Evening journal., 1914-12-21
TRAPSHOOTINC BY
artificial LIGHT
Salem Rod, Gun and Yacht
Club Holds First Event
of It's Kind
WILMINGTON MEN
BEFORE TRAPS

Trapshoofers all over the country
arc sending in to the Salem Rod. Gun
and Yacht Club for particulars Of the
night shooting tournament held n
week ago Saturday night. and which
is destined to revolutionize the sport.
double the amount Of interest in trap
shooting and correspondingly increase
the manufacture Of powder, shells
and even rifles for use in the game
The club now enjoys the distinction
of having held the first successful
trapshooting tournament by artificial
light. The feasibility Of holding shoots
at night is demonstrated by the almost
perfect scores made.
The secret in lighting the ground,
or more especially the traps and vicin-
( ity, was in the use Of four search
lights, so placed and rugged up as to
throw the rays of light over the traps
in an even manner These lights were
such as are used on motOrbOats, now
laid up for the winter They we're
placed some distance back from the
traps and so arranged that each light
covered a certain area of space suffi-
cient to show the rock from the time
1t left the trap and rose to its great
est height. and again until il. OF its
pieces fell to the ground. Much COM
ment was made on the absence OF that
glare which often interferes with
/ shooters in daytime.
The experiment attracted wide
spread attention. This was particu-
larly manifested by the presence of
representatives from eight gun manu-
featuring concerns. Every powder
company and every concern manufac-
turing shells had representatives at
the shoot One house from Chicago
sent telegram to wire at once full
particulars of the shoot and how the
arranging and lighting of the traps
was accomplished.
Salem was thronged with visitors
and its hotels were overtaXed in caring
for those who remained over Sunday
Representatives of manufacturing con.
Germs we're prOfuse in their praise oil
the work of the club in staging the
shoot. The prediction was freely
made that with the institution of might
shooting at the traps, there would be-
double the amount of powder and AM
munitiOn used in the sport. They
pointed out that lovers OF the sport
were denied the pleasure Of trapshooU
ing by reason of business preventing
their attendance at the day shoots. 4
is estimated that as soon as nigh
shooting becomes general, twice thu
number OF men will take up the sport
and that the entries at the tourna
ments will be doubled.
The greatest apprehension in stag
ing the shoot was the question o
making good scores. 1t was feared tina
even with lighting the grounds in sue
a manner as to make the targets easil.
to be discerped, there might be
something that would interfere will
correct sighting, and while the shoe
might be a success in a way. the score
might fall far short of record shooting
In this the officials of the club wer
agreeably surprised. The scores mad
are an interesting study. Professional
and amateurs alike featured in the fin
scoring. There we're IL to break NOR
than 40 out of so rocks.
Eight of them WIRE professional
and four were amateurs. Big Chic
Bender. the famous baseball pitcher
was 18th on the list, breaking AZ
Neat Apgar was the highest man o
the professionals, breaking AZ out O
a possible so targets. Schuyler Col
fax. of the professionals, came secon
! with 46 to his credit. ]. II. Minnicl
of Wilmington, broke like number
being winner in the amateur class
. The lowest number broken out G
5 was 25 by George Hires. of Salem
Making still further analysis of tn
scores, it is found that there wer
! straight breaks Of 10 each. Their
= We're 81 scores of Q out of 10. Twenty
one scores Of s out Of 1 were mad'
In making further comparisons wit
scores of daylight shoots, 1t was dis
covered that there was a total al
sence of punching; the consister
, scoring prevailed throughout tn
i evenings shooting, and that the score
! all the way down the sheet exceede
!, those of daylight meets. showing ths
p the shooting was at its best from stai
p to finish.
The lights we're turned on at
o'clock In the evening. and the shoe
ing began Immediately. There wa
/ some Dractice shooting before IN