 7x10 inches, a working pressure of 250 pounds to the square inch, with diameter of driver six feet, average number of turns a minute, with 150 pounds of steam, 600. This engine will take a single car of seven tous, seating 100 passengers, ninety miles an hour. Engine No. 1, with a two story passenger coach weighing live tons, capable of carrying 108 passengers, is shown in this cut. There are nine compartments on each deck each compartment is entered from the side, contains two seats facing each other, each seat seating threo persons, so that each compartment accommodates six persons, making fifty-four on each deck.

A two-story station, of course, is necessary to give admission to the car. Tho elements entering into the security of speed also affect the cost of construction of tho cars, for tho passenger cars, as shown by their weight six and seven tons are made lighter in construction than the present cars. The friction, in consequence of the pressure being directly over a single wheel running on a single rail, is reduced, as alreadv stated, 90 percent This feature is illustrated by the fact to which Mr. Boynton constantly refers, that a thirty-five pound bicvele carried Stevens arouud the world. After the bicycle train is once in motion it can be given a terrific velocity, Just as a hoop once set going can be kept at a speed limited only by the running powers of the boy who gives it an occasional tap.

Speaking of tho capacity and powers of his svstem. Mr. Boynton said yesterday; "Engine No. 1 will draw 324 passengers in throe compartment cars of an average weight of ten tons, with a traction of six tous, capable of beintr increased to ten tons bevause the water-tenk and coal are immediately above the driver at the average rate of a mile a minute, or to Boston and back in a sintrle day, with a single ton of coal. Now, 1 00 passengers the average number in a palace car train of four cars make a train whore cars weigh 180 tons, exclusive of baggage.

"These four cars have seats for 100 people, or the same as one of our five-ton cars carry. The coal burned for the heavy standard gaugo trains between Boston and New York, using three engines, including the amount used in heating and firing up, frequently exceeds twenty tons. A saving of from fen to twenty fold is affected wheu the train is proportionately lightened. The actual results are that 100 pounds of coal are saved an hour. There is less frictiou with the bicvele train in rounding curves, as there is no lateral motion, so that the wear and tear is reduced oue tenth.

'WONDERFUL WATER, Or a Wonderful Liar, We Don't Know Which. From the Xewcattle (Venn.) Guardian. North Beaver township, this county, Is the possessor of a wonderful phenomenon, Which heretofore has never been chronicled in the newspapers. This is no less than a veritable growing rock. Not a bowlder with roots deep in the ground and branches that roach out into the air, but one which has in half a century sprung from a diminutive lapideous substance that a patent bucket could cover to one that would weigh THE SITTING POSITION.

Private Frank C. Hayes, Company First Infantry. rrnrnrn' 7 rj i THB TARGET. the disadvantage of being somewhat too slow of recovery to the standing position for rapid field work. The sitting position is used chiefly at short range 200 and 800 yards.

The knees are elevated and the barrel of the rifle is hold in the hollow of the left hand, which is supported on the left knee. The proficiency obtained by some of the sharpshooters is extraordinary. Even in the rapid firing at the sound of the bugle, and with such indistinct and curiously shaped targets to aim at, the scores of some of the marksmen compare favorably with that made in careful aiming on white targets. The competition which closed on the 23d at the camp at Monterey is held each year in the various divisions of the regular army. It is begun by a competitive shoot in the companies in each of the departments.

The ten best marksmen in each department are then formed together into the department team. In the contests at Camp Monterey there were teams from the departments of California, Columbia and Arizoua. These three teams were sent out upon the "run," as it is called. The California team scored 569 points out of a possible 1,500, the Columbias made 691 and the "crack ten" from Arizonia made the top score, 757 points. The division medal, offered for the team making the best score, has been won three times by the Apache hunters, and thus become their property.

