MILITARY TOURNAMENT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9920, 28 December 1897, Page 3

MILITARY TOURNAMENT.

Last night at the military tournament about two thousand people were present, and all the events were got off with great punctuality, the only drag in the proceedings being the occasional sameness in some of the competitions. The following are the results: —

Manual and Firing Exercises—City Rifles (Sergeant Bean), 44 points, 1; Dunedin Engineers (Corporal Tonkin), 37 points, 2. The Canterbury Engineers (Sergeant-Major Jones) and a second squad from the City Rifles also competed. Bayonet Exercise—City Rifles (Sergeant Baan), 18 points, 1; City Rifles (Sergeant Hopkins), 16 points, 2. Artillery Display—This consisted of some exhibition work by the E Battery, who, under Sergeant-Major Treleaven, went through some very creditable work. Bridge Building—Canterbury Engineers (Sergeant-Major Jones), 7min 43sec, 1; Dunedin Eugineers (Sergeant Beadel), Bmin 12fsec, 2. This was the only purely military event on the programme which partook of the nature of a keen struggle, and was in consequence very popular with the spectators, who applauded frantically throughout. The home team gained the first lead. The visitors then caught up lost time and for some time both teams were going neck and neck. Dunedin losing a lot of time at the end by having to see to some lashings a second time allowed the Canterbury company to win rather easily. The work of the latter, moreover, Avas neater and stronger. Physical Exercise—City Rifles (ColourSergeant Bean) 36 points, 1; Queen's Cadets (Colour-Sergeant Rogers) 33 points, 2 ; E Battery (Sergeant Jenkin) 32 points, 3. The performance of the Queeu's Cadets in gaining second was extremely meritorious. All their movements were gone through with great smartness and neatness. Boot Race — This caused considerable amusement. The competitors ran in their stocking feet to a place where their boots were all piled in confusion. Each man had to select his own pair, run back to the mark and put them on. Gunner Maddren (E Battery) was the winner, Sapper Wurr (Dunedin Engineers) second, and Sapper Roberts (Canterbury Engineers) third. j Barrel Race—Sergeant Evans (Canterbury | Engineers) 1, Bombardier Johnston (E Battery) 2. This competition also caused | much amusement. Pick-a-Back Tug of War—This was won by the Dunedin Engineers. While the military sports wera going ou a concert was being held in the Drillshed, which was crowded to excess. Songs were given by Messrs Close and Whittam, and Messrs C. Read, Chas. Edgar, Millar and J. H. O'Kelly. The Estudiantina band gave two selections, Trumpeter Chegwin played some bugle calls, Mr Winter Hall gave a recitation, and Professor Manning a specialty act. The fireworks, under the direction of the Bickerton Bros., were a distinct success. The whole was arranged so as to represent the bombardment of a town, and was worked by means of petroleum cressets. Representations of men-of-war were seen to be moving to and fro, and the effect was very striking. In addition to this some very pretty Saxon wheels and coloured stars were shown.