Volunteer News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 70, 26 November 1891, Page 4

Volunteer News.

I Contributions to this column are invited. All communications L should be addressed to “ Torpedo,” and reach this office not later than Tuesday in each week. Notes from country corps will be specially acceptable.]

Captain Falconer, of the New Zealand Torpedo Corps, has arrived in Auckland to inspect those members of the Naval Artillery and Engineers, who have been qualifying themselves for certificates in submarine mining. On Monday and Tuesday evening last he had the Ponsonby Navals in hand, last night the. Engineers were examined, to-night and to--morrow night the Auckland Navals are to come before him. ... From Dunedin we learn of a marker being shot dead at the butts while holding the danger signal in his hand. The circumstances point clearly to the carelessness either of the unfortunate man Wilson himself or of those in charge at the firing point. It was clearly the former’s duty not to come out of the butts until he heard the bugle after showing his danger flag, if there was a bugle on the range, and if there was not one, those in charge at the firing point are morally responsible for the man’s death. Deceased was a single man, twenty-five years of age. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death from a shot fired from the rifle of Gunner Davys, of the “ B ” Battery, was returned, Davys being exonerated from all blame, was returned. John Wilson was a member of the North Dunedin Rifles, and was accorded a military funeral on Sunday, there being an immense attendance of volunteers and the public, Lieut.-Commander Parker had a detachment of the Auckland Navals at Fort Cautley for big gun drill on Friday last, while Lieut, Smith was in command of the remainder of the corps at the Drill-shed, where they received the finishing touches in their education in signalling and torpedo work preparatory to their examination by Capt. Falconer. Capt. Kohn called a meeting of members and intending members of the-New Zealand Rifle Association for Saturday evening at the Drill-shed, and the advertisement was marked, “ Business important.” In consequence of this quite a number of men from the “A” Battery, City Guards, Victorias, and others assembled, but. as the newly-appointed member of the council did not arrive the meeting was allowed to lapse. . . The Royal Irish had a fair muster on the rifle range on Saturday for their volley and independent firing under Capt. Tobin, and th£. shooting was quite up to expectations. They were, however, a few files short of the' two thirds to enable them to count. The Ponsonby Navals are having a most successful camp, and have been having a steady course of big gun drill at Fort Cautley, which has been greatly beneficial to the men. On Sunday morning they were early astir, and after bathing drill, cleaning up camp, and breakfast, they fell in for full dress parade and marched to the wharf, where they were met by Capt. Parker, Lieut. Smith, Dr. Walker, and forty rank and file of the Auckland Navals, who hacbeome over to join the Ponsonbys in a church parade. They were accompanied by the Artillery Band, >' under Bandmaster A. Hunter, and proceeded to Trinity Church. After which the parade marched back to camp. After dinner the Band treated the visitors to a rare musical afternoon. '• A team of fifteen men from the City Guards proceed to the Wairoa South on Saturday, the sth December, to fire a match against the almost invincible Wairoa Rifles, and although I \ predict a defeat for the Guards, they may rest assured of a grand reception at the hands of Captain Crawford and his men, who are all " real good fellows. • The Auckland Navals had a splendid muster of sixty-five on the rifle range on Saturday for their volley and independant firing. Lieut. Grant and Sergt.-Major Scully represented the staff, and divided the men into three squads, the scoring was moderately good, and the muster was large enough to enable it to count for the prize money.