The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-24 00:00:00

CAPTAIN BOYTON ON THE THAMES.

On Tuesday, the Thames, from London to Richmond,
was the scene of an exhibition by Captain Boyton of
the life-saving dress he has made famous. The London
Steamboat Company had provided a gaily-dressed fleet
of their craft for visitors, headed by the saloon-boat
named the Victoria, which bore on board the Duke of
Teck, with whom were the Hereditary Duke of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince Arenbnrg, and Count
Redem, and there were also Dr. Brady, M.P., Mr.
Roebuck, M.P., General Sir William Codrington, Sir
Robert Carden, Mr. Carr, Mr. Elt, captain Pell',
Captain Burney, Mr. Lever, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Towse,
Mr. J. Hammond, Mr. Edwin Hughes, with many
other gentlemen connected with the administration of
London or interested in the mercantile marine of this
country. _ _

At one o'clock Captain Boyton entered the water at
Westminster Bridge, in the sight of tens of thousands
of people, and after paddling about for a few minutes,
in order to afford the people on all Bides—from the
members of the Legislature on the terrace of the House
of Parliament to the people on the bridge and on the
Albert Embankment to Lambeth Palace—the oppor-
tunity of witnessing his buoyancy, he commenced his
Journey westward, using his paddle vigorously, and
though surrounded by small craft of every description,
skiffs, canoes, outriggers, and the steam launches, he
was still a prominent object in the stream, having
his flag floating from the staff placed on his foot. The
Thames police, who were under Superintendent Alstin
and Inspector Marler, had the hardest work to keep
the small boats out of danger and from pressing too
close to the swimmer, who made Vauxhall-bridge at
twenty minutes pa si one o'clock and the Victoria
Railway-bridge at J. 35, where he was welcomed with
warm cheers and the firing of guns; and at Battersea
and Chelsea the same demonstrations met the water
party—gay with flags and music, Fred Godfrey's Cold-
stream (nerds' band being in the prow of the Victoria.
The Albert-bridge, between Chelsea and Battersea,
was reached by the Captain at 1.46, and the throngs on
either shore and on the bridge hailed him with great
cheering. He passed through Wandsworth Railway-
bridge at two o'clock, having been an hour in the
water, and as he went the small craft increased to a
dangerous extent, fishermen and waterside characters
generally deserting their vocations to follow. The
Captain at Wandsworth took in his flag, and, making
his way to the Victoria, soon clambered up her sides,
where he was received with welcome by the visitors.
He was not the least fatigued, and then the fleet of
steamboats putting on steam soon left the small craft
behind, many of them narrowly escaping an upset,
and, indeed, but for the care of the steamboats' cap-
tains many of the little boats must have ended the
day's pleasure then and there.
At Hammersmith a vast crowd had assembled, and
Captain Boyton, to gratify the evident desire of those
who had come to see him, at once jumped into the
water, and commenced his journey in sight of and
amid the loud cheers of the assembled thousands there.
He had not gone far from the steamer when a large
sailing barge, tacking from the Middlesex to the
Surrey shore, appeared to those in the rear as if she
must go over him, and the next moment was an anxious
one; but when the barge passed and the captain was
seen still on his journey loud cheers arose. At Chis-
wick the captain again entered the steamer Victoria,
which headed the fleet of steamers in single file up the
narrow reaches of the river. Arrived at Richmend,
that part of the river which lies pleasantly under
the famous hill, the fleet cast anchor, and Captain
Boyton at once set to work to show how "at home " he
could make himself in the water, by constructing a
raft from pieces of wood which had been thrown over-
board, and thereon cooking a steak and having;
luncheon with bottled beer, all the means being con-
tained in a tin can which had been likewise pitched
overboard. Soon five swimmers were seen in the dress,
one being Mr. Merriman, its inventor, the others being
Englishmen, who were said to have essayed it for the
first time. All that the Captain and his companions
did in the water could not be narrated in narrow
limits' but it must suffice to say that his confidence in
the dress as a means of saving life was shared by all
who witnessed his exploits.

-
On the return journey Captain Boyton entered the
river several times, and when taken up at West-
minster seemed quite capable of doing as much work
again.

On Monday last Captain Webb, who intends making
an attempt to swim from the English to the French
coast next moth, started from the Admiralty pier at
Dover about 10 a.m. and swam to Ramsgate, a dis-
tance of 18 miles, arriving there at 6.35, after having
been eight hours and 40 minutes in the water. He
never once stopped or received the slightest support.
As he entered the harbour the people on the piers
cheered him loudly. Upon landing Captain Webb
said he felt no ill effects from his long stay in the
water.