The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-10
COMING THIS WAY
Next National Rifle Tournament
to Be Held In West.
e 81
Probable That It Win Be at
Fort Riley.
IF IS A BIC THING.
Range at sthe Fort Win Be
Improved.
Plenty of Room There for the
Targets.

1t is probable that the great national
rife shooting tournament, held an
nually at Sea Girt; N. J., viii be trans
ferred to TT. Riley, Kan, as soon as
the work on the big rife range there
has been completed. This information
comes through the last general orders
issued by Secretary Of War Taft.
Acting upon this hint, Governor Hoch.
at the request of Adjutant General
Hughes, has written letters to all of
the members of the Kansas congress
sional delegation, urging them to use
their influence to secure the appropria-
ton Of $4,000 to complete the TT. Riley
range. The government has already
expended $4,000. and an equal sum will
complete the work
The Sea Girt range is entirely made
quate for the purposes Of the govern
ment rifle contests. Besides, the range
faces the sea, so that the marksmen are
continually sighting against the glare
/ of the water That imposes conditions
which are very unfair to those unfa-
/ mlllar with such conditions.
1 If the great national shoot is Brought
/ to Fort Riley, it means that about ], 500
TI1aFksnaen from all paFts-ef he-eountry
/ viii come to Kansas each year. Every
state in the union is represented by a
| team, and there are teams representing
1 tie regular army the navy West Point
/ and Annapolis.
/ It had not occurred to the officers of
/ the state that the Sea Grit shoot might
! be moved to Fit. Riley until the last
! general orders were issued by the sec
1 retary of war. This document, con-
! tanning a complete report of the Sea
/ Grit shoot by Brigadier General Will
/ lam P. Hall, military secretary of the
! United States makes the following
4 significant recomne ndetiOns3s
4 In order to. obtain a suitable target
/ range on which to conduct the national
/ competitions, recommend that the
range at TT. Riley. Kan, be completed
/ as soon as possible. Ten thousand dol
] lars have been spent on this range, and
/ it will require at least 5000 more to
| put it in flrst-class condition. The cost
! OF the range was first estimated al
1 $zO,OO0, but only $4,000 We're allowed.
Room for Fifty Targets.
The location Of the Riley range
makes it the most available point in
/ the United States for the construction
with small expenditure OF a national
range. It is near the geographical CEN
ter Of the country, and there viii be nc
trouble from the adjacent localities IN
the shape of injunctions. It Will admit
/ OF placing 80 targets in one butt, which
viii allow each team to shoot at tbs
same time, and of course, under the
same conditions, an absolutely essen
tiai feature in a national, or any, com
petition This can not Re done on small
range.
1 Provision should be made for the ac-
! commodation of an increased number Cd
competitors. for there is every reason
4 to believe that the attendance at. these
competitions viii be larger IN the future
than it was at the recent sna.
Put in Electric Wires.
In the construction OF q target range
/ much time ana annoyance can be saved
j by having electrical connection between
each target and the firing poihf. so as
/ to enable the markers to know when q
! shot is fired by the proper person at his
4 target This would. Of Course, be il
4 addition to the usual telephone com
I naunfoation already Installed at &hs
1 Riley range. 10 illustrate. When 8