Telegraphing a Boat Race.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7652, 10 June 1896, Page 3

Telegraphing a Boat Race.

A remarkably successful experiment has been made (says the Electrician of April 3) in connection with the transmission of the result of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race over the cables ot the Eastern, Brazilian Submarine, and Western and Brazilian Telegraph Companies, and the land lines of the Pacific and European Company across the Andes. On Saturday last the lines were cleared, and particulars relating to the crews and other matters concerning the race were first of all sent through, and everything made ready for tho result to be despatched to Argentina, Chili, and Peru, the precautions' taken including the careful checking of the clocks en route by Greenwich mean time just before twenty minutes to 1 pm., when London cleared. Immediately the winning boat passed the judge at Mortlake the message was received through the Exchange Telegraph Company at the eastern station in Old Broad street London, by means of the unigraph, a useful instrument invented by Mr T. A. Bullock and Mr A. C. Brown. From London the message started on its way via Porthouruo (Land's End) to Carcavellos (Portugal), thence to St. Vincent, on to Pernambuco, thence to Buenos Ayres, finally reaching Valparaiso 45secs only after the result of the race reached London. In obtaining the result no less than nine transmissions were required. The following particulars lend additional interest to the achievement :— As previously stated, London cleared the line at twonty minutes to 1 p.m. One minute later the first message went through that Cambridge had won tho toss. Subsequent messages described the state of the weather, the position of the boats before starting, the start (at two minutes past one), the relative positions of tho boats at various points on the river. In brief but clear terms the chances of the competitors were rapidly conveyed to the other cud of the world, until finally, at lh 22|min tho ninth message was despatched that Oxford hed won by a third of a lenth.