Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03
SOLDIERS AE:::SEA GRIT
District Of Columbia Well
Represented
IN PRINCIPAL MATCHES
RESULT OF THE COMPETITION FOR
THE COLUMBIA TROPHY.
Gossip at Camp Over Matters of Inter
est to Guardsmen - New
Magazine Rifle.
Special D,spatcb to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
RIFLE RANGE, SEA GIRT, N. J., Sep
TENDER 3-The District of Columbia is rep
resented in the Wimbledon cup match being
shot late this afternoon by First Lieutenant
VIM. W. Cookson, who won the inspectors
match last Thursday; Major Glendie B.
Young of the Sd Battalion and George E.
Cook. Firing began shortly after 1 o'clock,
and there being more than sixty entries the
result will not be known until nearly dark.
The match was open to all citizens and
residents of the United States. The distance
Is 1000 yards, the use of any rifle being
permissible. First prize is the Wimbledon
cup. a gold medal and $25; second prize,
SIS; third prize, $40, and fourth prize. IS.
The Wimbledon cup was presented by the
National Rifle Association of Great Britain
to the National Rifle Association of Amer
lea, to be competed for annually. The
match was won last year by Captain Rich
ards of Ohio Second, third, fourth and
fifth places were captured, respectively, by
Messrs. Wetherald, Cook, Fink and Farrow,
all of the District. Other Washington men
finished as follows: Major Young, 14th;
Lieutenant Holt, 42d; Captain Summers.
44th Major Reichelderfer, 5Sth; Captain
Robbins, 6Sth, and Major Harvey 96th.
In addition to the Wimbledon cup match
the carbine team match and the all-comers'
squadded revolver competition are occupy
ing attention today. The District Is not
represented, however, in the carbine and
revolver contests.
First Lieutenant H. H. Hollified, surgeon
Sd Battalion, has joined the District de-
tachment in camp
The weather conditions today are entirely
satisfactory, the sun Is shining brightly,
and a cool breeze is blowing across the
range.
The carbine team match was won by the
I'd Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, by
score of 2SS, with Squadron A of New York,
second with 2S4; New Jerseys LIST Troop
made $50, and it's second team 277: New
Jerseys I'd Troop 272, and the Philadelphia
City Cavalry's second team 40.
District Well Represented.
With the arrival of the remainder of the
District of Columbia detachment of rifle
men this evening or, ct latest, tomorrow,
the national capital will be as largely and
as prominently represented here as will be
any state In the country. The District will
endeavor to win prizes in the principal team
matches, and may start the good work
Monday in the revolver team contest The
regimental match will occur Tuesday, the
Company team match Wednesday, the
Dryden trophy match Thursday, the regi-
pany team match Friday and the Presi-
dents match, for the military champion
ship of the United States Saturday There
fore next week will certainly be a busy
period for the sharpshooters haling from
Washington, D. c.
Divine service will be held on the range
at II O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Columbia Trophy Match.
The Columbia trophy match, open only
to New Jersey National Guardsmen, first
prize being the beautiful trophy presented
by the National Guard of the District of
Columbia to the National Guard of New
Jersey, was won late yesterday by the
team representing the LIST New Jersey Reg
iment, which attained total of 266 out of
possible 800 The totals of the other
competing teams were: Fourth New Jersey,
first team, 2o6; Sd New Jersey, 252; I'd New
Jersey, first team pa; I'd New Jersey, sec
ond team. 237; list Troop, New Jersey, 23G,
and 4th New Jersey, 22S.
The rifiemen assembled here are naturally
displaying much interest in the fact which
Is not generally known, that the ordnance
experts of the United States army, after
months OF work, have succeeded in con-
structing magazine rife which is be-
heVed to be>Superior to any in use in for
eign armies at this time.
Working Night and Day.
Every government arsenal in the United
States, with the necessary facilities. is
working night and day, it is said, turning
out the new arm, and 10000 of them have
already been completed. None will be is
sued to the troops of the regular estab-
hshment, however, until 1OOOOO-the num-
Der requisite to supply the maximum
Suehgth Vi the army on a war footing
nave been completed. At the present rate
OF progress this will probably be about De-
cember next, and their issuance will be i'm
medlately begun. The old rife-or rather
the rifle which has been in use since the
Spanlsh-Amerlcan war-will be returned to
the arsenals, and later ressued to those
militia organizations now armed with the
ancient Springfield rife, which is regarded
as almost as obsolete as the old nintIock
or percusSlOn-cap guns
During the Spanish-American war If ic
explained, many of the regular troops and
al or the militia We're armed with the old
Springfield, firing black powder and carry
ing d 40 Gambler ball that made great
deal OF noise, did little damage, and was
absolutely ineffective at long range. The
disadvantages under which the United
States troops labored as result of having
the obsolete arms are well known.
Awoke Army Authorities.
Inc Spanlsh-American war, it is stated.
aWoke the army authorities to the neces-
slty Tor keeping abreast of the times in
ordnance construction. The United States
magazine rifle which was being introduced
IN the army when the war begun was con-
sidered good weapon but the advance
mace IN the last few years result of
care1ui study and exhaustive experiments
may be understood when it is known that
the rltie now In use and the arm which
Is 10 be introduced in December have no
poIhtS IN common. The most noticeable
dlnerenee between the old and the new
arm apparent at first glance, is the fact
that the barrel of the latter arm is en-
tirely covered with wood This innova-
uon was the result of practical sugges-
TONS made to the ordnance officers by en-
llsted men of the army. Following the
campaign in Cuba and in the Philippines,
many complaints We're made to the ord
nance o1ncers by officers in the field, who
sald that after period of rapid discharge
the rine barrels became so hot that it was
sometimes necessary to cease firing for a
Tune TO permit them to cool. S
I'm, IN many cases. men in the midst of
battle had the skin burned from their
hands by the hot barrels. The wood COW
cred barrel is the result of these sugges-
lions, the steel being entirely covered to
Withln Two inches of the nauzzle of the
gun. In almost every other particular.
from STOCK TO forward sight, there Is an
important difference between the old and
and foI,