It was won once by the Columbia team. The Arizona team is made up of Lieutenants McCaleb and Ramsey of the Ninth Infantry, Quartermaster-Sergeant Fern, Corporal Ogburn and Privates Garrard and Hermann of the same regiment, together with Sergeants Wilkes and Brown of the Twentv-fourth, and Sergeant Gleason and Private O'Flaherty of the Tenth. Corporal Densmore of the Fourth and a member of the Columbia team won the individual medals for the highest score, Private Hermann of the Ninth won the second prize and Lieutenant Ramsey of the Ninth the third. These three men will be sent, to take part in the general army competition, which iucludes'teams from ail the divisions, and takes place at Fort Winthrop, in September. HOW.

TO KILL A RAT. The Affair Was Managed All. Right, but the Rodent Still Lives. Front Oie Dttroit Fret Press. Two or three mornings ago a boy brought out a rat in a trap on the asphalt pavement of Cass avenue.

A terrier dog was leaping POSITION. Battery Fifth Artillery. and dancing around him, and before he reached the middle of the street a dozen men and boys and two or three more dogs had stopped to see the fun. The boy looked as if he knew enough to manage a rat, but there is always a boss for every such occasion. In this" case it was a short fat man with a very big cane, and ho took the trap from the boy and said These things must bo managed right or away goes the rat Now then, everybody pet a stick or club, or something, aud call up them dogs." Everybody armed himself and a circle was formed, while no less than five dogs were inclosed.

The man held the trap up, looked around to see if everything was all right and said: Now. then, the rat will be turned loose on the community." So he was, and there was a rush of men, bovsand dogs. Everybody struck at the rat and hit everything else, while the dogs mads one grab for him and then bunched together in a fight Three hats were knocked off, two bovs sat down on the pavement to howl, and the rat dodred about and ran under the sidewalk. When he had gone the fat man stood puffing, a broken cane in his hand and his bat on the ground, and finally managed to say: hang it I You you fellers don know 'nuff to pound sand "You are a liar yelled four or five voices in chorus, and after everybody had spit on his hands and said he could knock evervbody else's head off, the convention broke up and left the empty trap ia the middle of the street THE TEXAS GRIP. Private E.

O'Flaherty, Company Tenth Infantry. and run, fall into position at the sound of the bugle and fire and reload. The positions assumed by the marksmen are peculiar to this sort of shooting. There are four distinct attitudes which are shown in the cuts taken from instantaneous photographs obtained upon the range by the Ex- aminer's camera artist. The most popular and at the same time the most peculiar of these positions is the one known as the "Texas srrip." The "Texas grip" and the "Sawbuck' THE PRONE First Sergeant Joseph Heifer, are probably the only kinds of rifle-shook ing which are practiced in which the butt of the piece does not rest asainst the marksman's shoulder.

In the former the right leg isextended straight outupon the ground and the left is bent slightly at the kneo. The right shoulder rests upon the ground aud the opposite one is partially raised. The strap of the piece is passed over the left leg and caught in the crook of the knee. The left arm is bent at the elbow and the hand passing behind the head grasps the butt of the run, behind and over the right shoulder. The recoil after firing thus comes upon the strap under the knee and the left hand holds it in place.

To facilitate greater rapidity in loading, merit of the shots. Three black figures are groujed together at the base of ten upright poles. These manikins are made of canvas tf oiched over cast iron frames, and each represents the life-size figure of a human being in a different position. One of the figures is crouched close to the ground in a compact mass, in height not over two feet Next to this- figure is one that stands upright, probably five feet ten inches high. The tnird is in a kneeling position and about half the height of the standing figure.

These three uprights are supposed to represent three enemies, and each one of the sharpshooters is expected to attend to the three opponents allotted to him. The difference in size is made to correspond to the difference in the scores. In other words, a shot which perforates the smallest figure is counted as five, one which strikes the kneeling figure is scored as four and a bullet driven through the standing figure is reckoned as three points. This is the basis of what is known as skirmish firing in the vernacular of the regular army. BOYNTON BICYCLE RAILROAD fifty tons or more.

