It’s very true that those early Christians believed that the end would come in 1914. Yes Russel did too, the calculation of Daniels phrophecy pointed to the year 1914 as the year when Jesus raised up the Davianic kingdom and started ruling from heaven. Meaning Jesus’ kingdom marked the beginning of the last days.
Even when Daniel penned down his phrophecies insight was not given to him on understanding all of their meaning. As the meaning on some phrophecies was only to be revealed at the time of the end. Daniel 12:4
Jesus’ parable in Mathew 13, shows how Jesus would allow false religion to grow with true religion until harvest time at the end where a separation would take place. Yes the light on information keeps getting brighter as the end draws closer. That’s how Jehovah wants it