July 31, 1875. 
265 
(Continaed from page 261.) 
better, and Lee followed up with a bull. Had the Amer- 
ican system of single shots been followed, in deciding 
the tie Gildersleeve would have lost, but in his second 
shot he found the bull’s-eye and never again lost it, while 
Lee, in his second shot, dropped to a low centre, thus 
bringing the two men equai. On the third shot each 
had a bull, again leaving them equal and the tie unde- 
cided. A second series of three shots was the only mode 
left for a decision, and at it the men went again for a 
second round in this most intensely interesting rifle duel. 
Had the crowd been an American one some lively bet- 
ting would have resulted, jbut the company only watched 
and cheered, the glass-men calling out the shot even 
before the “ ping ” of the hit against the target had been 
heard. Again Gildersleeve led oflf with a bull; Lee fol- 
lowed in another. Gildersleeve again fired and a delay 
raised the interest higher than before; some of the tele- 
scope men insisted it was a bull, others that it was a 
centre, and the markers from both the targets evidently 
understanding what -was going on a 1,000 yard off, held 
an animated discussion before the target. At last they 
seemed to have decided it, and went back into their 
retreat. The marksmen sat, meanwhile, apparently the 
least concerned of any on the fleld, and after a second 
delay up popped the bull’s eye disk, going out to the 
very edge of the bull’s-eye. But Lee lay down a second 
time and did likewise, and still the game held on equal. 
With each shot the crowd became more impatient, 
crowding up closer and closer to get the first peep. It 
had now come down to a single shot decision, and for 
the last time Gildersleeve brought up the bull’s-eye disk. 
VVith Lee it was now neck or nothing; on this shot de- 
pended his fame and victory, and it is not at all strange 
that he wavered. The wind had not altered, but he 
“pulled ofl” and brought up an outer disk, losing after 
a most brilliant struggle. 
This match deserves to be put on record as one of the 
episodes of Clandeboye; for sustained interest its equal 
will probably be seldom, if ever, seen again. The pent- 
up enthusiasm gave vent to a ringing cheering at the 
close, and the first to shake the victor’s hand was the 
vanquished knight. He had suffered no dishonor or 
able defeat, and it is gratifying to know that a similar 
cup is now being made as some recompense for his really 
commendable score. The record stands as folows: 
Clandeboye range, Earl of Dufterins’ Demesne, Ire- 
land, July 7, 1875. Match for cup presented by citizens 
of Belfast; 1,000 yards, 5 shots, any rifle. First two 
scores: 
Gildersleeve, Sharp Creedmr R. .4 4 4 4 .3—19 3 4 4—11 4 4 4— 12 
Lue, Rigby Match R 4443 4—19 4 3 4—11 4 4 2—10 
The match decided, all turned homeward and made 
all haste to the grand banquet which had been arranged 
for that evening at the Town Hall. The Mayor presided 
and all the notabilities and solid men of Belfast tvere 
there. The eating and the drinking, they were flne; and 
the speech-making after was not of a poor order. Col. 
/lildersleeve in response to the usual toast of the Ameri- 
can team went more into detail than usual, and reiterated 
what has been urged in the columns of the R. and G., 
that America has no reserve fund of riflemen to draw 
from, and that the long-range practice and markman- 
ship, now in fashion, has sprung up within the past few 
years. Major Leech, for the Irish team, replied to crit- 
icisms in the papers hereon the handling of that team, 
saying that it was the best that could be secured and did 
well, but that the Americans did better. 
Tuesday was given up to a trip to the Cause- 
way — the old famous Giant’s Causeway. The- 
atre in the evening completing another day of 
pleasure-seeking and sight-seeing. The last day in Bel- 
fast was a rainy one in earnest ; but with close carriages 
the linen vvorks ivere visited, and the w'hole process in- 
spected. The ginger-ale ^^orks were gone through and 
their products tested, pure and simple, and in com- 
bination with more pungent beverages. At early even- 
ing the departure from Belfast was taken in a steamer 
for Glasgow, Scotland ; the quays of Belfast being 
crowded for long stretches with the cheering population, 
the ilayor occupying an elevated position, and the 
town council about him, all cheering and whooping like 
a band of Comanche Indians. The little knot of 
Americans on the deck of the steamer gave some rattl- 
ing three-times-three with a roaring “tiger” at the 
tail. Sleep, with a little sea-sickness for a few, and 
Greenock, on the Scotch coast, was reached at 4:45 .\.m. 
