The sun., 1890-12-03
DOWNS sY1rs IT Uf.
he H Now ssre that ne DiA Net Break
the AAo-yara Resspa.

ne NOW S0ro tnAt He DIG Net Break
the AAe-yara Ressrs.
Boston. Dec. 2.-The great controversy over
the 440-yard running record IL at last settled.
and Wendell Baker retains the amateur cham
pionship for that distance. The pictures taken
last Saturday have settled beyond doubt the
fact which has been In dispute. namely. that
Downs did not run tho full distance
MIR. Downs is himself convinced OF that fact.
and to-day he announced that he should not
push his claim for tho record. When he saw
tho pictures taken By Mr.. Stsbbins and had
carefully compared them with that taken By
Photographer Hsmmsnt Of New York. he said |;
That settles It I am convinced now this
the course I ran was short" Then he
talked Informally upon the matter. expressing
satisfaction that the matter was finally set
tied. or course he was disappointed At tho
result. but he had tho manliness to aoknowl.
edge his failure as soon as the satisfactory
proofs were presented. But he still believes
that he can do tho full distance In shorter time
than Bakers great record.
THE Sun reporter visited the D. A. A. club
house to-day and secured from Mr.. Harry
Cornish athletic Instructor Of the club. an in
teresting story OF tho work that had boen done
in arriving at o satisfactory settlement OF the
dispute. Too much cannot be said In Mr.
Downs's favor for the manly attitude he has
maintained throughout the trying experi-
ence. He came from his homo In Lake
village for the sole purpose Of assisting
In tho investigation, which was con.
Quoted by MIR. Cornish in behalf OF Mr.. ".
b. Curtis OF New York. Two pictures were
taken by Photographer Stsbbins last Saturday.
There were present Mr. Downs. Mr.. Cornish,
Mr.. James Lathrop. athletic instructor OF Hsr.
ward College. and Mr.. Stebbins. besides a rep
resentative Of The Sun. Mr.. Downs selected
the spot where he should stand. superintended
tape ] ACROSS the finish line, and and agreed to the he
$I:s .sssT: s:ss ;fsss sss fall with 'ss
Downs ana not cross the correct anlsh line in
In conversation with The SUN man: II am
for DoSns that this ;Ssf hss
controvs1sy ] @ II Is settled. M have worIed hard to
secure tho proof, which have here. but have
done 90 only With . desire ,e have the true
oi iniurna Mr. Downs or Of helping Mr. baker
M to me and asked pyss
saS T: Not uEn Until @ sss es ess
belief that the course was. short. I have
mab ssa TIA, "a s there vas b5t thai sSsa
rsht the ssy 'ss Sc
tSat there had bosn @stais the
ierred 10 have Mr Downs admit that TACT from
@1f mse' aeeses sess hm
hsss Rso
said that was afraid Of the result but In view
Of what has transpired. and further In view OF
~
It viii viii be remsmbered that following tho
sss sSss az Gs1f :! hsyiSs asbsfsssel1
20 many people had walked over ths track that
there was no way Of proving to absoluts GER
Photographer Hemment Of New York eeem.
ee sp ssHs t. :fI pab se
seen 3ust behind behind M. M Roxns's picture, and
ing r. asS s.9is ~ iSsn:' sI
ths DoSnsp DsSsSp'sd must ' hsS. hS:ss Dss
shst white linz. Fra then 1 WI d!op +
xn,te in osS phosesrapS to s' hay. 'naMla'sf sslasf
Ts ssvi5s Sa gSsGH Ss line Dssos sSs sa sa
YORK men have osstaed. as expsr's % that whits fi
Se!F But sSeS an s!IsSs cannot ss plodseeS % 'R ~
under eIao!iy similar. stmospherie con:
saa but Nsh as n so.s ss
of prooi that tho line IN Hs%msptSs 'sEs piefSps
Now let me call your attention to these photo:
graphs ope wes taken taken by Mr.. Hemment ard
G1e NJ bsss bteo9ns OF Boston Tho
Ispher. and bis, pictures Of. Americs cup
and Fl gscess have made
fod to Ssx Yolt Is
yo soa hssa tssm ID NV Of Sa @
In taking the picture last Saturday of
st RpS Mb % IT, oss0ns And
marks Aes on ePposts nx g sdss y
!aned beyond sSadeR 0en doaSt sr
Downs himself was satisfied before we went
Msyd1s d
~ "sxnt' fs':es %:Sa n Rs'' X;
tSs the S tss size oSsi 81 s mssa us. IL .
exc k Of the image will give the distance Of the
GSse .s f.. H. snsh os M Els Dwns %ase f
sep baP pi5srs fbs oons q nSess knCw
! called seven.inch focus. Now. take
these figures and we have 4s1 a inches divided
by y inch. which gives 385 In ches. or 82 feet
fnch. That was Mr.. Downs's distance from
the camera, according to Hemment's photo.
graph. Mr.. Hemment has maintained that his
camera was ID feet from the correct finish, and.
according to his own statement, Downs must
have been II feet the other side OF the true hn-
!" But before We 90 any further lot me explain
another fact. Just at the finish OF the straight
40 yard course the track turns. Tho letter
: F. cut in tho fence to indicate the finish WAS
used by Mr., Downs In locating the position OF
the tape. Alr. Lathrop held the other end
Of the tape. und he was placed BY
Mr.; Downs so that the tape was stretched at
riRht angles 10 the 44l-ynrd course. Then
Downs took his position 20 feet from the finish
Mr. stebbins's picture Which " was W taken n aSf from
figures Of both Downs and Lathlop greatly on on
MSir: I. E. Merrill hold ths watch At ihe inlsh
The man who held the tape was few feet in
front 4, Of hin. or fHrthsr away from the camera
height. yet In the picture taken by Mr.. Steb-
bins, which Downs admits is correct. Mr..
Lathrop appears twice as large as Mr.. Merrill. |
In the lust picture Mr.. LsthroDs image Is az
inches highs In Hemments picture Nor
Ing oonolusiyely that Mr.. Merrill was further
away from the camera than WAS Mr.. Lnthrop.
Bear In mind this f0ct, tho camera In each |