Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-03

sane as for the New England Tourna-
ment with the addition of Sergeant Dan
+. Christie Of Company F, Second IN
fantry.
The long tour of duty in the artillery
district of Portland intervening between
the New England and National meets pre-
vented anything like regular practice for
team members and the Maine team
reached Camp Perry two days before
the opening of the National Match, badly
handicapped by lack of team practice. A
ma iority of the State teams against which
Maine shot had been on the Ohio range
for Il week or more, participating in the
matches of the National Rifle Associa-
ton. This match practice gave them an
acquaintance with range conditions which
the Maine team men could not acquire
in the limited time 1T their DISPOSAL The
preliminary weeks work would have ma
terially assisted the team but il would
have incurred an exp. nse too heavy for
Il State with sucl, limited military funds
as Maine.
The skirniSh run of the team was
discourasinsly low, the teams total be-
ing far below the practice work of the
AACA oil Ae~AoNS win tIISy WCAC
AGO tainted, but as teams Of expert
enced skirmishers were likewise baf-
fed BY conditions TO :. greater or less
extent, Names poor showing at this
stage is not 20 surprising. Lacking
team practice in rapid-fire, the score
at this stage was also low; but when
the slow-fire stages began Maine
foryec slowly up the list and ended
the match in twentJ-siXtl: place in a
field IF forty-eight teams Two years
ago ut Sea Girt the Maine team was
weak at 600 yards bu, this seasons
work at Wakefield and Camp Perry
showed great Improvement. At the
800-yard stage OF the National Match
the Maine team stood second in a field
OF forty EIGHT, being bur three points
behind the Naval Academy team which
was first. Both team totals We're
above anything hitherto recorded for
twelve-man teams at 500 yards and the
Maine men and the naval cadets were
warmly congratulated upon their ex-
ceilent work. At 1000 yards the con-
ditions were very trying, especially to
the newer men OF the Maine team,
mirage, wind and light presenting a
combination which took many an ex-
perienced man Off the target several
times during his string.
The mess provided at Camp Perry
was extremely poor and the mess ser
vice equally bad, two things which
tended to make the tour Of duty far
from agreeable. On the morning of the
opening of the match, in particular,
though the Maine team was at the
mess tent promptly at the opening
hour of six. the men who shot on the
team were forced to leave for the fir
ing point with little or no breakfast.
AS a result Of mess conditions. none of
the team returned to Maine in as good
shape physically as they left and sew
eral were quite seriously i'll. The
Ohio authorities say that another year
messing arrangements will be i'm
proved and every officer and man who
attended the, 1907 meeting hopes that
this will prove true for men must
have proper food if they are to do their
best as rifiemen. .
The scores of the Maine team in the
National Match weregas follows:
Team total at 200 yards ..............5 98
Team total at 500 yards ............ 522
Team total at 800 yards .............5 $50
Team total at 1000 yards ............371
Team aggregate for the entire match
In the National Individual Match
which followed the National Match
nearly all the Maine team men entered
and. aided by the experience gained in
hea Inf eli hot a
improvement was noticeable in the
skirrnish work. the aggregate for
twelve Individual members being over
800. as against $50 in the match.
Practice as a team is essential to
high scores in skirish runs and I trust
that such practice may be arranged for
the Maine team next year before it en-
tiers the New England or National
matches.
STATE COMPETITION.
The State competition was held or
the State. range at Augusta July 18th
and 18th. the company team match be-
ing shot on the former and the inter-
regimental match on the latter.
The company team match was shot
at 200 and 500 yards, being open to
teams of seven men, each man firing
| two sighting and seven counting shots
| at each range. The order of merit
was as follows:
FIRST INFANTRY.
First Prize-Co. D of Norway.
Score. sS4.
Second Prize-Headquart Score,
SIS.
Third Prize-Co. F of Sanford. Score,
375.
Fourth Prize-Co. NJ of Westbrook
Score, 357.
SECOND INFANTRY.
First Prize-Co. of Dover. Score
sos.
Second Prize-Co. B Of Lewiston
Score. 395.
Third Prize-Co. C of Bath. Score
32l.
Fourth Prize-Co. L of Houlton
Score, 343.
Co. F of Dover won the Col. New
comb and Major Presson trophies, the
former offered for the high aggregate
in the regiment and the latter for the
high aggregate in the third battalion
COMPANY INSPECTORS.