MILITARY TOURNAMENT AND CONCERT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11462, 28 December 1897, Page 5

MILITARY TOURNAMENT AND CONCERT.

The E Battery and the Canterbury Engineers have reason to congratulate themselves on the success which attended their repetition of the tournament and concert so seriously impaired by the wet weather on Anniversary night. Yesterday evening about a couple of thousand people assembled in the Drillshed and the adjoining ground, and the double programme—military competitions on the ground and a concert in the shed—was carried out with a gratifying degree of success. The majority of the visitors, though the evening was cold, chose to witness the tournament and, for their accommodation, tiers of seats were erected in front of the Drillshed, and forms placed around the ground, which was well lighted by five large incandescent gas lamps. LieutenantColonels Gordon and Francis, Captain Snow, and Lieutenant'the Earl of Seafield, acted as judges, assisted by Staff SergeantMajor Barritt. Major Slater, V.D., who was to have been one of the judges, was unfortunately prevented by illness. Officers and men from all the city and the Lyttelton and Rangiora corps were present, and the Engineers’ Band played selections during the evening. Special interest was lent to the competitions by the presence of teams from the Dunedin Engineers, who were fortunate enough to secure a fair position on the prize list. THE TOURNAMENT. The following are details of the events of the tournament:— MANUAL AND FIRING EXERCISES (three volleys with blank cartridge). Christchurch City Rifles (Colour-Sergeant Bean’s squad), 44 points 1 Dunedin EngineersfCorporal Tonkin), 37 points 3 A squad of the Canterbury Engineers, under Sergeant-Major Jones, and a second squad of the City Rifles, under Sergeant Hopkins, also competed, and each made thirty-six points. The work of the first prize-winners was exceedingly good. The Dunedin men did fairly well, but were somewhat slow and rather irregular in the manual exercise. The work of the Canterbury Engineers was good, though rather loose, and that of the second squad of the City Rifles was somewhat irregular, and they spoiled one of their, volleys. AH the other volleys were very well fired. Cavalry Sword Exercise. —A detachment of eight men of the E Battery, under Sergeant-Major Treleaven, gave an exhibition of cavalry sword exercise, by word of command and in review time. They did, on the whole, well and smartly, though they were hardly as unanimous as to time as they might have been. BAYONET EXERCISE—Review order, quick time. City Rifles (Colour-Sergeant Bean), 18 points .. I City Rifles (Sergeant Hopkins), 16 points ... 2 Both teams did very good work.

Artillery Display.—As the B Battery (Dunedin), which had been expected to compete in this event, had proved unable to do so, an exhibition of artillery in action was given by two detachments of the E Battery, under Sergeant-Major Treleaven. The display was somewhat protracted, but the effect was enhanced by men falling, apparently wounded, and by the wheels becoming “disabled” at intervals. The work was gone through with commendable smartness and precision. * BBIDGE-BUILDING. Canterbury Engineers (Sergeant Evans), 7min 43sec 1 Dunedin Engineers (Sergeant Beadle), Bmin 12§sec 2 The two teams worked together, each having to make and connect two piers of four barrels apiece. The event excited the greatest interest among the spectators, and the Canterbury men were loudly cheered. They made the piers more rapidly than their opponents, but the latter gained time in connecting them. The work of the local team was, on the whole, very good, the rack lashing especially. The visitors laboured under the disadvantage of having to deal with material heavier than that to which they are accustomed, but they did fairly well, though their lashing was rather loose and evidently hurried. PHYSICAL DRILL (witharms). Firstfour prac-

tices ; judging the time. City Eifles (Colour-Sergeant Beau), 36 points... X Queen’s Cadets (Colour-Sergeant Rodgers) 33 points 2 E Battery (Sergeant Jenkins), 32 points; City Eifles (Sergeant Hopkins), 30 points. All four detachments did very well. The Queen’s Cadets were excellent as to time, but their movements were not always quite accurate. BOOT RACE, 50yds. Gunner Maddren, E Battery 1 Engineer Wurr, Dunedin Engineers 2 Sapper Roberts, Canterbury Enghmers 3 There were a score of competitors in this event, which caused the utmost merriment. The competitors took off their boots, which were mixed promiscuously in a heap. The owners then rushed to this heap, got their I boots, put them on and ran back to the | starting point. Anyonecomingin with other { boots than his own was not eligible for a prize. The scene when the men were scrambling for their boots was worthy of a football “scrimmage,” and created roars of laughter. BARREL RACE, 25yds. Sergeant Evans, Canterbury Engineers 1 Bombardier Johnston, E Battery 2 There were nine competitors in this event, in which the men had to stand on the rolling barrels and propel them after the fashion of a balancer on a globe at a circus. They all had several tumbles. The second man had very hard luck, as he kept atop of his barrel, well ahead of all the others for nearly the whole distance, but got into trouble with a rough bit of ground close to the tape, PICK-A-BACK TUG-OF-WAR. Dunedin Engineers 1 City Rifles 2 The novelty and amusing character of this contest caused great amusement. Each team consisted of twenty men, ten of whom were mounted on the shoulders of their comi'ades. The City Eifles easily defeated the E Battery, but the latter complained that their opponents had adopted a mode of “riding” which gave them an undue advantage. The latter were, however, easily overcome by the Dunedin men. The open-air performance was concluded with an extensive display of fireworks by Messrs Bickerton Bros., closing with an effective mechanical device entitled “ The Bombardment of Kiao-chau.” THE CONCERT. The concert in the drillshed was highly successful, most of the numbers being encored. Trumpeter Chegwin sounded trumpet and bugle calls exceedingly well. Mr A. Millar sang “ Father O’Flynn.” Mr C. Eead sang “ The Garonne,” and took part with Mr Millar in the duet “ Excelsior.” Mr C. Edgar gave two comic songs, “ A Parody ” and “ I Ain’t a-going to Tell.” Mr J. H. O’Kelly sang “ Ting-a-ling-ling.” Mr Winter A. Hall recited “ The Squire’s Dinner Party.” Messrs Close and Whitam gave two songs and dances, and “Professor” Manning a very clever ■contortion act. The Estudianliim Baud; played* atjoupienl selections.