New-York tribune., 1882-08-15
PREPARING FOR TIE RIFLE MATCH.
COMPETITIVE SHOOTING AT CREEDMOOf

COMPETITIVE SllOOIlNU Al CNEbDHiOCA'
A FOUR DAYS CONTEST FOR PLACES ON THE
AMERICAN TEAM To BEGIN TO-DAY-wHRE
THE CONTESTANTS COME FROM--A TALK WITH
GENERAL wINGATE.
four days contest for places upon the American
Rifle Team who are to shoot III the coming Inter
national Military Match, will begin at Creeamoor
at III a. III. to-day. The match Will be between
twelve active members of the National Guard or
Mihtia of the United States and as many
British Volunteers, and will take place on Septem-
Der % and 10. The British team have been selected
and will leave England on August 26 on the Alaska,
arriving here about sunday; september ., ana pro-
they will remain, practising daily r,it at
will Lr the first match of its kind, and the National
Rifle Association, under whose auspices II VIII take
place have given II n great deal OF earnest ana
patriotic attention. 1t grow out OF suggestion
made by Maor Morris B. karr last year The plan
team to Wimbledon to compete
with "a team of British miliuamen provided the
latter would guarantee TO send a return team to
CreedmoOr in 1858 TO this the Enghshmen would
not assent, but they volunteered TO ,ill send
team to uCreedmoor this year on similar similar
Rifle Association finally agreed rather than
have the project all through, recognizing luy now
ever, the advantage winch the change9 pIogrdmhS
gave the visitors. The significance of the match
lies in the test which II Will apply To the skill OF ne
men and the merit of the arms with which the
sodlery of the respective countries are equipped.
The international rifle matches which have been
contested hitherto have been between civilians
armed with fine sporting rifles, specially lnaue IOr
the purpose, and provided with a good deal OF
delicate mechanism. such as splTlt-leVels, wind
gauges pIn-head-sghts, verner scales lor thoregu-
latiOn of the elevatOnl, and the Ike. WITH these
rifles astounding feats of craftsmanship have been
performed at Creedmoor and Wimbledon; but the
circumstances have been such very little practical
good has come out of them. his mateh Is TO DC
con osted by soldiers with ed-arms and IT Is easy
TO see direct will De the influence winch II Will
exert in two direcnons-m ENCOURAGING
skill In the use OF arms, and III pro-
noting efforts to improve the quality OF army
rifles In this regard an important result mas
already been attained, Il. Remington " sons anu
the Winchester Repeating Arms Company having
produced special rifles III view OF the match which
by experts are said to show vast improvement on
the now used by the Regular Army ana militia
With them it is expected that results Will be 90,
tanned before long which wall bear co npdrISon well
with the scores made by the highly finished ana
scientifically equipped Creedlnoor rines. Ine new
rifles are now IA the hands OF the Committee of
Arrangements, VINO are testing Them.
The competition which viii begin to-day VIII be
continued tomorrow and on Thursday and friday,
and Will be conducted III all respects IKE me
match. The contestants must have been active
members of the National GuAd OF uhiIo%rLne1 %
militia since September /, 1881. lhey VIII shoot
seven shots at each distance OF 2OO, oUO
GOO 500 800 and 10J0 yards. AT 200 yards they
Will shoot standing; at 0OO ana OOO, lying WIN Hn
their heads toward the target, or sitting; ana at
the other distances, III any position ihey pease'
The twelve men making the highest ag-
gregate scores Will compose The teain'
and the two next will form the reserve
Besides these two, however, the National hlho AZ
sociations reserve the right toappOnt two more -
it,ry marksmen of known skill without cOmpeu-
ton the purpose of this reservation Delng 10 saw
an opportunity for good men who may De pIeNedIcu
from taking part i'll the preliminary contest
IL is impOs sible TO tell how many men WIZ PaItc.
ipate in the competition for places OH inc ledil a
number of men have been engaged III active lrac-
ce m New-York and It's vicinity, and IL Is expect
ed that competitors Will come even nom
California and Colorado. Among the men VINO IL
Is known will paItici pate are; /. >. Dolah, u L.
PanIdlng A. B. Van neusen j. l.. Price aud +.
AdIar ot This CITY: NJ ID. Kinds, q. \. Morris and
ID H. Ogden, of Binghamton. ~. l.: 1. W. Gflinth,
g. H. T. Howard andJ. X. Brown, OF NeW-Jersey u
w Hinman, of Boston; j. .. L. Burnside, u. A. fol-
lard j. johnson and L. j. Launtzer, 0i ashlngtOn;
John Lower of Denver Col; IL. |. burns OF Cali
fornia and Mr. lrlan of lliOn n. \. The committee
i'm charge of the matter is composed OF General
George W. Wingate. Colonel Joseph G Story,
Colonel George ID. scott General stephen X. Smith,
IIeufenant-C Colonel A. g. LItchtcld, u. ,. A., and
General l.. L.. Molincux. General NIngate, the
chairman of the committee, SAID yesterday 10
TRIBUNE reporter: >,
I'VE have had a great many letters from all
parts OF the Union, written by mliltlamen. saying
tb,v wound come unless something unforeseen pre-
vented but we will not know now many contest
ants there will be until tomorrow, when the shoot
ing begins | understand, however, that there are
In the city representatives from tue National Guards
of New York, New-Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts.
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Georgia,
California and the District of Columbia and IT Ia
my opinion that frnm thirty ~ fifty will