Connecticut western news., 1875-07-16
THE RIFLE CONTEST.

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 The Match Between the American and
 Irish Teams-The Americans Successful
 by Score of Thirty-eisht Points.
 The American team have met with 8 most brilliant success in their shoot ing match with their Irish friends, Both at the Creedmoor Gong Island) shooting last year and now at Dolly 2 mount (Dublin) the ranges were the same-SOO, 900, and 1000 yards; the {. targets, six feet by twelve in size, with center six feet by six, and bulls eye three feet by three. A shot in the 2 bulls eye counts four in the center, three; in the outer, that is, anywhere else on the target, two. The teams are each of six men; each man has fifteen shots at each range, forty-fve in all Ther highest possible team score is 1,O8O.
 At Creedmoor, the total of the Ameri- cans was 934, that of the Irish, 931- thus made up: At 800 yards, Ameri- cans, 325; Irish, 317; 900 yards, - Americans, BIO; Irish, 315; 1000 yards, Americans, 298; Irish, 3O3.
 This affords us ground of comparison with the shots at DoIlymount, when the total was: Americans, 967 Irish, 929 thus made up : At 800 yards, the Americans made 337, the Irish 338; 900 yards, Americans 327, Irish 292; 1000 yards, Americans 303, Irish 299. There z fore the Americans beat their former scores heavily in each case-twelve, seventeen, and five respectively. The Irish gained heavily at 800 yards, twenty-one points-lost twenty three points at 300 yards, and at 1000 yards lost four. The Americans beat the Irish by thirty-eight points, and their Creed moor score by thirty three points; the Irish fell behind their Creedmoor per formance two points.
 The American shooting was indeed splendid, and the Irish compared favora- bly, with the best shooting at Wimbledon, the great English riherange. Though beaten, they maintained high reputa- tion, and justified their former title to the Elcho shield, the chief Wimbledon prize. They had exhausted hospitality to the American team previous to the match, and they gave unstlnted honor to their successful opponents when they retired victors from the field.
 ss Dollymount, the range, is on sandy island ill Dublin bay, about three miles from the city, called the North Bull. It Is part of the bar at the mouth of the IIffey, stream famous in Irish history The celebrated battle of Clontarf. fought by Brian Boru, the renowned chief, against the invading Danes, be- fore William the Conqueror's time, oc- cured on it's banks. Moore sings the conflict in his well known line:
 Remember the glories of Brian the brave."
 Dollymount, the scene of the contest, is in Clontarf parish, whose name re- mains to commend te the bloody con tiict of Kelt and Dane, in the dark ages of Ireland's history, upon which the prowess and genius of Brian Boru shed its light of glory. It was fit place for the friendly contest between the rihemen of new America and old Ireland. f-
 The qualities required in these long range rifle shots are endurance, steadi- ness of nerve, and careful calculation of the varying windage. The contest lasts for several hours; the men are kept up at high nervous tension by the excite ment of competition and the sympathetic craftsmanship of the vast crowd of wit nesses. Only the strongest self control, evenness of pulse, and rigidity of mus cle, can hope to win even a decent suc- cess. The positions assumed by the diff ferent men are many and frequently amuslng-all, however, depending on the one principle of the, effort of the man to find as many points of support for his body on the unyielding ground as he can secure, and at the same time to bring the rear or peep-sight of his rifle as close to his eye as possible. l The target at these great distances looks of about the size of say one inch by half an inch at three yards length from the eye. The distance of the 1 ,0OO yards target may be appreciated by the fact that 1t IS about the same as Stewart's s store from the Fifth Avenue Hotel. To put shot after shot ill the bulls eye-a just appreciable black spot-at eight hundred, nine hundred, and one thou sand yards, and to keep up the fire through forty-fve- consecutive shots, is to test the endurance and steadiness of the markSman to marvellous degree.
 The fact that the American team never hred at long ranges until last summer, though their opponents have been in practice for ten years, gives added merit to their victory. They have put them selves at the head of all long range rife shots. They will have an opportunity to carry off the championship from Wimbledon likewise. The team have certainly done us honor, and the Irish team and people have given further proof of their chivalry in accepting honorable defeat without modification, and spend ing unstinted praise on the victors.
 Their brilliant record at the Irish range will enable the Americans to enter the lists in the forthcoming contest at Wimbledon, in England, in early July, with the prestige of champions. They have done the best shooting that has ever been done, and if they maintain their supremacy in the Wimbledon con- test with the English, Irish and Scotch, they will come back to New York loaded