New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-15
Gun Will Be Fired at 4:25
O'clock in the Morning
Next Sunday.
TEST SHOWS TIDE is
BEHIND SCHEDULE
Entrants Are Urged to Report
Early, as Start Will Not BE
Delayed Minute.

Experiments made off the Battery
Yesterday one-half an hour before the
chronicled time for high tide at Gov
ernor's Island showed the flooding cur
rent still running hard up the North
and East rivers, pointing to the advlsa-
bility of starting the Tribune Marathon
swim from the Battery to Sandy HOOK
next Sunday morning a few minutes
later than originally planned.
AS the majority OF those entered
have expressed strongly the wish to De
sent off before the tide turns, the com .
mittee has decided to give the starting
signal punctually at 4:25 o'clock In the
morning fifteen minutes before high
water-in order to have the swimmers
reach the northerly end of ButtermilK
Channel, where the first of the favor
ing ebb is felt, either at the end OF the
flooding time or at slack water.
Even should they be carried little
way beyond the Brooklyn shore, 1t is
calculated that an advantage VIII be
Gained. for the men will be in the best
nosition to receive the full benefit from
the earliest flow OF the East River ebb.
II must be impressed once more on
all entrants that they must be on hand
in good time 10 put on swimming suits,
submit to medical examination and be
instructed in full details. The start
will on no account be postponed, and
no one will be allowed TO compete who
does not dive off with the field at the
appointed hour. The men will collect
before the building of the Department
of Docks, at Pier A, which is opposite
the Battery Place station of the Sixth
and Ninth av. elevated railroad. They
should be there not later than $3.50
a. m, for it will take considerable time
to change clothes and attend to all de-
tails.
The plotting rowboats will be at the
starting line the evening before, so
that each may be provisioned and FUR
nishel with "a marking number. En-
trants will draw for their boats just
before starting, that there may be 10
chance of towing devices being rugged
in advance. Tickets bearing the num-
bers of the craft will be used for the
drawing, and each craft will display its
number on a large placard, thus avoid
inc confusion and delay. The drawing
will be done by the contestants them
selves.
Should some of the swimmers ind
the tide still flooding when they reach
Buttermilk Channel or the Brooklyn
shore they will be allowed to swim in
side the pier line, but should they seek
support of any kind they will be
promptly disqualified.
Previous to the start the rowboats
will be r AIMED by inspectors and oars
men and line up a little way from
shore, off the starting place, so that the
contestants will have no difficulty IN
picking up their escorts.
One hour will barely suffice to ar
range these details, and it will be well
for all TO report around 3 o'clock. The
starting gun will be fired promptly at
4:25 a. m.
George EsselbOrn, who will make his
first bid for fame as long distance
swimmer, won the 150-yard handicap
swim at the Larchmont Yacht Clubs
water sports yesterday. lie defeated,
among others, Wheatley. Zimmock and
Herald, of the New York Athletic
Club, and Jack Curran. Esselborn won
by FIVE yards.
He is more than confident of max
ing an excellent showing in the swim
on Sunday. and in fact believes that he
will win. 81 guess I'll win that race on
Sunday" he said yesterday. ave been
training for about seven weeks al
Bath Beach, and I'm ready for the eff.
fort OF my life. Fred II. James and !
have been working together, and we