Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-20
FHE CONCLUSION.
The Last Day Of the Great Inter-
state Drill and Dedication Of
the New Capitol.
An Exciting Sham Battle and one Of
the Finest Military Displays Ever
Seen in Texas.
Fort Worth Fencibles Given Second
Place In the MAIDEN Contest.
A FINE DAY.


FINE DAY.
Special 70 the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, May 19-This, the last
dsy OF the great drill and dedication Of
the new capital Of Texas opened bright
and glorious. The clouds that had
drenched the city last night had drifted
Of the face Of the sky, leaving it blue, as
that which spans the Italian shore. I;
was apparent on ell sides that the grand
dedication ball OF the night before WAS
the eliminating point in one CT the greats
est occasions in the history of Texas, and
all that kept up the spirits of the cre1d
was the anticipation of the
sham battle, programmed for 2:30
O'Clock in the afternoon. There was
a perceptible diminution IN the multitude
Of visitors that had throDged the streets
since Sunday, and the stream of visitors
that had poured in and cut Of the new
capitol building every day in the week,
had dwindled down to an occasional
group of ladies and their escorts, who ell
tered beneath the great granite arch on
the south Of the colossal structure and
then returned to retrace their steps down
into the long avenue again.
About noon there was q general move
ment Of citizens and visitors out towarcs
Camp Ross, and toe Central trains run
ming to the grounds once more became
packed and crowded SO that standing
room was hardly left. Everybody was
deter mined to witness the grand wind up
of the affair.
THE SHAM BATTLE.
By the time the mimic fight began the
grand stand WAS straining under on i'm
mense mass of humanity wedged, jsmmed,
packed and crsmmed, as was also the
case with other sections Of the great am
phitheater, which overlooked the drill
arena. The vast audience numbered
scarcely less than $1,000 people. A troop
of cavalry which filed slowly down out OF
the camp into the broad, green campus
sgas the first intimatlon to the
audience that the light was about to
begin. Then the rumbling Of artillery
caused q momertary hush among the
somewhat noisy auditory and battery
soon took position followed by infantry,
and in few minutes one Of the two OPP
posing forces was in line OF battle on the
western side Of the enclosure. The long
roll was beaten in the camp to the east
ward, and the other side was in
few minutes in battle array.
Colonel Young, commanding the United
States cavalry present, Was in charge of
the whole affair. Msjor Broom COM
handed the winning side, and Msjor Bur
bank on the side OF the defeated. Both
are United States officers Of ability and
dash, and in the mimic battle of this SITTER
noon in which 1000 troops, federal and
State. were engaged, they handled their
forces with skill that won the admira-
ton of old troopers Of twenty years ago.
THE ENGAGEMENT
was brought on by q cavalry skirmish.
The attacking force retreated when the
infantry on both sides becsme engaged.
For half an hour the 10000 spectators
were raised to the highest pitch of ex-
element by the booming of cannon and
the rattle of small arms. The smoke of
battle finally lifted from the scene Of the
contest, and the troops withdrew from
the field.
While the Third United States cavalry
was making splendid charge two
privates, Charles Walters and L Reynolds,
were thrown from their horses. the
htter stumbling. Private Walters WIS
Severely bruised and the scabbs1d Of his
Esword struck MIN in the head as he fell,
inflicting deep cut on the scalp. He
was carried to the surgeons tent. Private
Reynolds was also seriously hurt, having
his shoulder blade broken by the fall.
81 Alter the battle the troops were mus
tefedfn dress parade, making one Of the
finest military displays ever witnessed in
Texas. The reading out of the prizes
and display Of fireworks at night closed
the greatest and most remarkable drill
tnat was ever held in Texas,
TIE PRIZES AWARDED.
After the review which followed the
sham battle the troops were drawn up in
line and the prizes awarded.
The first prize in the Interstate contest,
$4,000, went to the Houston Light Guard !;
second, S2500, to the Belkpsp Rifles Of
San Antonio; the third, $1,000. to the
SeAlT Rifles OF Galveston. The Mont
Hgomery B ues to * fourth place, 1.-The San
Antonio Rifles fifth and the Austin Grays
sixth. Captain A. S. Badger of the San
Antonio Rifles captured the handsome
sword one ed for the Captain making the
best score in the contest.
In the Texas Infantry contest the Wash.
ington Guards took first prize, $500; Sesly
R fles second, $500; Austin Grays third,
5000; Fayette Light Guards fourth, 500;
| Fort Worth Fencibles 9th; Brennan
Light Guards, sixth; Dallas Light Guards
seventh; Texas Rifles, eighth; Waco
Light Infantry, ninth; Dallas Rifles, tenth
Victoria Rifles, eleventh. Captain j. T
Cummings Of the Washington Guards
Galveston, carried OF the captains prizs
in this class, handsome gold medal.
In the Texas maiden contest, the
| Fsyette Light Guards took first prize
| $3.50; Fort Worth Fencibles, second
! $3.50; Texas Rifles, Austin, third. 5000
| Dallas R'fes, fourth, S150; Lee Guards o.