The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-02
NEWSPAPERS BEATEN.
learned or THE CARS DEATH
FROM UNITED PRESS PAPERS.

-
A.. uopr AFTER the Waited Press Papers
u.S BuiIetI.ed the News the Rsek
Nurber- Were StruEsiing with n
,Runer that Csnsot Be Couarned."
The enterprise and up-to-date methods Of the
United Press were once more exemplifed yes
,crdoy when II beat its alleged comUetitors by
/. tuIl hour on the most important single piece
NJ foreign news which has been published in
many weeks.
IL Is not surprising that the United Press,
with its uneuuslled facilities for gathering
and disseminating news both here and abroad.
and with the abundant resources It Is able
10 command through the support OF really
al! the frst.ciass papers OF tho country,
should beat its fashy and taking contem-
porary of the West on news OF unexpected
happenings or sudden developments. The
death Of the Gar of Russia, however, cannot be
put in this category. The reading public has
expected the announcement of II every day for
weeks. Newspapers all over tho world have
been on the alert for 1t, ready to rush IL into
type. and get on the street with It" within a
short time of its occurrence. That the Chicago
organization styling itself THE Associated
Press" should fail. under such circumstances
to furnish the information to its misguided sub
scribers for n whole hour after the announce
ment had been put by United Press papers upon
their bulletin boards Is n striking example OF
almost incomrrehensible incoinpetency.
Even after the lapse of that length Of time.
the s~o-callod " Associated Press y was not able
10 state definitely that the death had occurred.
but sent out a guarded despatch that It was
rumored and that the rumor could not be con-
srmed. This despatch was In all probability
based upon the news found in the United Press
papers, which the so-called Associated Press"
made use of while waiting to receive the infor-
nation from the ancient and moss-covered con-
cern with which It connects in London.
In anticipation OF the Cars death the United
Press, through its London aud st. Petersburg
correspondents. made thorough and compre-
hensive arrangements nearly two weeks ago for
supplying its customers with the news at the
earliest possible moment. In addition to It's
regular facilities. a special man went from Lon
don TO the Continent expressly to cover" the
death and funeral. which were even then an
ticipated.
The Car died at I.ivadis at 2:15 p. NJ. yester-
day. but, owing to the secrecy which Is always
observed in such cases, the news was held back
some little time by the court officers. All in
formation coming from the imperial household
must necessarily filter through official channels.
The news was not definitely known at Yalta I'M
iii about 8 o'clock, or 4 o'clock London time. IL
was Immediately telegraphed by way Of Vienna
10 London, and was filed by cable at once for
New York.
The first despatch to the United Press reached
the cable office in Broad street at II 90 A. NJ,
or 4:oa r. NJ. London time. One minute later.
or at IL go. 1t had been sent into the United
Press ofice In the Western Union building
over the special short wire set aside for receiv-
ing cable dispatches. In another minute the
United Press papers in this city had been noti-
fed and the news was being flashed over the
special wire system east, south. north. and west,
to all the cities and towns which have enter
prising and husthng newspapers.
This first despatch was a mere announcement
that death had occurred. 1t consisted OF the
words, Gar dead" Just FIVE minutes after It
had come into the ONCE q second despatch was
received stating that death occurred at about
half past 1. A little later two more cable mes
sages brought additional particulars, and these
also had been sent out before the Chicago Or
ganization styling itself THE Associated
Press" had walked up sufficiently to begin hint
ing that something had occurred.
kilograms soon began to come in from all d.
~rections congratulating the United Press upon
its splendid victory over its would-be rival and
showing that its prompt and efficient service
was appreciated by the wide-awake newspapers
that are able to command Its superior facilities.
One of its Canadian customers. the Montreal
Star, sent the following message:
your service beat opposition just one hour
on Cars death. Then they did not seem sure,
and only gave 1t as n rumor. Half an hour
later. an hour and a half behind you, they an
pounced his death definitely. Congratulate you
on scoop"
Similar dispatches came from Detroit and
Buffalo and a number OF other Western cities,
including Chicago, the headquarters and par
ticular stamping ground Of the so-called As
ISOLATED Press"