Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-04
THE ENGINEERS LEAD
Beginning the Regimental Interstate
Match.
THIRTEEN TEAMS At THE TARGETS
Shooting at 200 and 500 Yards
at Sea Grit.
THE KIRMISH FIRM G
STAFF Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Staff Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SEA GIRT, N. j., September 3, 1895.
After many apparently unavoidable de-
lays, the regimental interstate match to-
DAY commenced to interest the large num-
Der of rifiemen concerned. and the crowd
of spectators, who seemed to be just as
much elated or worried, respectively, as
were the competitors Thirteen teams
showed up at the firing point, and six of
them proceeded to open the ball at 200
yards, followed by the remaining teams
as soon as the targets were clear.
1t was one of the longest-drawn competi-
lions ever seen on any rifle range, for from
start to finish there were all sorts of de-
lays, largely the result of good-natured
compliance with the desires Of everybody
and everybody else. Not until the bugle
sounded cease firing" for the day had the
last of the teams-the first Massachusetts,
concluded its score In the known distance
work, SO that. of course, it was utterly i'm
possible to do any of the skirmishing.
The match program was to start out this
morning at $50 and to complete the known
distance work-which is at 200 and 500
yards-by 1 o'clock, and this plan, had
there been enforcement of the time limit
regulation, would have worked admirably.
A strong right wind was blowing: strong
enough to puzzle the Oldest of the cracks"
and too strong for large proportion of
the less experienced rif1emen. The District
teams and several other organizations
pushed right ahead, and were not at all
dilatory, but other teams. and notably that
from the first Georgia cavalry, slowed
down to such extent as to make the
proceedings extremely wearisome There
was much of waiting for favorable let
up in the wind on the part of some of the
Georgians, and In one case the exorbitant
time of one hour and half was required
Icy a member of the team from the sunny
south for the purposes Of a ten-shot score
at 200 yards, this particular rifeman thus
breaking the worlds record for deliberate
shooting.
There were no formal protests, however,
against the permitting Of such an alto
gether remarkable exhibition of hardness,
but there were great many informal COM
plants and vast quantity Of unspoken or
whispered profanity. The aggregated de-
lays will result in very much incon-
venience, for the skirmish work of the
regmental match Is now thrown over. so
that it cannot take place until tomorrow
afternoon, and. as a result, the big inter-
state match for state teams must be crowd
ed into the morning, while many of the
riflemen who had expected to devote time
and money to individual competitions dur
ing the latter part Of tomorrow afternoon
participation in skirmish-if they are men,
hers of regimental teams-or with sitting
in rear Of the 60O-yards firing point. watch
ing their perspiring fellows doing double
Regarded as Winners.
Perhaps the District teams are not re-
garded as being as deeply lin it, in the
regimental match at least, but the proba-
bilities are that they are looked upon
throughout the entire camp as sure win
ners. Such a conclusion was not at all re-
markable three or four years ago, when
the District sharpshooters had only Jer-
many teams from SO many states are here,
it might reasonably be expected that other
teams would achieve first place in the af-
fections of the prophets.
The known distance work of today has,
however, fully justified the predictions
which for the past day or two have freely
beeL made by unbiased Observers The
Engineer Corps team leads with an aggre-
gate of 507. Next to 1t comes that old re-
liable organization, the first Alaska cav
airy, with an aggregate Of 497. Then fol-
lows the first Georgia cavalry, with 1856.
From that point to the tailenders the
scores are as follows: Twelfth New York,
4S5; second New Jersey, 4S4; first District
of Columbia, 4S1; second District of CO.
lumbia, AGO: first Massachusetts, 56; fourth
New Jersey, Al; third Pennsylvania, 433;
sixth New Jersey. 421; third New Jersey,
416; thirteenth United States infantry, SS7.
Possibilities at sl<irmish Shooting.
These figures. however, are likely to prove
deceptive If any one uses them as basis
for working out the problem of guessing
the winner, for 1t is even SO that in these
degenerate days the last frequently be-
comes the first. OF course 1t is not at all
likely that the first will be last, because
the Engineer Corps team is not built that
way, but there would be nothing at all
surprising in the thirteenth United States
infantry's team putting Up such big skir-
nish total as to place the organization,
which Is the pride of Governors Island.
way UP near the top. The soldiers of the
regular army are, IS a rule, superior skir-
miSherS, and so far as Sea Girt is concern
ed the representatives of the thirteenth
are probably more expert in that particular
line of rifle shooting than any other half
dozen on the ground, excepting, of course,
the members of the first Alaska cavalry.
Last year the Engineer Corps boys put UP
remarkably fine article of skirmish, and
in view of the fact that since the last
meeting at Sea Girt they have had at least
a few opportunities to acquire additional
experience 1t is not at all probable that
their skirmish will detcriorate. Time alone
can tell, however, for it frequently hap
pens that the elements of chance enter in
to what would appear to be game of skill;
in fact, majority Of those who will skir-
mish tomorrow have a reasonably ground
ed opinion that skirmishing Is closely re-
lated to the lottery and policy business.
The Scores.
In order that Washingtonians may see
precisely how their representatives shot in
the regimental team match today the
scores by shots are herewith appended:
Engineer Corps 200 yards
Methera!d. 4 4 40