New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-11
DOTS AND DASHES R4PIDLT SENT
INTERESTING CONTESTS AT THE NATIONAL FAST
TELEGRAPHING TOURNAMENT

INTERESTING CONTESTS AT THE NATIONAL FAST
TELEGRAPHING TOURNAMENT.
The National Fast Telegraphng Tournament was
held yesterday afternoon and evening in Hartman Hail.
The hall was filled to overlooking with persons who
were, for the most part, telegraphers The arrange
ments, which personally superintended by
Frederick Catlin, were about perfect in all respects
The hall was especially fitted up with Geographic
connection from the platform TO instruments fastened
along the walls 50 that every telesrapher present
could listen To the ticks and tell
exactly how fast the contestants were transmitting
The test consisted Of five minutes transmission oil
familiar paragraph Of American history, containing
about $50 words at the end of the five minutes the
circuit was broken and the record announced to the
audience The judges Walter p. Phillips, general
manager OF the United Press; Thomas Il. Taltaval,
Editor Of The Electrical Age; George IL. Usher, man
agcr Of the Postal Telegraph Cable Company; E. F.
Howell, official tester OF the Western Union, ana
George f.. EolGrOOk, telegraph editor OF a New YORK
Journal.
W. J. Johnston. Of The Electrical World acted as
timer, and {. G. Price started the trembling con-
testans their against time. There was con-
tributcd for prizes $50, b. the Western Union and
Postal Telegraph Gable companies, Andrew Carnegie.
General Thomas r. Eckcrt. Thomas A. Edison and
other persons and corporations. The prizes were
awarded To those making the most rapid transmits
sloDs which were adludecd readable.
Mr.. Catlin opened the proceedings at o'clock with
brief address licked out the telegraph key The
first contest in the ladies' class free to all Miss
X. b. stephenson won the first prize Of $50. with a
record Of 2l7 words; Miss r. VI. Dennis licked just
words c's and carried off the second prize Of $40
and Miss T. Il. Nan,clow licked 2lO words in the given
time and Won the third prize Of &20. The other
twelve competitors all each other close and were
experts In the craft. What added piquancy 10 this
competition the fact that there are probably not
fifteen pIetcr young women in the Union than those
who sat down to the ticker IN Hsrdman Hall yesterday
Miss T. Y. Frosohc won the special United Press
prize Of SO for the finished and accurate send
ing in the quickest time.
The od-tlmcrs contest caused great amusement
J. II. Dwight made a record Of 135 words but the first
prize Of so awarded to A. > Ayres, whose rec
ord va, -30 words; Frederick Catln took the second
prize of $40 with record Of twelve words less. All
mcnt for over twenty years, and some had been IN
the service since 1865.
In the inst expert telceaphcrs' competition, Class
\. II. ID. Iaulhamu, won the hr't
prlze Of 800 with $50 words. W.. NJ. Gibson:
with 23O words took the sec nd prize OF
$50. and Frank j. kim carried OF the third prize Of
go with Ic ord of .3- words. ". l.. Waugh won
the United Press prize Of s3j for finish and accuracy
The contest In consequence Of some slight disagree
mcnt to the winner of the first prize in one Of tho
"crickn competitions prolOnged that at ex-
cccdingy late hour the decision II the judges in
the other classes lad not been announced.