VOLUNTEER NEWS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 21, 20 December 1890, Page 6

VOLUNTEER NEWS.

[Volunteers and others are invited to contribute to this column. All communications should he addressed to “ Carbine,” and left at the office of this paper not later than Wednesday in each week.]

RANGE TIME-TABLE. November 15 —“ A ” Battery N.Z.R.A., Auckland Navals. [_By Carbine.J The City Guards journeyed out to Onehunga last Saturday to fire a friendly rifle match with the Onehunga Corps. The distances were 200 and 300 yards; five shots at each range. Both teams tied at the 200 yards with 176 points, but the Guards gained 11 points at the 300 yards, and thus secured a victory. The scores are:—

Majority for City Guards 11 points. The members of the Ponsonby Navals paraded at the drill shed on Monday last, Lieut. Dacre being in command. A detachment was told off to drill on the 64-pounder and the remainder received a very instructive lecture on mining explosives from members of the permanent force. The “ A ” Battery fire the first stage in the competition for representatives for the forthcoming meeting at Napier this afternoon at the Mt. Eden Range. The conditions are 7 shots to be fired at 200, 300 and 500 yards. Five men are to be assisted by the company, and the competition may be expected to be very keen, as more than that number intended going. Interesting experiments are to be made at the Washington Navy Yards with the new smokeless powder, the invention of Professor Emmens. Two kinds of explosives are to be experimented with, the one called Gelbite and the other Emmensite. Their composition is known only to the inventor. The ordinance officials are entirely ignorant of their properties or value. Professor Emmens expects to

demonstrate that he has a smokeless powder suitable for guns of all sizes, and a high explosive that can be handled with greater safety and yet be more destructive in its results than any explosive known. The members of the “ A ” Batteiy are again to the fore in enjoyment, having arranged for a grand picnic on January 2, 1891, to be held at Motuihi Island. A strong committee has been picked and they intend to spare no pains in seeing that everything of the best is provided, and their patrons thoroughly enjoy themselves. After the “ O ” Battery inspection parade on Wednesday, Major Douglas presented the gold medals given by the battery officers for the best gun detachment, which were won by No. 2 Detachment (Sergt. McCallum). The Champion Carbine Cup was also presented to Sergt. McCallum, who won it for 1890 with the good score of 201 points, and Sergt. Fairs was presented with a gold medal, having won the Cup last year, score 192 points. Gun. Percy Browne won a Martini-Henri rifle given by Capt. Reid for good attendance, having put in every drill since he joined the Battery some three years ago. It was decided to send Sergts. McCallum and Fairs to Napier next month to represent the Battery at the N.Z.R.A. meeting, and was voted to them for expenses.

CITY GUARDS. Name 200 yds 300 yds Tota Pvt. Osborne 18 19 37 Sergt. Craig 21 16 37 Lieut. Dormer 19 16 35 Corp. Coleman 20 13 33 Col.-Sergt. Stirling 20 13 3'3 Staff-Sergt. Soall l6 l6 32 Bugler Dormor <3 17 3° Capt. Kohn IS 14 29 Sergt. Orr 19 IO 29 Sergt. Taylor 15 8 23 Totals 176 ONEHUNGA RIFLES. 142 3i8 Name 200 yds 300 yds Total Pvt. Blakely T 7 18 25 Pvt. James 18 17 35 Pvt. May 20 15 35 Capt. Leahy 22 11 33 Pvt. Tapp 17 <5 32 Pvt. Brunner 17 15 32 Pvt. McCarthy 18 <4 32 Pvt. Wall 18 12 30 Pvt. Crowhurst 19 8 27 Sergt. Brown IO 6 16 Totals 176 131 307