The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-03 00:00:00

THE SUN; LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING JULY 3, 1862.

a liberal donation to the funds, the building being
open to the Royal Marines, cf whom there are
about 1,200 now at Chatham, or about one-fourth
of the number of the whole garrison. Major-Gen.
Eyre, in opening the institute, slid that in the pre-
sent day there was no class in this country whose
improvement, comfort, and general welfare were
mere cared for than soldiers and sailors. The
object of that institute was to provide a respectable
place of comfort, recreation, and every kind of
harmless amusement for the non-commissioned offi-
cers and men of the garrison, the more respectable
of whom bad long complained that at Chatham,
more than at any other station, they found them-
selves absolutely lost if they left the barracks in
search of any rational amusement. At the club
now opened the soldier would be at home, free
from restraint of any kind, except that which all
society in a civilised country was subject to.
It had been decided that beer should not be
supplied within the institution. Close at hand
there was an excellent canteen, to which those
who liked a glass of beer might adjourn to take it,
after which they could return to the quiet and com-
fort of the club. By permission of his Royal High •
ness the General Commanding-in-Chief, he had to
declare the club open to the soldiers of the army
who wished to enjoy the many advantages there
offered them. The troops then gave three hearty
cheers, after which the " National Anthem" was
sung. A concert of vocal and instrumental music,
by the bands of the Royal Engineers and Royal
Artillery, followed. The rooms during the vs hole
of the evening were crowded.
The deaths of the following officers have been
officially reported at the War Department since the
Ist of June :—Gen. Sir T.. Willshire,G.C.B., colonel
of the 51st King's 0 wn Light Infantry ; Lieut.-Gen.
W. Sutherland, C. 8., colonel of the 93d Sutherland-
shire Highlanders; Major-Generals the Hon. R.
Bruce and T. 0. Cater, Royal Artillery ; Cols. Sir
G. H. Hewett and C. E. Fairclough, 3d Depot Bat-
talion ; Major J. M. Pennington, paymaster, 48th
Regiment ; Capts. J. Challoner, E. J. Clayfield, and
E. J. Paterson, Royal Artillery ; Lieuts. H. P.
Cole, Royal Engineers; H. Fraser, 73d Regiment;
E. Jeffreyson, 2d Royal Vet. Battalion ; H. Young,
6th Royal Vet. Battalion ; and W. Turnstull, 36th
Regiment ; Ensign J. P. Clarke, 73d Regiment ;
and J. Forbes, 107th Bengal Infantry; Assist.-
Surg. H. N. Holden, 21st Fusileers ; Deputy-Pur-
veyor, T. E. Peirce.

THE GRAND NATIONAL _RIFLE

CONTEST.

The volunteers who had spent the night in camp
found day dawning yesterday, as on Tuesday, with
a dull and lowering aspect—a somewhat rough and
windy night having caused a constant flapping of
canvas over their heads, and a rude and blustering
assault upon their ears, altogether unlike the expe-
rience of feather-beds at home, safe from the dis-
turbing influence of wind and weather. Neverthe-
less, they were awake with the lark ; and when the
reveille was sounded at half-past 6, every man was
speedily up and doing in conformity with regula-
tions established for the purpose of giving to this
holiday demonstration as much as possible of the
aspect of actual military life. Thus at 10 p.m. tattoo
is sounded; and thereupon the captain and subal-
terns on duty mount guard, with an in-lying picket
of 20 men, who are expected to hold themselves in
readiness for any alarm—whether of fire or invasion
—that may arise during the night; while at 11
o'clock the same officers make the round of the camp
to see that all is quiet, and prevent any who might
be so inclined from disturbing the rest of others by
unseasonable and nnsoldierlike festive celebrations.
A 6 a.m. comes the reveille ; at 7,15 parade without
arms ; after that breakfast.
At half-past 9 yesterday the signal gun was fired,
and the great race of competition for prizes was
fairly opened; and Capt. St. John Mildmay, Capt.
Page, Col. Bew es, and the other officials, were at
once on the alert, and were kept so by the exacting
circumstances surrounding them throughout the
day. The attendance of volunteers was naturally
rather more numerous than on Tuesday, but the
number of uniVterested, or rather unprofessional,
spectators, was exceedingly limited.
The firing of the signal gun was followed by an
immaaiato commencement of the competition for
some of the principal prizes of the meeting, different
butts being appointed, not only to particular con-
tests, but also to -various parties engaged in the same
contests—long range and short range matches pro-
ceeding simultaneously, so as to effect that economy
of time which the multitude of competitors—in the
case of the Queen's Prize exceeding 1,100—makes
an absolute necessity. With regard to the targets
themselves it is a well to add a few words by way
of explanation. Those at 200 yards range are 6ft.
by 4ft., with an 8-inch square bull's-eye, and a 2ft.
square centre ; those at 500 and 600 yards are Bft.
by 6ft., with a 2ft. square bull's-eye, and a 4ft.
square centre ; while those at 800, 900, and 1,000
yards are 12ft. by 6ft., with a 3ft. square bull's-eye,
and a 6ft. square centre. When a bull's-eye is hit
a red and white flag shows that three points are
scored; when a centre is hit a blue flag gives two
points to the marksman ; and when an " outer," or
outside centre is made, a white flag is displayed,
and one point is added to the score. It will be ob-
served that the size of the target, bull's eye, and
centres increases proportionately with the length of
range, from 200 yards to 1,000 yards, the number
of points scored for each corresponding hit being
the same at all ranges.

