The San Francisco call., 1899-10-06

IN 1 weather COnQltlOnS New 1Ork was
nj entirely dependent upon Signor
v Marconi and his wireless system
- of telegraphy for authentic news
Of to-dav's race between the Co
lumbia and Shamrock for the America
cup Signor Marconi in reporting the
event for The Call and Herald not ohIy
did not disappoint the public, but ne tur-
nished every detail of the race quite as
promptly as during the first contest on
Tuesday, when the yachts Kept well
toward shore Over most of the course
followed by the yachts to-day a heavy
fog prevailed, and this made it impos-
sible for observers in signal stations
along the New Jersey and Long Island
shores to distinguish the two yachts TOT
more than an hour after II o CLOCK. Inc
other reports indicated that the Shahl-
rock was in the lead, but Signor Mar
conf, In. his special messages. not only toId
that the Columbia had the lead. but FUR
nished many details of the maneuVerS
aboard the contesting yachts.
Two feats were accomplished by Slgnor
Marconi which attracted the especial at
tention of the crowds that gathered in
front of the Herald building to get the
latest news of the race. The first was the
receipt in the Heralds office of a dis
patch at twenty-three minutes past u
O. clock in which Signor Marconi told that
the yachts were going between i've ana
six knots an hour; that the Columbia
was an eighth of a mile in the lead and
that the course was remarkably clear.
When that dispatch was received all New
York was in doubt about the race. The
other newsgathering agencies had been
qualifying their dispatches for an hOur,
admitting that the hazy weather condi-
tions made it impossible to obtain accu-
rate information about the yachts by the
usual methods.
In several subsequent dispatches Signor
Marconi reported that the Columbia was
still in the lead, although the only other
reports insisted that the Shamrock was
leading.
The accuracy Of the wireless telegraph
reports were proved at 1:25 o'clock, when
a dispatch was received from the same
authority which had reported the Sham
rock as the leader This dispatch, based
upon news brought by a dispatch boat
which left the scene of the race at 1920
o'clock completely verified Signor Mar
conis message which announced that the
Columbia at that time was leading by an
eighth of. mile. Signor Marconi thus
beat the next best system for reporting
races by one hour and minutes.
The next most notable feature, and GER
tainly the most remarkable and impor-
tant, was Signor Marconi's reply to a
message from the Herald asking if rn-
NOR that the Grand Republic, an excur-
sion steamship, had been sunk, was true.
This rumor, which gained circulation
early in the afternoon, caused great anx-
iety among relatives and friends Of those
aboard the Grand Republic. The vessel,
which is large one, carried hundreds of
persons out to witness the races, and 1t
was impossible for more than an hour to
learn positively whether the report of a
terrible catastrophe was true or false. A
message was sent from the Herald to the
steamship Ponce, from which Signor Mar
conf was operating the wireless system,
asking if the Grand Republic actually had
gone down. In an incredibly short time
the fears of all were set at rest by the re-
ceipt of an answer from Signor Marconi.
This read: Grand Republic all right.
Following General Slocum in.
While the entire country was in doubt
as to whether the Columbia or Shamrock
was leading later in the afternoon, Signor
Marconi gave another demonstration or
the value of the wireless telegraph sys-
tenn 1t was reported by various after
noon newspapers that the racing yachts
had rounded the stakeboat soon after 2
o'clock, and the public was kept in doubt
as to whether the boats were on the first
or second leg of the course. Signor Mar
coni's dispatches indicated that the stake
boat had not been rounded, and there
was much speculation as 10 who was
right This, like every other important
point Of the days contest, was later in
the day settled by the wireless telegraph.
Signor Marconi's reports were the only
ones giving any accurate news OF the sit
uation during the last hour of the contest.
He sent at 3:05 o'clock news that the
Shamrock had drawn up alongside the
Columbia and had passed her: Five min
utes later he sent another dispatch tell
ing that the Shamrock still retained her
position BY another agency 1t was an
nounced at 3:15 o'clock that while it was