Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-24
Large Attendance at the Opening Of
the Drills.
ANNUAL CONTEST FOR TIE FLAG
Fine Exhibition by the Companies
of the First Battalion.
THE 1R >GRAM FOLLOWED

atmosphere, surrounded by hundreds of
admiring parents and enthusiastically in
terested High School girls, and cheered on
by the hoarse yells and tin-horn accom-
paniment of their male companions the
members of company d, commanded by
Capt. William English, marched upon the
broad field Of National Base Ball Park yes
terday afternoon, with martial bearing, but
with fiuttering hearts: and the annual COM
petitive drill of the High School Cadets au-
spiclously opened. The grand stand was
crowded with friends of the boys and of
the school, some of the spectators being
alumni of the High School who have never
ceased to admire the brilliant record earn
ed and maintained by the popular soldier
lads; but by far the greater portion of the
audience was made up of the pretty girl
friends of the cadets-whose number is
legion-with cheeks glowing with excited
interest and company colors streaming
from parasol handles, indicating their de-
sire for the success Of a certain captain,
or, incidentally, of course, the success of
certain member OF that captains company.
The bleachers were, as rule, occupied by
strong-lunged. lusty-voiced "rooters.' who
lost no opportunity for giving company
yell. frantically waving a company flag,
blowing horns, or in many other ways
working off the excitement Of the hour.
Many officials of the public schools were
present, besides many of the teachers,
while, occupying one Of the boxes Mr.. AL
lson Nailor, the donor of the handsome
and costly diamond-studded medal which
is to be won in the competition, was
critical and interested onlooker. Many
prominent military officers saw the battle
royal for highest mark in tactical pro-
ficiency
In anticipation of the drill of yesterday,
the companies of cadets have been work.
ing steadily and hard for many weeks past,
and large number of extra hours have
been spent in an effort to attain a degree
of superiority that will win the captain the
much-coveted medal, the company the
prize flag. ard each individual member the
little strip of ribbon that means so much.
The army officers composing the board
of judges, on whose decision the fate of ten
companies hangs, are expert tacticians.
Capt. Constantine Chase Of the fourth
United States artillery is the president of
the board and has acted as judge of High
School Cadets competitive drills for more
than eight successive years. His associ
A. Q. NJ, and Lieut.. Henry Whitney of the
fourth artillery.
Beginning the Drill.
1t was just ten minutes past o'clock
when Capt. English halted his company be-
fore the grand stand, presented arms and
saluted Capt Chase. Company D boys
We're confident Of victory. They were the
prize company last year, and had work. ed
hard to retain the prize flag for another
season. They stacked arms and were
marched to the center of the field, where
they were put through the setting-up exer-
cises the first thing a soldier is taught
There was a general laugh when the boys
executed sort of jumping-jack movement
but the judges looked serious, and made
mysterious scratches en- their programs
After putting his company through the re-
Quired foot movements without arms Capt
English marched his men back to the stack
and halted them just in the proper posi-
ton for taking their guns. for which he
was literally applauded. He then proceeded
with the second part of the programme
manual of arms, which was executed by
the company in snappy manner and in
strict cadence. The captain set for his COM
pany quick, swinging step, which was
maintained throughout the drill, and yet
the company did not appear to be unsteady
or nervous One of the features of this
company's work was its volley firing. When
the captain gave the command "kneel
every man unhesitatingly dropped on his
knee right in the dust of the base ball dia-
mond, and, under proper directions, pro-
ceeded to load his gun with Il blank car
fridge. At the word fire" puff of smoke
from forty rifles and report as from one
gun startled the unSuspecting crowd, and
there was a chorus of "Ohs" from the
girls, accompanied by many a nervous
tremor The program called for the use Of
cartridges four times in the firings, twice
while the company was kneeling and twice
while lying down. All four volleys We're IN
time were also well done distance and
alignment being almost perfectly kept, and
when Capt. English had again saluted his
judges he was cheered and applauded, and
rewarded with a handsome bouquet Of
roses, which he proudly bore off the field.
The Program.
The program, a copy of which was
handed each captain a few minutes before
the drill was opened, was divided into four
parts as follows: Setting up exercises and
foot movements without arms, manual of
arms. firings. and company movements.
Thirty minutes were allowed each COM
pany in which to execute the movements
in the program, and 1t was necessary that
not a minute should be wasted in order to
finish all the numbers within the prescribed
period. Capt. English unfortunately omit
ted one movement.
While company D was leaving the field
Capt. Julius Sommer, in command of COM
pany c, marched forward and saluted in
front Of the stand, and proceeded at once
to put his company through the move
ments called for. He differed from the
captain preceding him in that he executed
the setting up exercises in cadence, but it
is thought that this of itself will not have
airy effect, favorably or otherwise, upon
his mark. This company formed in single
file from column of fours while marching
near the grand stand instead of back near
the center field fence, as the former COM
pany had done, and the movement being
executed in plain sight, was heartily ap-
Ilauded. 1t was noticeable, however, that
company C did not execute movements in
double time with the creditable ease of it's
predecessor and its firings also suffered by
comparison. At one of its volleys while
lying down several files in the center of
the company failed to pull their triggers,
and the result was a ragged fire from the
two ends. However, the company some
what redeemed itself at it's fourth attempt,
ard, as it's manual of arms and foot move
ments were well executed, it, too, was gen.
crousy applauded on the completion of the
drill, and Capt. Sommer rejoiced in the
possession of huge bunch of roses.
Companies A and Ii.
The next company to take the field was
company A, in command of Capt. Henry
Al er. 1t was a little slow in making the
swivel stack, and the captain omitted one
number in mis- program-forming column of
twos from column of fours-but its manual
was excellent, and in all the company
movements there was apparent a steadi-
Eess which was remarked upon by the
knowing ones. The frings were generally
well eXecuted-once there was a suspicion
Of unevenneSS-and the captain received
the customary bouquet and the company the
usual cheers they saluted and retired.
There was some question as to whether
This company had finished it's program
within the allotted half hour, and it may
be that a few movements were on that