Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-09
REPORTING THE RACE.

Confusion Caused by Contradictory
Bulletins Sent by Press Associations.
The sudden adoption of an unexpected
course for the great yacht race, rendering
unavailable selected observation points, the
fog, mist, haze and drizzle of rain which
at different stages otscured the view, and
the general resemblance at any consider
allie distance of the two white yachts, COM
bined to puzzle observers from all fixed
points as to the fortunes of the yachts, and
rendered inaccurate and unsatisfactory, in
some details, all accounts of the progress
Of the race. except those given by men who
closely accompanied the racers from start
to finish, and who could not, until their
return. communicate with the shore. From
these causes resulted the contradiction in
the bulletins concerning the first half of
the race, which was noted in Saturdays
Star The period of contradiction was from
the start to o'clock. when the bulletins of
the United Press ceased for a long while to
be displayed. During this same time the
Associated Press bulletins furnished to The
Star represented the Valkyrie to be steadily
in the lead. The United Press bulletins
covering the same time represented De-
fender as overhauling Falkyrie almost at
the start, . having gained a clear lead
at 1910 PM, only twenty minutes after
the start. and retaining and increasing
1t from that moment, appearing to be
little over half mile ahead at 1 80 pm
During this stage of the contradiction, the
United Press was wrong, and the Asso-
ciated Press and The Star were right, as
The Star (almosD always Is
No United Press paper now disputes tnat
for the first hour of the race Valkyrie held
and increased her lead, and the time when
Defender wrested the lead from her is
variously placed from about AT when Val
kyrie abandoned an attempt to cross De-
tenders bow finding she did not have, as
she thought she had, the necessary extent
of lead, up to 2:55, when the account of the
race in the regular edition of The Star
closed. 1t follows that during all the time
covered by the account in The Stars reSu-
lar issue Falkyrie was either in the lead,
as she is conceded to have been for more
than an hour. or the two boats were so
close together that the supremacy was in
doubt, and that representations to The
contrary picturing the Defender as taking
the lead practically at the start, as leading
distinctly at 12:40 pm. and as being half
mile ahead at 80 pm, were woefully in
error.
The A. P, which had been right in the
previous controversy, then took its turn in
dispatch from on board the steamship Mac
kay-Bennett to the effect that Valkyrie
turned the stakeboat at 2:55. The Star
placed implicit reliance ut had no reason
to do otherwise) in the Acknowledgement
cable announcement, and treated 1t as con-
flrming it's statement that Valkyrie, not
Defender, had been leading. This state
ment was, 1t appears, all right without the
confirma ton, and the supposed confirma-
ton was all wrong, the wild imagining of
somebody on board the Mackay- Bennett.
Concerning the details Of the race back
from the stakeboat, both sets of bulletins
We're as much befogged as the yachts.
The U. P. bulletin preceding the announce
ment that the Defender had won stated