The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-28

Wimbledon, July 1S For the fourth time in
the thirteen years during which Ireland has
been entitled to place among the Elcho
champions from the Emerald Isle, and the vic.
tory is the more cherished as it was taken
with score which oversteps anything yet
shown at long range shooting over the VIM
bledon Common. II was whole and pomptete
victory for the champions of the Irish Riff .
Association. At each of the three ranges they
were leading, until at the finish there was ap
of so points between. their total and that of
the English eight next on the list, and yet that
team had total which no preceding English
team has ever yet been able to equal. SCOT
land was 12 points further in the rear, and yet.
as in the case of the English team, her total
was the best aggregate ever made by Scotch
eight at Wimbledon.
The day was perfect-st least an American
team of rifemen would have been suited with
it. hot sun poured down it's brilliant rays,
while from the Glen Alger, that deep gorse
stuuted gully running between the firing
and gave the targets q dancing appearance.
Such days are rare st Wimbledon, and rarer
still among the stormy and misty ranges of
Scotland The Scots isisa to get
practice Of the Irish rifemen stood them in
good stead now. Upon the Creedmoor range
they had met just such day as to-day has
Clandeboye and Dundalk the Irish riff smen had
experienced NO suoh days IS the scorcher they
went through to-day, and bat for their Ameri-
the magnificent total they did. The English
riHemen had been selected with great care. as
the trophy was in Irish hands, and Scottish
rifsmen of the small bore stripe had many
defeat to wipe oot. Last year they were at
the bottom of the Eloho lst, aud for two years
preceding they had filled only second place !;
Eesides, there was their failure on the Ameri-
can ranges to be swept away, and no psins
were spared to put . good team in the field.
Among the Irishme en- there were the same otd
faces. Rigby and Millner were there, with
Wilson from the North, and Major Leech was
not wanting.
The firing opened shortly after o'ole ck from
the green sward before the grand stand. Ire.
land, from the very START, secured a lead, and
rolled mp O range al Of 543 points, or an
average of little more than 81 Der man. Eng.
land scored 534 and Scotland 532. There was
much dissatisfaction among the Scotch, and
the Englishmen boasted hat the fight was not
yet over when this result was announced. But
it was evident to all that the day was to she
Irish team. They seemed to grasp the weather
troll. The Irish total had never been before
beaten at Win bedon, and only eqnalled by
themselves q year ago to-day. The SCOTCH and
English totals were, with this exception, the
the day was to be one of big scores The 900
yard range scores were Ireland, 5S5; England,
52l Scotland, 523. This made the total for
the TWO ranges Ireland, 1913; Epglapd, 1055
Scotland, 1885 The 100) yard range was fred
over very carefully, and the light and wind
holding ss before the acores did not show any
very marked falling eff. Tskiog into account
the differences of the ranges, the 532 of the
Irishmen at 1000 yards is even better than SAB
at 500 yards. The Scotsmen fell eff at the 1000
yards while the EDglshmen did not do much
better. At the fnish there was cheering by
the spectators, and speeches by the team cap
tains and by Sir Henry Hslford.
To-day's work may he best judged by q oom-
paris q with the Echo Shield scores of the Fl We
years daring which the present target has
been in use. From 1862 to 1873 each inclusive. |
the old square bulls eye was feed at. and 150
was the highest personal aggregate. With the
present cicular bull's eye each man can score a
total Ct 225, or 8 team total of 1900.