The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-09-03
SEA GRIT SWEPT
BY HEAVY STORM
Causes Temporary Post
pOnement of Shoot in
Presidents Match.
AMMUNITION IS CONDEMNED
Poor Quality Blamed for Showing
Made by Teams in Dryden
Event.

Event
SEA GIRT. n. j.. Sept. S-This is
Presidents match day at the tourna-
ment of the National Rifle Associati ton.
but violeuet storm broke over the
range at 9 O'Clock this morning. an hour
after the event was started. and tenn
porarily Interrupted the contest The en-
tries number 27S. about three times as
large as last years field, which broke
the record.
With the arrival of the teams last
evening all the fOrty-thee entries for
the national team match are IN camp.
While there are a number of richer
contests on, the most important of
which IS the inter-cIub Tor the rifle
club championship OF the United States.
interest is mainly centered in the great
battle Tor the minitaTy rifle champion
ship of America which contest takes
place under the authorization of Presi-
dent Roosevelt The Presidents match
IS open To all members of the army,
navy. Marine Corps. naval reserve. and
State militia, or national guard.
Test Is Most Severe.
In awarding the championship the Ma
tional Rifle Association puts the aspi-
rants through a long and severe test
requiring him 60 shoot ten shots at 200
yards, ten at GOO yards. and ten at the
longest dlstance-l.000 yards The con-
dItious formerly included the go and COZ
yard ranges also The first stage in
cludes the zoo and Go0-yard tests: the
second the LU0J-yard. In the second
stage not all the contestants are allow
ed % shoot Only the nifty highest ct
the end of The first stage are admitted
without the payment Of an additional
entrance Zee. The contestants use the
service rifle and ammunition. and they
cannot change guns for the second
stage.
Prizes for the Winner.
The winner gets the championship of
America for one year, the championship
medal and an autograph congratu-
latcss- letter from President Roosevelt
and so. A copy of his letter TO Private
Howard GenSch of the First New Jer-|
sey, VINO won in 1904, hangs In the.
clubhouse. There is also "a second
prize of so, and four other cash prizes.
The competitor who makes the highest
score ON the first stage but Is not
eligible FOR the second. gets So, and
the dfty-second best competitor gets
$40.
The District last won the Presidents
match in 1902. when Private George
T. Cook. of the Third Battalion. now
resident OF Maryland. scored 1888 with
Private II. IL. Leizear. then OF PENN /
sylvania but who Is this year back on /
the District team, scored at IS9. and /
rr S. /. Scott. OF the Second District. /
third at 1S6. Leizear was victor in 1901. /
and DR.. Scott second The last three
years the District has not figured large |
in the match, although Private Cook /
was fourth in 1903
The intended match this afternoon
for the rifle club championship of the
United States is for teams of five from 1
organize tons affiliated with the Ma I
tlOnuI Rifle Association The match is /
ten shOls at 200 yards The winner |
gets the championship. gold medals, and I
so. The second and third teams get /
silver and bronze medals and So and /
$40, respectively
Shooters Go Sightseeing.
Instead of attending divine service
over on the club house grounds or any
where else yesterday, the camp either
went sightseeing up the coast TO Asbury
Park ana Long Branch or Ioafed in
camp and discussed the queer things
afternoon, when the Jerseymen
thrashed the Held with their 99l, leaving
the District second al gG2 and the proud
New Workers eighth at 92L The New
Workers. by the way, for the first time
i'm the history OF their attendance at
the Sea Girt shoot, were completely
crestfalleu. Col. y b. ThuTsJ0n. the
captain. who is a sportsman of the first
cdllber was Cmphatically gloomy.
Ammunition Is Condemned.
In condemnation of the ammunition
provided by the Government the CON
testants put i'm not a little time yester-
day over the tricks IL played the Dis
trict team and other teams at 1909
yards there Is much dissatisfaction, and
that il explains the falldown of Major
Bells men at 1000 yards after they had ,
shot in their old form and led at both
zoo and Goo yards. seems clear. when
such a shot as Sergeant Keough, of
busetts. makes only II out Of
possible so, there's something the mat {
ter. said Major Bell yesterday In dis
GUESSING the vagurics of the ammunition.
Captain Winder. the great long distance +
shot of Ohio. ended with a farce of a
score. Captain COoksOn, of the District !
team. made only % at 1000 yards. Be ,
tween bulls'-eyes he would get misses in
eNpucably. The bullets would drop into ,
the dirt before they got TO the target.
one bullet burst for the District POO
yards from the firing point Sergeant
Sparrow, of the army infantry team. had
several queer misses.
AS q result of the experiences Of Sat
Jrday the prophe.s concerning the out
come OF the national match are in the
air. There is a general feeling that the
strongest team viii not necessarily win
because of the apparent unevenness of
the ammunition.
I'VE shot i'm our old form. We did
The best we are able TO do. That's ;
said Major Bell, in regard
To the Districts defeat in the Dryden I
match. Major Robbins score of $50 was ,
three better than the Jerseymen's best.
Georgians Not Feared a.,
The Georgians. who from 1890 to
1896 bae0ed everything that the Dis :
.rict left, are not feared this year !
quite as much as they used 20 be- The
cam has lost most Of it's famous old {
shots. The Wilson brothers. for in q
stance. who gObbled up all the big in
.ividual matches, such as the Wimble- {
ION and the Presidents, are not shoot =
ng any more. Georgia ranked eleventh =
n the national match In 1908 with :
score of 2,6S4 when che District was 9
ourth at 2,S52. dropped 20 thirteenth :
n 1904 al Fort Riley, with 1851. when ]
he District WAS sixth al 1895. and T