New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-26
TWO INACCURACIES
IN SWIMMING TABLE
Haffner and Bedell Did
Better than Was Report
ed in The Tribune.
PAIR ENCOUNTERED
GENERAL HARD LUCK
Charleston Refuses to Take
Credit for Two Miles He Thinks
He Failed 10 Cover.

Evidence mas been furnished TO the
officials Of the Tribune Marathon Swim
% July 10. from the Battery to Sandy
Hook. showing that the performances
Of Alvin A. Hafner. of Brooklyn, and
Edward Bedeil. of Jersey City. we're not
accurately given IN the table of results
published on Monday.
A few such mistakes we're unavold-
able. owing 20 the fact that half a
dozen patrollIng motor boats shared
the task Of picking up the contestants
and their crews. which prevented some
of the appointed inspectors from max
ing their report before The Tribune
went 70 press, so that three or four OF
the swimmers were credited only with
the mileage standing 70 their names
when last sighted by the committee.
These errors are regretted.
Hafner was placed on the four-mile
mark, which he reached in hours 10
minutes. but in reality he stayed IN the
water hours and 40 minutes, covering
approximately nine miles.
Il IS fair 10 add, too. that only hard
luck prevented Hatfner from making a
far better showing. At the start he
was severely handicapped on account
Of man who jumped from the Battery
wall with all mis- clothes on just as the
field was sent off He presently cried
for help and Haffner's rowboat went to
the rescue so that the latter had TO
wait for his pilot and lost lot OF time.
Then. when he had passed the Mar
rows and was making good trip of il
toward Sandy Hook. the rising sea be-
gan 10 slop over into the rowboat and
fill il. The oarsmen were forced 70 bail
constantly, but eventually realized
that they could not keep afoat much
longer. and rather than submit his
friends TO the danger OF swapping
Hafner decided TO abandon the con-
test. He was then strong and fresh
and could undoubtedly have gone much
further had not the trouble overtaken
him.
His oarsmen and Captain Martin
Gustavson Of the Wanderlust, who res
cued the party under great difficulty in
the extremely rough water, deserve
praise for their pluck and efficiency.
Bedell. marked on the list as having
covered eight miles. is shown by the
official card since turned in 20 have
swum between thirteen and fourteen
miles. As in the case Of Haffner, the
day evening. which caused the scorer
to put down the distance registered
when Bedel was last seen from the
committee yacht.
IL must be said also for the Jersey
City swimmer that ne put up great
fight against heavy odds. Salt water
blindness seized MIN after he had gone
about ten miles, but he continued
L.
full Then. although still in otherwise
perfect condition, he deemed il wise 20
withdraw. As he has in past trials re-
peatedly travelled from fifteen to eigh-
teen miles. ne would more than likely
have beaten his record but for the un-
fortunate attack Of blindness"
And now comes the strangest case OF
all, that Of a contestant who calls the
attention OF the committee 20 The fact
that while his time in the water was
accurately chronicled the distance cred
tied to him was stretched" as he
put il.
It is rare instance Of sportsman
ship and desire TO be fair
John ". Charleston. jr. OF Rossville.
Staten Island, is the man who refuses
10 accept honors he thinks not due
him. but the officials believe he is
fully entitled 20 the sixteen miles
given him. owing TO the roundabout
route the still flooding tide forced him
to follow around Governors Island
Charleston's attitude is only another
instance OF the spirit Of fairness shown
by all contestants in the Sandy Hook
race; spirit which helped so much
to make the race the greatest in the
history Of water sports.