Without delay Glasgow was reached bj' rail, and after 
an early breakfast the team proceeded to “do” that city', 
completing the operation by 10:30, starting off at 
eleven for the lakes, and reaching Edinburgh at ten at 
night, after a complete tour of Lakes Lomond and 
Katrine — the highlands intervening— the Trosachs and 
other points of interest. Sundaj% a visit to Roslyn 
Chapel and drives about the city ; Monday, the Ciistle, 
Holyrood, Old and New Edinburgh, etc., with a 
dinner at the Edinburgh City Club in the evening, 
given by the American Counsel, Col. Robeson, 
who had been most attentive to the party'. Tues- 
day, trip to Jlelrosc Abbey, Abbotsford and Dry'sdaie 
Abbey, with dinner at Mr. Nelson’s residence, the 
famous Edinburgh publisher, and Wednesday' for 
an all-day' ride from Edina to London town, by the fly- 
ing Scotch train at nearly 50 miles per hour, and as I 
said at the opening, “ Here we are.” The weather now 
is rainy — a misty', mizzling, miserable rain, cold, raw 
and chilly. The Langham was full and the men all 
bivouacked in one large room. To-day, however, mat- 
ters are better,and we are all scattered in separate rooms. 
The Wimbledon Committee of Management, or the 
Council, have again worked on the proper courtesy 
to pay the Americans, and now as the la-st and final 
offer, put up a 100 guinea cup to be shot for; 30 shots at 
1,000 yards, by Americans only', on Saturday ne.vt. The 
cup to be held by the w'inner until the next meeting of 
the National Rifle Association, New York, when it will 
be at their disposal to give for future 1,000 yards com- 
petitions each year. This will of course be accepted, as 
to refuse it now would be the height of rudeness. T he 
team are also entered as individuasl in seven matches. 
However, the American team are not particularly 
anxious to do any more shooting, and may leave 
before the close of the meeting, for Paris, when, 
after a few day's dissipation, they expect to leave 
for home on the City of Berlin, from Liverpool, 
August 12. Whit. 
All Sportsmen are Interested in the best hunting 
grounds of the South-west. The line of the ^Missouri, 
Kansas and Texas Railroad affords untold fields of 
Game-Birds, Fish and Animals. Send to General Pas- 
senger Agent, Sedalia, Mo., for free maps, illustrations, 
and descriptions. Correspondence solicited. 
THE VELOCITY OF SHOT, 
BY J. .M. RICE, PROP. MATH. , U. S. N. 
A bird at the distance of forty' yards is going at full 
speed (say sixty miles per hour) in a direction perpen- 
dicular to the plane of fire ; how much shall we hold 
ahead ? It is difficult to find two good shots who 
will give even approximately the same answer to this 
question: there are those who will say they' allow little 
or nothing, and others who allow from ten to fifteen 
feet. 
It is obvious that before w'e can discuss this question 
to any purpose, we must know' approximately the 
velocity of a charge of shot. It is hoped, therefore, that 
the following experiments will be of interest to sports- 
men. 
These experiments were made on the 27th of .Tune 
last, at the U. S. Naval Experimental Battery at Anna- 
polis, Maryland, with the permission and able assistance 
of Commander Joseph D. Marvin, U. S. Navy, in 
charge of the Battery. The instrument used to deter- 
mine the velocities was a Le Boulenge Chronograph ; 
the gun, w'hich was fired from the shoidder, wivs a pin- 
fire breech-loader, No. 12 gauge, thirty-inch barrels, 
weighing seven and a half pounds. 
The chronograph wiis manipulated, and the observa- 
tions were taken by Lieut. W. W. Kimball, U. S. Navy, 
assistant to Commander ^larvin. 
The cartridges were not prepared for expierimental 
purposes, but w'ere such as the writer happened to have 
loaded at the time the experiments were made. 
In the table below, H denotes Hazard's Electric Pow- 
der, No. 5 grain, and D denotes Dupont’s Ducking 
Powder. 
The column headed Range gives the distance between 
the two screens, one of which was about six inches 
from the muzzle of the gun. 
The velocity given is the mean velocity of the shot be- 
tween the two screens. When the range is 50 feet, it 
may be taken as the velocity at 25 feet from the muzzle 
of the gun; and when the range is 100 feet, at 50 feet 
from the muzzle. 
