The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-12
NEW JUDGE OF RACES.
Infallible Decisions Can Be Rendered
by the Camera.
From the Indianapolis Sentinel

by the Camera.
From the Indianapolis Sentinel
The turf is taking advantage of the i'm
provement in the mechanical arts, as
well as in mechanism and other lines of
invention and ingenuity A novelty is
being introduced this year in racing
which promises to become a very impor-
tant part of the business and an inval-
liable aid to judges and owners of horses.
This is the use of the camera in taking
the finishes of races. The first time this
was ever done il harness races was last
fall at independence, Ia, when several
heats were so close that the aid of the
camera was called into requisition to as
sist the judges in coming to a decision
1t was thought that an ordinary snapshot
camera would be sufficient TO take the
horses in trotting or pacing race, but
this was disproven at the meeting last
fall
There an ordinary snapshot camera was
used which caught every motion not
faster than the One-hundredth part of a
second, but it was not satisfactory, and it
was there proven that the motions of
horses limbs and the general action
during 2;12 motion were much faster
than that, and the camera only gave
blurred picture of the result The Judges
were able to distinguish the winner. but
could tell nothing as to the position of the
horses limbs, or whether he was running
or trotting at the instant the picture was
taken.
The first experiment was a cue to sew
eral photographers throughout the coun-
try, and even amateurs took the matter
up. Among these was sCarl Koernor of
this city, who began making experiments
for the purpose of getting a camera suffi-
GENTLY sensitive and a slide sufficiently
instantaneous to picture every motion Iof
field of horses while going at a 2:04
gait. He has made special study of
photography for several years. and has
been experimenting on slide all winter
The result was that he at last perfected
an arrangement by which he can take
every motion that occupies no more than
the one-siX-hundredth part of a second.
BY number of tests he found that this
was sufficient to sharply define every
motion of horse when travelling even at
a 40 running gait, and in trotting and
pacing races he can take sharply even
the wire spokes of pneumatic sulky.
He has frequently taken pictures of
horses in the air with all their feet off
the ground and has used his experiments
to advantage.
At the opening of the summer races
here he applied TO the Driving Associa-
ton, showed the officers what he could
do and was at once secured to take the
finishes in all races. He ordered a stand
erected Immediately in front of the
judges stand and directly opposite the
wire, and placed his outfit. At the mo-
ment when the winning horses nose
reaches the wire in the several heats
the camera is released and q flash last
ing. but l-6OOth part of second shows
all that is going on between the wire and
point half way to the flag. The motion
of every horse is shown and the position
in which he is going at the instant
the winning horse reaches the wire. If
one horse is i of an inch in front of an
other the camera shows it. During the
last three days of the races the Judges in
four heats relied upon the camera to
show them the true situation, and in each
case were handed vivid and perfectly
accurate picture of the horses at the win
ming instant The steel spokes in the sui
kies were even shown, and the judges, by
the position of the limbs of each horse,
could tell whether he was trotting, pac-
ing or running. There could be no kick
or no appeal from the judgment of this in
fallible instrument.
These plates can be preserved
and referred to at any time
of the judges, and another fact, that can
only in this way be made matter of ac-
curate record, in the distance from the
winning horse each other horse in the
race is when the record was made. An
instance of this happened yesterday at
the race track. In the phenomenal and
world beating second heat of the ESQ
pace, which was won by Coleridge in
2:llL, American Lad owned by the Rum
barger stock farm of this city, was but a
half of a length behind at the wire and
finished second, although the horse was
set back TO fourth place for gaining by
two plunges followed by marvellous
catches. As soon as the time OF the heat
was called Mr.. Rumbarg ordered a num-
Der of the pictures, which showed his
horse but half length behind the win
ner. This will be a perpetual proof of
the actual position of the horse in the
finish and will add hundreds Of dollars to
mis- market value.
The l-600th part of second is so small
a space of time as TO be scarcely conceiv-
able, but it is of vast Importance in
horse race when thousands OF dollars are
won and lost upon the result. The camera
has now established itself at the race
track, and the precedent established this
week at the indianapolis race track will
be used for all time to come Its value
cannot be overesrimated.
All races will hereafter be decided by
the camera. and the proof Of the finish
will be preserved. A bureau will in all
probability be established by the Amer
lean Trotting Association. which will be
used as repository of ali race finishes as
registered by the camera, and informa-
ton Of invaluable benefit will be obtained.