This remarkable curiosity is in a deep ravine through which a rippling cascade, known as Leonard's run, gurgles its winding way through a precipitous country to the Beaver river. It presents to the view of the curiosity-seeker a strong precipice about ten feet in height and some fifteen feet in circumference, cropping out of the high bank of the ravine. It Is covered In places to a depth of two or three inches with a deposit of dense moss at this time of the year, and dripping wet from the contents of a spring at the summit which trickle down over it. At the first view no oue would take it for anything but a formation which contained considerable limestone; but once apply a chisel to its Rritty surface after the moss is removed and a strange metamorphosis reveals itself. Undor the outer layer, which has been hardened by contact with the air, it is discovered that the substance is honeycombed like a mammoth sponge, the cells being surrounded by stono as hard as adamant Dig further in, and this cellular substance continues, but it seems to have been calcined into a translucent flint There are tons upon tons of this, and it is as heavy as granite, vet every ounce of it is undoubtedly petrified moss and other vegetable matter.

The explanation of this wonderful petrification is found in the spring which saturates it The spring, which at this season of the year would be drained dry if a couple of pails of water were taken from it has the singular property of turning every vegetable and for all that is known to the contrary, fish or animal that it constantly acts upon, into stone. The water which produced this has a slightly acid taste, not unlike that of some of the celebrated medical springs. Not only is tho moss embalmed in this manner, but plants, leaves, twigs and other vegetable matter are impregnated with the inexorable fluid, converted into stone and strata upon strata placed over them until they are hermetically seated up in the interior. When the geological explorer, with his hammer and chisel, delves into the rock, he comes upon these strong twigs, leaves, and thus is his heart rejoiced by adding many fine specimens to his collection. The persons living in the vicinity have such confidence in the petrifying qualities of the spring that by way of experiment some of them are going to fasten frogs in such a way that the water will drip over them and turn them iuto stone.

The first to discover the spring and its singular properties was William Alls-worth, who saw it tiny-three years ago. At that time Mr. Allsworth avers the rock to which such accumulations have been made since by petrification was only a couple of feet high and with a width of about the same. Then it was ten or more feet immediately below the spring; now it has climbed up the embankment until it is above it a couple of feet and has turned the water's course. New Styles in Fotal Cards, From Urn Washington Pwt.

We may decide on a pale blue shade," said fostmaster-General Wanamaker, in talking of the new postal cards to a Post reporter last night or a pale gray shade, or it may be that a pearl or a yellow shade would be best The color and size are still subject to change. The pale gray was the color we favored, but as I say, we may later decide on some pale shade of blue, or perhaps on pearl or yellow." These new postal cards will be the handsomest things of the sort ever offered to buyers. There will be two new varieties, a large card, perhaps a third larger thn the present ordinary card, of a complexion sncirestive of torpid liver, and another size. just the least bit smaller than the present caw. "Those cards," went on Postmaster-General Wanamaker, will be almost penny postage.

Their size will enable one to indite a quite lengthy epistle on them, all for 1 cent" But it is the pale gray or pearl- colored card that will be the greatest bargain. It will not hold so much, but it is to be an uncommonly attractive auair. ThediDatch from Connecticut speaks of these dainty postal novelties for the fali season as "postal cards for ladies." Mr. Wanamaker says this is nousonse. ine cards will be sold to gentiemeu or cBiioreu at the uniform rate of 1 cent each and 13 cents per dozen, and any one who chooses will be allowed la use tnein.

jnerumur that the cards were to be scented is unfounded. Mr. Wanamaker does not expect that the cards will be in the tuariMt jc earlier than six mouths htuce. THE SAWBUCK. Sergeant J.

H. White, Company Fourth Infantry. Each marksman is provided with thirty cartridges. He is required to make use of the whole round between the time. that he starts out on the first run from the 800 yards murk and his return to that point on the retreat The rules of competition permit that each man mav fire as many shots at each range as he pleases, provided, of course, he keeps.