The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-22 00:00:00

THE WIMBLEDON MEETING.

length achieved the triumph on
whSicoohtlhanerd hhaesaratt
was set—of winning the Grand
International Match; and it now seems
that the Eleho Shield, which there has been somel3l Will be unavoidable delay in completing, probable
suspended
for the first time publicly in Holyrood, or whatever
other position may be selected as most suitable.
Twice the English eight had carried off the honours of
this match, and at last a despondent conviction was
growing up on the Scottish side that the area from
which their competitors could be drawn was much
too limited
that in th
itedin come
present
with England.: It was
known instance
the composition
of their eight was, if anything, stronger than on for-
mer occasions, and that the English side did not feel
altogether confident of the result. Still the issue of
the International Enfield Matoh,where their chances
were apparently as good, had damped their wee•
tations concerning the small bore competition. And
hence the joy and satisfaction with which the vic-
tory, long coveted, wes bailed on its acitual attain-
ment. The prcspects of the struggle fluctuated very
much at different periods of the day. When a pause
was made for lunch the Scotch were a few points
ahead, but at the close of the firing at 800 yards the
English were 11 in advance, the numbers being 367
to 356. At the 900 yards' range the Scotch made
their great recovery. It was not perhaps that there
was any visible improvement in their shooting, so
much as a falling off in that of their antagonists
Capt. Heaton, who had been literally making bull's-
yes at will all through the previous portion of the
meeting, at this range only succeeded in scoring 19.
Lord Bury, whose favourite rifle had been disabled
the previous day, was still more unfortunate, only
15 marks being put down opposite his name. Lient.-
Colonel Baker (Cambridge University), Sergeant
Martin Smith (Victories), Lient, Hawker (2d South
Middlesex), and Corporal Pell (lons of Court) made
very steady shooting all through the ranges, and the
aggregate scores of the two former were higher
than any obtained on the Scotch side. But whereas
there were four on the English side whose total
scores fell short of 114, there was only one Scotchman
whose marks were below that number. The actual
mi jority for Scotland was 25, a result which, it will
be seen, the efforts of the Messrs. Ross and Mr.
Wilken mainly contributed to bring about. It is
said that in the next competition an eff trt will be

--I- *,, hrinc, nn an Irish pinta worthy of their
rivals, and thus to complete the international cha-
racter of the match. One would imagine that with
the many excellent rifle clubs in the north of Ire-
land, and the love of sport pervading all classes in
that country, there ought to be no difficulty, among
the higher classes, at all events, in making up a con-
tingent which would show creditably at Wimbledon.
The competition for the Mont Storm prizes was
continued during the day, and continued to excite
very general interest. It was evident from the
manner in which the rifle was handled by the vari-
ous competitors that scarcely any of them had pre-
vious
a knowledge
niciitiwml ebdegr eo
fo f
roundst he we i
it
weapon. Many fired away
a re
the specified time,
scarcely making a hit at all ; others, aiming very
deliberately, failed to appreciate the full advantages
g
which a breech-loading rifle is calculated to afford.
The exceptional case of Sergeant Brook, of the 12th
Middlesex, was on this account the more remarkable.
In addition to firing off 13 rounds within the allotted
two minutes, he made the good score of 31 points.
The eubject of breech- loaders is evidently one of
increasing interest, for Sir C. Forbes has offered as
prizes, which will be shot for to-day, a Snider's rifle
and one by an inventor named Joslyn, both on the
breech-loading principle. The Marquis of Tweed-
dale's prize of £lOO, open to gunmakers, will be
shot for on Monday next, it having been found im-
possible to include that Competition with the busi-
ness of the present week.
In the course of the afternoon a lamentable accident
occurred, which cast a deep gloom over the remainder
of the day's proceedings. In its five years' experi-
ence of Wimbledon, and wiTh the millions of shots
fired at its ranges, the Association had never known
any experience of gunshot wounds more serious
caused by
than thew caused of lead from the
targets last year. Yesterday, unfortunately, was
the first black day in its calendar, and the event
acquired a more melancholyl interest from the atten-
dant circumstances. t seems that at the pool tar-
gets, 500 yards range, firing was not immediately
resumed after luncheon hour, but several minutes
elapsed before any one presented himself to shoot at
that range. When some Volunteers did arrive all
course !
the danger flags ofwere flying, and the
markers were out of their hots
at the other end of
the range talking to one another. The officer in
command of the firing point gave orders to wave the
red flags as a signal to the markers to retire to their
huts. His orders were obeyed, and the markers be-
ing rather slow in obeying them he had turned to
some one who had attracted his attention, when he
heard a shot immediately behind him, and, looking
round an Echo screen to see
'Whence it proceeded,
discovered that a rifle had been discharged by one
of the sergeant instructors of musketry with a view
to attract the attention
This
of the markers and to hasten
their movements. proceeding was a breach of
all regulations, but in extenuation of such act it is
alleged that extreme eaaes have been known in
which a rifle shot has been employed as a means of
communication. Be this as it may, a commotion at
the other end of the rang? WEIS visible only too soon,
and a melancholy procession was shortly on its way
to the hospital tent. It seems from the account
given by the other markers that as they were stand-
ing about near the targets without any occupation
the wounded man, Private H. Cooper, of the Cold-
stream Guards, began to collect bullets which had
the. only
gone through his target, one of pasteboard
at that range, and lodged in the butt behind. His
comrades called to him to get back to his hut when
the signals were tni4de from the firing point, as
they of coarse could not take down their danger
flags till he was under eaver. He replied
that he would go in a moment—as soon as
he picked up one more bullet. At that moment a
shot fired from the other end of the range struck
the target which concealed him from view, passed
through its unresisting sithstatlez, and lodged in his
back. He fell, exclaiming to one of his comrades,
" Dick, 1 am shot ! " when they at once rushed out,
picked him up, and helped to carry him to the hos-
pital tent. He was promptly attended by Dr.
Weetmacott, of the Laation Scottish, medical officer