THE ROUTE MARCHING COMPETITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6121, 7 March 1898, Page 4

THE ROUTE MARCHING COMPETITION.

The volunteer r.oute marching competition en Saturday evening excited fully as much interest as did the first contest held Lore a year ago, and was wou by the same corps and for the same reason— hard and steady training. The route was the same as that of the former competition : From Cathedral Square, via. Colombo Street, to the foot of fne PoifcHiliS; thence along the foot of the hills and over the hill at Mr Murray-Aynsley's house, past the old rifle range to the road under the railway line at the Heathcote Valley; thence skirting the hills by the Heathcote Eiver to the Ferry Bridge, thence along the Ferry Eoad to the East Belt, and along the Belt to Worcester Street, 'and along Worcester Street to the winning point on the east side of Cathedral Square. The distance is thirteen miles and a quarter. Each team consisted of one . officer, two sergeants and sixteen rank and file. Detachments were to parade in drill order, and each non-commissioned officer and man ■was to carry a rifle and thirty rounds of ball cartridge. No assistance was allowed from any person outside the team, and each individual was to march without any assistance and carry his arms and accoutrements in the proper manner. The judges were Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis, Y;D., . and .Major Slater, V.D. Lieutenant E. 11. Ehodes was btarter and timekeeper, Sergeant J. E. Wakeliit and Mr A. Gundersen being associated with him in the latter capacity. Of the seven corps .which had entered, two, the Kaiapoi and Eangiora Rifle 3, did not put in an appearance. The reason for the absence of the latter was, it was stated, the fact that they could not provide two sergeants to accompany their team. At 6.40 p.m. the five competing teams were drawn up in quarter-column in Worcester Street, opposite the Australian Mutual Provident Society's building, where the officers balloted to decide the order of starting, and ammunition was served out. The following were the competing teams in the order of starting :— 1. City Guards. — Lieutenant Snndford,* Sorseunts Ward," Meddiugß, Corporals Thompson, liurdner,* Hyer, Alexander,* Privates Allard,* Dickenson, Grange,* Sandford,* Fentoco3t*, H. I'arlaud, W. Favland, K. Murphy,* Polkiuder,* : P«ge, Smith and Hewitt. 2. Lyttelton Naval Artillery ■— LieuttnantCommander ' Joyce*, First-class Petty Officers Wallace and Clark*, Second-class Potty Officers Balph* and Marshall*, Bugler Porteons*. Guuners Day, J. Brown, S. Bainford*. H. Baraford, Arnold*, Uay*. Adams, Huston, Penton, Edgar, Kuowles*, Lester, Morris. 3 City Bifles— Captain Fairbnirn*, ColourSereeant. Benn*. Sergeant Bourdot, Corporals 'Xurvey* and T)odd3*, £ance-Corporals Dodd* nnd Roxburgh* Privates Beanmont, £>. 8. Bowman, A. A Bowman, Bradley, Brooker*, G. Allen*, Fleck, i't'rost*. Jack man, Spry, Glover, Webb. i Christ's College Kifles .— Lieutenant Smith,* Sergeants ColcloCjJi* and Gibson,* Corporal Wilson,* Lance-Corpor^J Marsh*, Privates 'J.'eape*, Dixon,* Williams, »iiddleiOn*,Denham,* Wallace,* Styche*. Kirtoii, C. Cotton,* Horris,* Hobb3, Imdloy, Hurper* and Nicholls. 5. Imperial Bifles — Lieutenant Jl?>derness; j Colonr-Sergeant Butcher, Serjeant Brown, -€or : pordl Shanley, . l.ance-Corporals Moncriett and Ouskoy, Privates Orchard, Chapman, Latimore, I'riston, Allard, Knight, Johnston, Williamson, Denham, Wilson, Pavict, flewev and Andersou. •Took part in last year'd competition. The umpires with the various teams were : — With the City Guards, Captain Oharlewood, of the Imperial Eities ; with the City Eifles, Lieutenant Neave, of the Mounted Eifles ; with the Lyttelton Navals, Lieutenant Marciel, of the Imperial Eifles ; with the College Eifles, Captain Palairet, late of the Mounted • Bifles; -with the Imperial Eifles, Lieutenant Bishop, of the City Guards. His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by Captain Alexander and the Hon. C. Hill Trevor, drove into the square a few minutes before seven, escorted by a detachment of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry. He showed keen interest in the proceedings, inspected the teams, and remained •with the judges to watch their departure. . The appearance of the teams was creditably smart, and their physique was good. The majority of the Imperial Eifles were Bomewhat youthful, but decidedly promising. All the teams made a good and effective start, and were cheered by the spectators, who were gathered in a large and densely packed crowd. A detachment of the Mounted Eifles preceded each team as far as Cashel Street to clear the way. The form displayed by the College Eifles and City Guards was excellent; and the extraordinary pacemaking ability of Lieutenant N. L. Smith, of the former corps, was in itself no mean factor of success. The fine condition and steady swing displaped by both teams were keenly appreciated by the spectators, who had gathered in force at every point of vantage along the route. The Lyttelton Navals had two lame men before reaching the foot of the hills on Colombo Street, and were passed by the College Eifles abotit fifty yards beyond the residence o£ Mr E. Allan, at HUlsborongh. The Navals retired from the contest after being passed, one of their men who hud arrived from Auckland that morning by the Mararoa being seized with severe stomach cramps. The City Eifles went very well to the Ferry Bridge, where two of their men retired. The remainder of the team, however, completed the distance. The newly-formed Imperial Eifle3 showed 'some good marchins: and admirable pluck, but found the pace too great. The team from the Navals was the only one which failed to complete the full distance.' The arrangements connected with the return of the teams were much better carried out than at the competition last year./ At 9 o'clock some fifty > members of the 'four city rifle companies paraded ia front of the Post Office under Lieutenant Merton. Part of the detachment occupied the Cathedral ground and kept it clear for the reception of the teams, while the rest kept a passage from the opening of Worcester Street to the gate of the grounds. The crowd which gathered was so dense that it was with great difficulty that a way was kept clear. His Excellency the Governor, with Captain Ward and the Hon Q. HUI Trevor, returned to meet the teams and stood with the judges and timekeepers at the corner of Worcester Sheet. Each team as it crossed Latimer Square was met by a strong detachment of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry and the Mounted Bifles, under Sergeant-Major Berland, which, riding two sections abreast, effectually cleared the way. The first to arrive were the City Guards, who marched in in very good style at 47min 29sec past nine, by the official watches. They had done the distance in the very creditable time of 2hr 47min 29sec, olsec better than that made by the College Eifles when they won the previous competition. At 6min 16sec before ten o'clock (official time) the College Eifles made a highly effective entrance, and came in winners, having covered the distance in 2hr 38niin Msec, and beaten the City Guards by Binm4ssec, and their own previous record by 9min 36sec. They were heartily cheered, as, indeed, were all the teams. The City Eifles, two of whom did not finish, also came in in very good style, and did the distance in 2hr 52min 42sec. The Imperial Eiflea covered the thirteen miles and a quarter in 3hr Omin 22sec. Each team marched intp the Cathedral ground, where it was promptly inspected by the judges and dismissed. His Excellency the Governor, after seeing the first team pass the timekeepers, went to the Cathedral ground, where he inspected the teams and complimented the officers. He especially congratulated Lieutenant Smith on the fine performance of the winning team, and Lieutenant Holderness on the plucky and very creditable achievement ol thelmperialEifles. The teams wore heaitilj cheered as they left the enclosure.