The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-21
TWO CITIES DIVIDE HoNoRS.
SAVANNAH AND ATLANTA SHARE
VICTORIES AT THE RANGE.

battalion Won the Two Interstate
and the Regim Class ID Prizes
and the Governors Horse Guards
of Atlanta the Two Company and
Class RegImentRl Prize-GOvern-
! or Atkinson and stan at the Range.
The Range Associations Protest
Against the High Handicap to Cav
airy Teams-Lieut. F. G. Wilson
Breaks the Worlds Record at 600
Yards!
The First Battalion OF Infantry, Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, and the Governors
Horse Guards of Atlanta, divided honors
in the military rife contest at the Avon
dale range yesterday.
The Georgia Hussars' team made no
bic fight, but the odds were against them
The Guards won the two interstate
trophies, the DeRenne and the DeSoto,
their competitors being the teams from the
First Regiment of Cavalry, and the First
Regiment Of Infantry, both taken entirely
from the local commands, and the regi-
mental team match in class B. The Gov
ernor's Horse Guards won the company
and regimental matches in class A, and
the company match in class b. The latter
match was won in competition with teams
from eleven other companies, including ten
of the Savannah companies.
The Savannah companies were at dis
advantage in the class 3 matches, a num-
Der of their best shots being debarred by
reason of the rule debarring all men who
had fired with their state teams at Sea
(Yrt This mae Mt nai
however, as it was desired to offer every
advantage to visiting teams.
The success of the Governors Horse
Guards is generally regarded as good
omen by the Savannah military men, as
1t will serve to demonstrate to other mill
tary commands, especially state troops,
that teams outside of Savannah have a
good opportunity to win at the interstate
rife contests here and that they are as
sured of the most liberal treatment by the
local military
The handicap allowed to the cavalry
teams on account of the use of the car
bines is considered excessive by the mill
tary men here, of the infantry at least,
and a protest was entered by Capt. w. w.
Williamson of the Rifle Range Association
last Friday as soon as he learned of the
handicap allowances, the latter varying
from 60 to Y points, according to the
match shot. Capt. Williamson and the
majority of the officers here contend that
the allowances were excessive and alto
gether disapproportionate with the differ
ences between the two arms of the ser
vices at the ranges used in the contests.
The result of the shooting showed that
the cavalry teams made better averages
at all the ranges fired at with their car
bines than the averages of the infantry
teams at the same ranges with the regu-
lation rife. However, this is a point
which will have to be discussed and de-
cided later.
The chief work at the range yesterday
consisted of the company and regimental
matches in class b. over to company and
regimental teams respectively from the
state troops, with the exception that men
who had fired with their state teams at
Sea Grit Walnut Hill or Creedmoor were
barred from these matches. This shut
out majority of the winning team of the
Guards ON the two previous days, and
several from the Hussars' team.
Twelve teams were entered for the COM
pany shoot, as follows: Governors Horse
Guards, Waycross Rifles, Companies A.
b, c, and of the Guards. Companies A.
b, G, d. and e of the First Regiment
Infantry and the Georgia Hussars.
The twelve teams brought sixty men
to the targets, besides substitutes. With
the number of other military men inter-
ested and their friends, including the
ladies, the attendance was the largest Of
the three days shooting. Gov. Atkinson
and staff reached the range from Thun~
derbot shortly after 10 O. clock, and spent
nearly two hours watching the shooting
They were taken in hand by President
Williamson and the range officers and
shown the and the ba-
ing done by the men explained. For The
benefit of the governor, Capt. Williamson
took a team composed of members of the
Governors Horse Guards and the Way
cross Rifles over the skirmsh range. The
governor expressed himself as very much
pleased with the work. and compllmented
the officers upon the remarkable improve.
ment in Workmanship as the result of
their efforts and the disposition to excel
in the work.
1t did not require long after the match
began TO ascertain that there would be
several competitors for first place. The
teams of the Governors Horse Guards
the Savannah Cadets, companies A and d
of the Guards, and the Georgia Hussars
displayed marked proficiency in finding
the bullseyes, while company c of the
Guards and the German Volunteers vRrc
also in the race The best score at 200
yards was 81, by the German Volunteers
and the Hussars; at 800 yards IS, by COM
pany b Of the Guards; at 500. 1888. by the
Governors Horse Guards; at co., 81, by
company d of the Guards, and at the
skirmish, lo9, by company A of the
Guards.
When the match had been completed
the scores footed up as follows, the teams
being named in the order in which they
shot:
200 800 500 GOO Skin Ills
Yds.Yds Yds. Ydsmish