The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-10-04
NUMBER 40
The Rifle victory.

Yesterday will ever be marked with
white stone among American rifle
men. Their most sanouine homes of
success have been far exceeded. The
day before, the highest point in rifle
shooting had been reached by total of
1855 in a possible l 800; yesterday, even
that superb record was thrown into the
shade by total score of 1879. To this
extraordinary result all elements con-
tributed. The clouds that had been ex-
pected to bring rain, scarcely veiled the
sky at intervals. The wind was SO light
as not to interfere with the course of
the bullets, and yet sufficient to clear
| all vapors from the air. Our marks
men had, in addition, the great advan-
tage of hope founded upon the pre-
vious days good fortune; and it has
long since passed into a proverb that
there is nothing SO successful as sue
cess.
The record upon the three targets of
the British Team shows clearly that the
shadow of encouragement, the gloomy
prospect Of defeat, weighed more heav-
lily upon them as the day advanced, and
crippled their later efforts. They began
admirably, with the largest score they
have yet made on the 800-yard target,
and were. nevertheless, surpassed by
sixteen points at that range. At the
next target both teams fell off nearly
an equal number of points, giving the
Americans an additional advantage of
eighteen. Hitherto it has generally
been supposed that the superiority of
American shooting shows least at the
longest range; but the hopelessness of
their struggle seems to have impressed
itself on the British Team at 1000
yards, and their score at that distance
fell behind the Americans thirty-two
points. 1t is not matter for surprise
that the pluck Of the losers gave way
at last, having been SO long over
strained. From a comparison of the first
competitive shooting, as given by ca
ble-messages, down to the last hour of
the match, they have had what yachts
men call stern chase. They deserve
thanks for the courage which SO long
sustained them, and for the efforts they
have made, which have called forth our
marksmen's finest skill.
The speech of their Captain shows
that the British Team have taken their
ill-fortune in noble and pleasant mood.
There are various theories about the
cause of their failure, such as that their
bullets, expanding beyond calculation
in the greater heat of our climate,
stuck too closely in the bore of the rifle
But the chief cause has no doubt been
the superiority of our breech-loading
over their muzzle-loading guns. The
score of PIG out of possible 225, made
by MIR. Bruce, yesterday, not only sur
passes all previous record of rifle shoot
ing, but indicates the use of a gun IN
which perfection has been nearly
reached. 1t is not at all surprising chat
the British Team are reported as intend
ing to supply themselves Immediately
with American breech-loading rifles.
When they have practiced with these
new weapons sufficiently, there will be
another opportunity and a severer con-
test in store for our sharp-shooters.
Meanwhile, we may expect to hear
again repeated the assertion of Lon
don journal, that all Americans are ac-
customed to the use of the rifle, even
from their cradle.-N Y. Tribune.