The first screen consisted of four very fine copper 
wires placed vertically about half an inch apart; the 
second screen was about the size of a sheet of common 
note paper, and was formed of fine copper wire stretch 
ed from side to side at intervals of about one fourth of 
an inch. 
EXPERIMENTS. 
Powder. 
Drachms. 
Size of 
Shot. 
Gances. 
Range 
in feet. 
Mean Velocity 
in feet per 
second. 
H 
a>4 
2 
IX 
50 
1,013 
H 
2>i 
2 
IX 
2X 
100 
865 
H 
3 
2 
100 
854 
D 
7 
IX 
100 
776 
D 
3 
7 
IX 
lOU 
783 
D 
3 
7 
IX 
50 
855 
H 
2X 
2 
IX 
50 
995 
It will be noticed that the charges of powder were 
somewhat smaller than those commonly used by sports- 
men. 
If we assume the mean velocity of shot for forty yards 
to be 800 ft. per second, the time of flight will be 1. 15 
sec. A bird flying at the rate of 60 miles an hour goes 
at the rate of 88 ft. per second, or 13.2 ft. in 0.15 sec- 
onds. Again, if we assume the mean velocity of shot 
for forty yards to be 1,000 ft. per second, the time of 
flight will be 0.12 seconds, and the distance traversed 
by the bird, 10. 66 ft. 
Ducks, when going at lull speed, attain a velocity ex- 
ceeding sixty miles an hour; it would therefore seem 
that an allowance of 10 or 15 feet, in the case of a duck 
passing a point under full headway, is not too much, if 
the distance equal or exceed 35 yards. * 
Some successful sportsmen have a habit of making an 
allowance for the velocity of the bird, by jerking the 
gun forward at the instant they pull the trigger. 
The time which elapses between the Instant at which 
the message which causes the finger to pull the trigger 
is sent from the brain, and the instant at which the shot 
leaves the muzzle of the piece is finite, and doubtless 
greater than -we are apt to suppose. This interval of 
time probably varies with different individuals: hence 
arises a larger personal equation. For this and other 
reasons it is impossible to frame rules which are equally 
applicable to all sportsmen. Each, if he would shoot 
well, must make his own rules, which must be carefully 
modified to accord with his experience and observation. 
A tolerably accurate knowledge of the velocity of shot 
is, notwithstanding, of great service to the thoughtful 
sportsman. 
In these experiments, the time of flight was such as 
to permit the shot to fall about four inches in going one 
hundred feet, a distance which is of little importance in 
comparison w'ith the distance traversed by the bird while 
the shot is in the air. In the case of most double guns 
the elevation of the rib at the breech is more than suffi- 
cient to compensate for the distance through which the 
shot will fall in going forty yards. A sight one-tenth 
of an inch in height, at thirty inches from the eye, will 
exactly cover a line four inches in length at the distance 
of one hundred feet. The elevation of the rib of most 
double guns is greater than one-tenth of an inch. 
T. M. Rice. 
U. S. Naval Academy, Jul 3 ', 1875. 
The National Poultry Association, Chicago, will have 
a grand show of poultry and dogs in January, 1876. 
Parties desirous of entering for competition can com- 
municate with Mr. Chas. P. Willard, the Secretary. 
GOOD WORDS. 
The Rod and Gun Club, of Springfield, Mass., have 
come out with their usual spirit in support of game laws, 
and to enforce protection. They have issued a public 
notice, and offered |25 reward for all conviction. This 
is the right course. Let good sportsmen maintain the 
laws, and let non-sportsmen be instructed as to thei 
duties and liabilities. The concluding words of the 
poster are particularly effective : 
“ Farmers, town organizations and others having 
private fish ponds that are molested or encroached upon; 
also, owners of forests or covers where birds are illegally 
snared, are Invited to communicate with the President, 
Secretary, or any of the Executive Committee, as it is 
the desire and intention of this organization to render 
all aid in its power, to insist on the enforcemeht of the 
above-named laws, as well as cultivate and maintain 
that mutual good will and understanding which should 
ever exist between all landholders and those who law- 
fully indulge in the honorable and healthy recreation of 
field sports-” 
The Chicago and North-Western Railway Company 
have issued an order to their train baggagemen that dogs 
will be carried in baggage cars free. Being free they 
will be carried only at the risk of the owner. 
