The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-14
THE AMERICAN TEAM AHEAD
LEADING TUENTr-SIx POINTS IN THE
FIRST mar or THE MiTtH.
More Accurate Workmanship than had Ever
been Made ON the Crccdmoor Rnnac-Who
the RtHcmcn Are aud How They shoot.


The international long-rangc match for
the championship Of the world. open to rifle
men Of all countries. was begun yesterday at
Crccdmoor. and it Is to be finished to-day
The conditions of tho match were that
each team should consist Of eight men, native
born citizens and residents Of the countries
which they might respectively represent. The
rifles were not to exceed ten pounds each in
weight. and the minimum pull Of trigger to be
three pounds. There were to he thirty shots In
each range by each competitor. no sighting
shots. The match to last two days. competitors
to- fire fifteen shots ut each distance upon each
day. beginning in the 500 yards range The
position. 1t was understood might be any with
out artificial rest There was no entrance fee.
The Crcedmoor range yesterday morning
was thick with what the British riflcmcn
called n Scotch haze. Everybody predicted rain.
Tho British team arrived in n body at about 0
from Garden City. Tho mcmbcrs of the Amcri-
can team struggled into the range, and went to
Gen. Dakin's tent There they had a confer
cnce. The socmnity Of the scene was amusing.
NJ party of men who ever assembled at hang
ing was loss hilarious and gloomy. All were
pale and nervous. The members Of the British
team were especially cautious and shy. They
huddled together and seemed 10 think thatthey
must be on the defensive. The excessive dcm-
onstratons 81 friendship which characterized
the dnys of practice between the teams were not.
| seemingly. To- be continued Ia the two days con-
| test. and both teams went to their places with
the seeming firm determination To- win.
In the toss for position the British team won
| the choice. and selected targets y and ] on the
| east The American team took the targets X
| and W, on the west 1t was generally believed
| that the weather was more favorable to the
| British team than 1t might be to the American
team hut this was disputed by the Americans.
who said that they were much better used To- the
| frequent changes Of wind which were 40 no.
ticeeblc in the ranpt The sun soon asserted
n7gh VIII WIN Tremendous lowGr and ths marks;
| everybody was depressed. The good shots on
| both los We're applauded There were about
| Lieut.. Col. Fenton, Lieut.. Fenton. Sir Henry
iallorsd; ss, @na Mf HnmnhTsy Of hG BRITISH
gu-on. and Evans. II the same team. had tar
| get y. Gn. Ddkin. Capt: Jack-on. Mr.. Hyde.
Bruce Blydenburgh. and Jewell had target W
| Col Peel was chosen referee for the British
team, and Judge Gild"r,s;leeye for the American
| the umpire. Capt Bouliy and Mr. Armtagc
were thr score keeper. on thn American side
| Hitchcock were score Keepers on the British
side for The American tenn. M"--rs j. r. b.
| comm ana j. IS steele were spoilers OF targets
for the Amorirans and Mayor Waller and j. W.
Baligur were spo,ii"rs for the british team. At
| the nflnE points within tnr ropes no persons
excepting those having special tickets were
permitted to enter There were frequent CON
nicts between the police and the military con-
corning the authority Of each In the premises.
At about fifteen minutes past II tho signal gun
for the beginning OF the match was fired. Judge
citation, met Gen. Dakin and Sir Henry lIalford
On the dividing line between the British md
m ne wished 10 announce mat the 9rlsinal condi-
| hAngI
Whatever might be the result Of the contest
good feeling between British and American
rnem"n might contlnu. 10 exist Judge Stan
ton then formally declared the match to be
op.n Sir nry Hniford and Gen. Dakin lis
tglt hy retiring without shaking hands. Gen.
nakin was pal and slightly nervous. Sir
Henry betrayed un"asinrss. Everybody was
anxious 10 see the first shot The range WIS AS
quiet as the grave. ana The spr 'tators sat as
sharp crack of "a rife. and AL eyes We're strainod
thc ground H. was followed 6y gthers Of Tho Tie
Then the American team Followed suit.
Then the handsome Gen. Dnkin took his posi-
tiou for tho opening shot and the interest *
hihitei bv tho -ir'int1rs was rr,et Bnf,r,, tho
Dollymount match was shot he took the prone
position. since that he takes the back position.
mrer- were somewhat ~taRgered when he maIe
a centre lD. The super,titious thought it an
l omen i,r the Amccl an team Righy ~ Ire
le@a. always slow and methodical. was unu-I-
ally slow y'-irrlay ii" il "A practical gum
| maker. anu before shooting, whenever ms turn
was rcachcd. he gayc his weapon A thorough IN
opaning shot ior the fritish teom. Biydcn.
hurghihe Youngest man IN the American team,
was graduated at Columbia College School of
Mnc-. ana t. a civil, and mining engineer 10y
eyes, and slightly built. He is % years of age,
lust yrar lie might have been IN the Amer
san lean ,na tga Ioun ng s he MAS E%aS I%d ,n to hay
position. H., opened his score with bulls
eye Frank II de Is aged AZ Hc shoot, from
the back position, and uses the heel sight. lie
made centre Tor an oy"-oponer. Then Mayor
Jewell. who was once known as the chamri9n
itont ills position IA shooting Is peculiar
hrrel hetween his knees. HIS cn hand firmly
the breach. His right hand holds the small OF
n" -i'"k, upon which the tangent scale j. fNei.
~ r'-i- ihr right sid" of his head against the
edge IT the butt, upon which is "A small cushion
pr li,' hls m, from the reeoil His first shot
Weber ,cupird good position in the Amer
of lighl complrxion. ana has blue cyos. 10 thc
utter a7lonlshmenl Of his friends he opened
with an lnn'r ljL Allen is 30 years If axe. and
shoots from thr ba'k position. He followed
the IoJ, Eeli md Farm w1s on the reserve oi
, the American team at DolyHount in 1873. IL
od II 50 that Col. GilderslroNe might have IT,
HIS opening shot yesterday was an inner. IIo
II careful cons Srl"ntlouS murk,mHn. and there
were many pres'nl 10 cherr MN; Grim, sturdy
Capt. jackson boldly opened with bull's-eye.
All oi the American rilnmon were quick nl
the trigger, and their scores in each range wrr,
finished many minutes before the British rifle
men. Fergusson. Lieut.. George Fenton. and
kGby were 50 slow that some Of the spectators
became almost cXaspcrated. Ferguson. VIII,
: takes the back position, scored bull 's.eye fuI
his first shot Evans also scored n bul s-eye
Millner. the pride Of the lrishmon. tall, quiet
, and steady. secured a bulls-eye on the opening
Lieut.. Fenton's first shot was an inner. and
Lieut.. Col LFenton began his score with bull =
, eye. Humphrey Of England. who takes tn,
shots in the team. made miss. This sur
prised his fellows. who earnestly surveyed tn,
targets and the heavens through their tele
scopes Although n squad Of men from tho rill'
pit walked all around the target. and minutely
, Inspected il. they could not find any trace VI
Humphreys bullet.
, The shooting in the S00-yard range was very
close. The Americans worked fast and fur
ously, and the British team kept on its low
; mothodicql way, Young Bydenburgh made
centre in his second shot. and then filed ny thu
D | line with bull ls-cycs making ~ out Of Il pos
> siblr 10. lie had closed his score in this range
and had time TO watch the British team. Gen
nakin t"ll one behind the little marksman
Hyde mnde eleven bull 's-cycs and four centres
making II score Of H. Jewell, Evans Allen Col
Fenton, and Sir Henry llalford wound up thoi
Q SCORES In this range with II eHch Bruce made