Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-10
Military MEMS SHOW ENDS
Best Tournament Yet in Department,
Says General Smith.
OTHER OFFICERS SAY SAME
Another Brilliant Exhibition of
Martial Deeds and Feats Yester-
day Concludes stirring
week.

Omaha's second military tournament
ended shortly before o'clock Saturday aft
ernoon, with everybody happy, even II
some Of them were rather tired.
General Frederick Smith, commanding
the Department Of the Missouri, is author
ity for the statement that this tournament
was In many respects the greatest and
most successful ever given anywhere in the
department other army men assert that
the crowds and the enthusiasm compared
very favorably with the much more freely
advertised tournaments pulled off in Chi
caEo and New York
Something like 1880 will be turned over
took part. and will be divided and con-
too kpart, and will be divided and con-
verted into regimental or company funds,
as may best suit the views Of the men.
The expense OF erecting stands and taking
care OF all the incidental cost that apper-
tains to carrying out such a scheme of en-
tertainment was quite heavy, and after tho
first days exhibition It was found neces-
sary to incur more expense by building
200 feet onto the south grand stand The
temporary officers club was also cared for
by the local committee while ths encamp-
ment was on.
NO AcCluenN Mars
Not an accident OF any serious character
occurred during the whole week Of siren
uous work put in by the soldiery. When
the engineers we're retreaung from the field
to their camp late yesterday afternoon,
some timbers and boards slid off a wagon
and one OF the men was slightly hurt Dur
ing the exciting evolutions OF the battery
while swinging on a swift run just In front
Of the east grand stand, one Of the gun
carriages struck a hump and almost went
over, but quickly righted when the horses
Strengthened out At another time Captain
Wright Smiths daredevils drove like fury
Just a trifle too far up to the boxes in
front Of the east stand. They did not miss
the railing more than two feet at the press
box, where Captain Christie was standing
and he had to stand tight against the rail
for a moment or two.
1T is things like that we always must
guard against at these tournaments" said
Captain Christie. IF the overflow was
out here in front of the boxes, as it was
Friday afternoon, distressing injuries
might have been inflicted. The public may
consider our rules too strict. but they are
the result Of experience, and the incident
which has Just occurred proves the need
for the most absolute care to keep the
spectators in line behind the ratings"
The spirit Of the afternoon, so far as the
soldiery was concerned, was indicated by
Captain Smith when he rode up to Captain
Christie and said:
Il may overrun two or three minutes
today. My men are Keyed up and going
strong, but we will not run much over.
time"
Artillerymen Race Like Mad,
And keyed up they certainly were, for
such drill as the artilerymen put on is
seldom seen, even by army officers. 1t was
go, and go hard. swing and swing fast;
gallop, and gallop as IL the very devil were
after; take position almost on the dead
run, and go into action like a hail storm
Smelling corn field.
Men and women watched with eager
eyes, bursting into involuntary cheers
every few seconds, and when the big guns
Numbered amid the smoke chorus of
yells went up from a dozen Of frightened
babies that almost drowned the roar of
the cannon. The yells did not make those
Immediately about forget the guns crash
ing out on the field.
As on every other day when the troops
were going through their exhibitions evo-
lutions and exercises slaughter grim and
CORY" was the only thing lacking to
make war an actuality before the swaying,
cheering thousands in the stands.
General Frederick Smith, always graci-
Gus and doing the handsome thing as
matter of course, took King Ak-Sar- Ben
himself out on the reviewing line with
him as the troops marched past in the
grand review. Everett Buckingham, in
plain clothes, had the physical port nee
essary to proper hngship and the eagle
front, but he wore no robes of state;
was as plain as an old shoe so far as
rHIment would count. But he represented
the central idea of this annual and now
famous fall festival Of the realms of
Quiv EZRA, and President Pickens bore him
company, with Majors Burnham and De-
wore, chief of staff and in charge Of
camp headquarters. respectively
Ambulance Race New Thriller.
Because Of the condition Of the ground,
as a result Of the fast work done thereon
through several days by thousands OF
men and horses. the Roman race on
Saturdays card had to be abandoned.
In place an ambulance race was put on
between three teams of Company A, hos
pital corps This proved interesting
enough to satisfy anybody. The wagons,
each drawn by four mules, started from
the north side of the parade ground,
raced over the south side, where the
litter bearers jumped down, climbed
fence, attended to a wounded man,
placed him on the litter, hoisted
him across the fence and loaded him into
the wagon. Two of the mule teams could
travel like race horses, while one team
was too slow for any particular use In
such a contest The time made counted
fifty points. bandaging twenty-five points
and general performance the other TWEEN
ty-five. No time was taken, but the Of
hcers pronounced the race between the
first two teams very close.
Wall Sealing Amusea.
Two battalions OF the Fourth infantry
gave the shelter tent drill. with the call
to arms aud wall scaling TO lend excite
ment. Much amusement was afforded the
spectators by the varying degrees of
alacrity with which the men went over
the ten-foot wall To some the climb
was evidently a picnic, while to others
it was as hard as climbing tho golden