The respective competitions entered upon at the
commencement of proceedings yesterday were —The
Queen's Prize, first stage ; the All Corners ; the
Association Cup ; and some Extra Prizes. The first
series of these are open to any rifle under lOibs.,
with a Swiss target, at 800 yards, the prizes con-
sisting of a gold watch, given by Mr. Bennett,value
£4O ; a Kerr rifle, given by the London Armoury
Co., value 15 guineas ; a field glass, given by Messrs.
Burrow, value £7 ; do., by Messrs. Keyzor and
Bendon, value £5 ss. ; a telescope, withstand, given
by Mr. Steward, eees ss. ; engraving, by Mr. Garle
Brown, £lolos. ; do., by do., £lO 10s. Another
first series of prizes was restricted to rifles .577 bore,
carrying Government ammunition, as follows :--
Rifle, given by Mr. Smith,Davis-st., £4O; A rmy and
Navy Gazette prize, £2O; rifle, given by Messrs.
Calisher and Terry, £l5; field glass, given byMessrs.
Burrow, of Great Malvern, £7 7s. ; and 2 engravings,
given by Mr. Garle Brown, £lO 10s. each. In ad-
dition to this prize competition, which was carried
on beieltly throughout the day, there was the usual
run of pool shooting ; but the " deer target" was not
permitted to run, in consequence of Tuesday's acci-
dents. It will, however, probably resume its career
to-day, proper precautions having meanwhile been
taken to place the men in charge out of harm's way
from the glancing bullets. The firing to-day will be
merely a continuation of the competition commenced
yesterday for the Queen's and other prizes, with the
exception that the " All Corners" will be limited to
the interval between 9 30 a.m. and 1 30 p.m. ; the
competition after three o'clock (when the time al-
lowed for luncheon terminates) being reserved for
members of the association only. As to the first
stage of her Majesty's prize, on which the firing
will probably extend over to.rnorrow, it is as well
to explain that each competitor is entitled to five
shots at the 200, 500, and 600-yards ranges respec-
tively; but if he fails to make nine shots (out of 18
possible points and hits included) at the 200 and
500-yards ranges, he will be excluded from compe-
tition at the 600-yards range, and of course from the
long range, or second and final stage for this the
great prize of the contest for the present year. It
should also be stated that the 20 leading
shots at
these ranges will be entitled to receive Enfield rifles,
each valued at £25, and the 20 next best will be
entitled to join in the second stage of competition
for the Queen's Prize, and to these 40 that compe-
tition will be restricted.
The result of the competition for the Queen's Prize,
so far as it progressed yesterday,
points,
Hays, 37th Middlesex, as having made 18 p
and the following as having made 16 points at 200
ncalfe Ist
yerds, out of 20 points possible, viz.
Du
• 4th
Cheshire; Hodgkinson, 15th do.; Fitzpatrick, k
Murdoc ,
Devon Artillery ; Scott, 7th Edinburgh ;
, gave the names of
rott, 2d
13th do. ; Ferguson, let Inverness ;
ee
seyour, Ist
Lancashire ; Millican, 4th Leicester ;
Queen's, Westminster ; Morrison, sth Renfrew ;
Sp
Phillips, Ist Shropshire, and Carpmael, 4th Surrey.
The following are the names of those Who