Norwich bulletin., 1915-09-29
NEARLY EVERY sTATE.AT
 NATIONAL RIFLE MATCHES.
Only Six Will Not Send Team-or
 Greater Scale Than Before.

The National Rifle matches of 1915
 to be held at the Florida State range,
 promise to be the most largely at
 tended of any tournament that has
 ever been held, for not only is it to
 be participated in as usual, by teams
 from the regular service and the or
 gahized militia, but the matches are
 opened this year to a new shooting element by the War department order which admits teams from universities, colleges and military schools and it is expected that many such institutions will be represented. All but six states In the union will be represented by three officers and fifteen rifemen. The Connecticut State Rifle team for the
 matches has just been chosen.
 The Florida Rifle range is the larg- est in the south and second largest in
 the country. that at Camp Perry, O.,
 D Gng the largest The reservation
 upon which the range is located is a
 most attractive natural park, covers I- o7s acres, situated eight miles south Of Jacksonville, on the St. John river The camps are supplied with every camp necessity and convenience in cluding kitchens and mess shelters houses.
 Water is supplied from a ten inch artesian we'll. drivensto a depth of 126 feet, giving an estimated flow of one million two hundred and fifty thous- and gallons a day -.<
 The purpose of this great meet is to promote shooting with the national military arms and to increase the ef- l fciency of the military and naval ser- vices in small arms firing The pro- gramme as arranged is intended to ! develop skill in firing at fixed targets and over known distances and con
 templates the training of individual marksmen.
 The detail of Col. Blatchford, the
 commandant of the school of musketry l at Fort Stfll, to be the executive officer, assisted by staff of about one hun
 dred army and National Guard officers, | as range officers. A regiment of in-
 fantry to operate targets and a bat
 talion of marines as scorers is signifi- | cant Of desire at the War depart ment to bring the shooting fraternity into closer relations with, the institu- | lions which have been established to deal with and instruct in methods of obtaining effective combined fire, by fire control and fire discipline
 The importance of the coming match | Is also shown by the preparation be-
 ing made by the state teams. Massa- l chusetts is sparing no effort to put
 themselves in winning form.
 l After. taking part in the New Eng
 land matches at Wakefield, Mass, they ] left for Florida the 18th of September. l The Connecticut team has reported
 at East Haven, Conn, for practice Saturdays for five weeks and the team
 has entered in the Presidents. Marine 1 Corps, Wimbledon and Rapid Fire
 matches and will have practice in this I way before the state matches
 The programme this year does not l contain, field firing programme as a l competitive event but it is planned to arrange such a problem to be par ticipated in by battalions and to con- duet 1t during the period when the l largest number are assembled. This problem will involve fire direction | fire control and fire discipline. and will I not only be a great interest to the skilled marksmen who will be at the range but will present spectacular fea. Il lures which will have a special ap- II peal to the public generally.
 ,l A competition taken part in by suct Il large number using service arnmuni. Ii tions is most unusual and is certain } to attract wide attention. sEnthusiasu for all sports is a great thing. Rifle I and revolver shooting have never beer ! popular with the masses in this coun. try.
 In England and all other countrfe, great interest is taken, especially 1T those events which call for militar, ,l arms only. During. the. matches a } Bisiey, there is such unbound en, si thusiasm throughout the, whole O Great Britain as would open an Amer
 jeans eyes in wonder. Those wht } fully appreciate the. national import
 ance of rife shooting look askance a
 those who-direct their chief interes
 towards such pastimes as polo .. ant : tennis. q Tn the countries where great inter
 est is taken there is mot only a. higl , high average among themselves. Fl