The Washington times., 1905-08-13
Sea Girt Tournament
Largest in America
Accommodations Necessary for 1000 Men.
District Has Taken Many Honors in Past
Middies and West Point Will Compete.

far the largest rifle tournament ever
held in America, the Sea .irt camp
grounds are today ready to house 900
rinemen
Three hundred and eighty tents were
put up this week. The sharpshooters
will arrive next week for the national
matches. contested for under the direc-
ton of the War Department. for the
thirty-third annual meeting Of the Ma
tional Rife Association of America, and
the fourteenth annual meet of the New
Jersey Rife Association. TO be held from
August "a to September 9. inclusive.
Thirty-ntne State teams-twice the
number IN the national matches at Fort
Riley, Kan. lin 19O4-have already en-
tered the lists for the honors. Teams
from the United States Cavalry, United
States Infantry, and United States Ma
rine Corps will contest for the regular
army. teams from West Point and
Annapolis will for the first time compete
the District of Columbia will as usual
be there; and the following States have
entered their finest shooters in teams of
twelve: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts.
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania. Delaware, Maryland.
West Virginia. South Carolina, Georgia
Florida. Mississippi, Tennessee. Ohio.
Indiana. Illinois. Michigan, Wisconsin,
Iowa. Nebraska. Kansas. North Da-
kota. South Dakota, Idaho, Montana.
Utah. Washington, Oregon and Cali
fornia. Hawaii may also be in line.
War Department Encourages.
For this greatly increased attendance
two causes mainly account; the fact
that the expense of sending teams to
the national matches. transportation
pay and sustenance. isborne by the War
Department. being taken, under the pro-
visions of the Dick bill, from the appro-
priation to the States, and the attrac-
tions and accommodations offered at the
Sea GiFt camp, Here the rifemen take
possession Of the State camp grounds
which ;he National Guard has been oc-
cupying all summer.
For the rIdeneu a special camp has
been laid out this week. Each team
will have seven tents. There are forty
streets opening into the forty-foot ave
nue. looking down to the range from
behind the 1.000-yard firing line. Place
of honor In the front rows of tents
facing the range goes naturally to the
regulars. Next to them come the Navy
and the Marine Corps; then the West
Pointers and the Annapolis cadets, and
then the State teams in the order in
which the respective States were ad-
mitted TO the Union. The District of
Columbia brings up the rear.
The national matches will be shot on
August p, %, 26. 2S, and 29 me ma
tional team match, the most important
contest, will take place on August 2s,
2S, and .. This Is for teams Of twelve,
slow fire, at 200. 600, 500, and 1.GO0 yards;
rapid fire al 200 and 500 yards, and two
skirmish runs The first prize is the
bronze national trophy (authorized by
Congress- and $500 In cash; the second
prize, the $1,000 Hilton trophy, present
ed by the late Henry Hilton, OF New
York, and $500; the third. the bronze
Soldier Of Marathon. presented by the
commander-in-chfef on behalf of the
State of New York, and $3.50. There
are cash prizes for teams taking fourth
dfth, and sixth places also.
National Trophy.
Won by the regulars here in 1903
when frs shot and by New York in 1901
at Fort Riley, this match will this
year be fiercely fought The New York
ers have, perhaps, had the most prae-
tice, the tournament at CreedmGre,
which closed a week ago. giving them
much drill The Jerseymcn, who have
their ambition set on winning the prize,
have been practicinE here two days a
week all summer Ohio. who at last
years tournament leaped into the
front rank and gave the field a bad
scare, went home promising to do even
better in 1905. The Buckeye National
Guard encampment at Newark last
month WAS given up to rife shooting
The Pennsyivanians viii come fresh
from their Mt. Gretna practice.
The District of CoIumbians are spoken
of here as dangerous. with their long
list OF :eam victories. The Massachu-
sets rifemen have been tuning up all
summer At their Walnut Hill range The
Georgians. who. In the early and mid
die COS used TO grab about all the
matches in sight are coming again II
show the NorthcTueTs they can still
shoot The regulars are bringing the
pick of the army 10 thrash the militia
men, and States which have never had
a team at Sea Girt-literalIy from Maine
to California-are coming 10 contest, not
only in the national matches, but also
in the interstate team and individual
contests of the national and New Jer-
scy Rife Associations, numbering twelve
under the auspices Of the national. and
twenty eight under the auspices OF the.
New Jersey Association.
Practice Next Week.
The thirty-nine teams for the national
match will arrive next Saturday or Sun
day to take advantage of the three days
practice on August 21 to %, Practically
ali. excepting Georgia and New York,
will enter for the National Associa ton
and New Jersey Association prizes
August 81 10 September 9, or these the
most Important are the Wimbledon Cup,
won in 1904 by DR.. George E. Cook. OF
Washington' the Leech Cup, also won by
DR.. Cook; the Presidents. for the mill
tary championship of the United States,