THE ENGLAND V. AMERICA RIFLE MATCH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1052, 19 September 1883, Page 4

THE ENGLAND V. AMERICA RIFLE MATCH.

Amid changes from storm to sunshine more frequent even than the changes of the fortunes of the contending teams, the International Military Match ended on July 21 in the triumph of the British team by h majority of 45 points, after a struggle which tested the endurance of the men almost as severely as their judgment and skill in raarkraanship. When the fir|ng at the short ranges, 200, 500, apd (too yards, was finished on the previous i v c|ay tl\e representatives of the United States National Guard had a score higher by 8 points than that of the picked men of our Volunteers, who were doing,J)attle for the whole country. In the end, as will be seen, our men, though they again lost ground at the 800 yards range, showed a decided superiority at the 900 yards, and though, for a time, at the final range, the issue seemed doubtful, they recovered their position, and came cut dfthe contest with the very substantial advantage ot 1,951 points to the 1,906 obtained by their opponents. 'I he victory will doubtless be ascribed to various causes. Some may find an explanation in the superiority of the rifles with which the British team were armed; and with regard to this matter it may be of interest to know that Major Young, Mr Goldsmith, and Mr Gibbs used the Farquharson Motford by Gibbs, Mr Bates the Webly Wyley, and the other members of the team the Dejjly, Edge Motford. In the AfiieStican team Messrs Dolan, S. J. Scott,‘%id Cash had Remingtons, and . the others'the Brown rifle. .The British fired in pairs, six men at a time, and when they had finished the other half of the team took their places. The Americans fired right round the team with squads of fofar at each firing point. At all the ranges their opponents were, first to finish, though some of the Americans 'took aim very quickly. Any position was allowed at the long ranges, and there appeared to be as much difference of practice in this respect in one camp as in the other, and it-was impossible from the results to say whether those who chose the prone position or those who stretched themselves "on their backs, steadying their rifle between their legs, did better op the whole in scoring. Owing to the fact that the British team fired in sections the totals of the rounds did not show [how the balance of advantage inclined from time to time from one side or the other. At the end of the

800 yards range the British were 34 points behind,, and,when, in their first round at 900 yards, both Major Pearse and Mr Lowe failed to get any signal for their shots, and Major Young, beginning with an outer, and, after twice getting into the centre, again fell away and scored three outers consecutively, the prospect of the British team did not seem very great. Private M'Vittie, however, Mr Gibbs, Corporal Bates, Captain Godsal, and Private Wattleworth kept bravely to the front. The calls of the register-keepers at these targets were repeated by Capt. Harris, who ' marked the great scoring-board for the, English, and as his clear tones were borne on the wind to the American lines the words “ Pearse, bull’seye, 5 ”j. .“IGpdsal, bull’s eye, 5”; “Lowe, inner, 4” must have sounded discouragingly to the Americans, who failing every now and then to get any signal for their shots, or only making outers and magpiesj, s.v:nc 1. in shooting

phrase, to be going to pieces. On going back to the 1,000 yards the British had wiped off their deficit, and had io points to their credit. For a time, however, it seemed that their skill or fortune had failed them, and the appearance of the score list, a mosaic of circles, shows their first section had a bad quarter of an hour. The light was puzzling, anclthe wind strong and variable. With the advance of the second division of the British to the front, the aspect of affairs once more changed, and when these had fired their last shot about ten minutes before the Americans had finished, it was plain that the victory was already won, for the British had scored 254 at this range, bringing their total up to 1,951 points, while the Americans had only succeeded in adding 206 to the 1,687 points they had gained up to the time of leaving the 900 yards range; and though at this moment they had still four shots to fire, even if all these should find the bull’s-eye, the match must still be lost to them. In the result they made 219, and finished with an aggregate score of 1,906, or 45 points below that of the winning team.

The following is the result’of the total score at 800, 900, and i,odo yards : British team, 1,951 points; and the Americans, 1,906. When the scores had been marked up, Earl Brownlow, as head of the. Executive, on behalf of the National Rifte Association, said : “ Let us give three cheers for the American team, and let them be such cheers as will not only show our cordial admiration and respect for them personally, but also the affection between England and tlje great country they so worthily .represent.”;. Three hearty cheers having been given, Colonel Howard, the captain of the American teapi; In acknowledging the toast, said ; “It is pretty hard work to cheer when we have be?n so thoroughly thrashed, but Americans are used to that sort of thing, and one or two more or less wii! not hort ijs. We take our thrashing to-,day af graciously as possible, and we have,'Still, T trust, backbone enough to give;three cheers for our British freinds. I call for three cheers for the Britisli public.” A hearty response was made by; the American team. The result of. the match was received in the United States ,as one. of those defeats which areas honorable as a victory. A prominent’riflptnatE remarked on reading the-sdope—* 1 All right; it shows that it would be dangerous business to meet either team in-actual warfare.”