The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-04-17 00:00:00

CAPTillrfii-TOWS CHANNEL

'AIR,

T e J
The following interesting particulars of Captain Boyton's
Channel trip, are from Monday's Times :
. _
, •Er , BOULOGNE, Sunday.
apt= Boyton's daring experiment to cross the
Channel by means of his life-saving apparatus was not
successful, and yet was anything but a failure. He
gave a most striking proof of the practical value of his
invention and of his own extraordinary powers of
endurance by remaining in the water within a few
minutes of 15 hours, during which period it is calculated
that he paddled himself, or was drifted by the tide a
distance of between 40 and 50 miles. When he had
done this it was found that the capricious currents of
this portion of the English Channel had swept him six
or eight miles from his destination, and, although his
strength did not appear to have failed him in the
slightest degree, and he was still anxious to complete
his voyage, it was yet considered advisable by those
who were passengers in the steamer which accompanied
him that he should leave the water and get on board.'
Paul Boyton, Captain of the Atlantic Life Saving
Service, and inventor of the life-saving apparatus
exhibited by him before the Queen at Osborne last
week, is a well-built and intelligent American of
twenty-six years, who has greatly distinguished him-
self on his native shores by his services in rescuing
shipwrecked fellow-creatures from death. He is sft
10in, in height, weighs 12 stone, and possesses much
strength and energy. . . A great difference of opinion
as to the time most suitable- for. his departure
existed among those who were thought to be
competent authorities; but
,the French. pilot who had
,been sttit i the Boulogne,lfuniane Society to take
charge of Caßtain .Boyton during list trip made a
series of nautical Calculations by which three o'clock
on Saturday morning appeared to be the only hour at
'which a favourable tide would set in. As one or two
accomplished "old salts" in Dover were also in favour
ref .three o'clock a.m.' it was decided that Captain
Boyton should enter the water at that time, and the
experimentalist went to bed at an early hour on Friday
night, in order to prepare himself for a struggle of at
least fifteen hours with the currents of the Dover
Straits. His head-quarters were at the Lord Warden
Hotel, and here he had been joined by Dr. Diver, of
&lases, and Mr. Willis, surgeon, of London, whd
were to follow him in a steamer as medical attendants.l
These gentlemen, together. With bout twenty repre-
sentativei of the English, French, and American
Press, were present when, about a quarter to three
o'clock on Saturday morning, Captain Boyton assumed
his air and water-tight dress, which he wore over a suit
of blue serge. It happened, and, as it afterwards
turned out, very unfortunately, that in consequence of
the thickness ot his large woollen stockings, Boyton
was longer in dressing than usual, so that he did not
leave the hotel for the Admiralty Pier until the hour
fixed for his departure had struck. The night was very
dark, and the wind N.N.E , and there was a fresh
ripple on the water, the dark surface of which was
only relieved by the reflection of the pier and harbour
lights, or the red and green signals of one or
two steamers lying at anchor. . • . Embark-
ing at ten minutes past three, those who
were to accompany Captain Boyton commanded
a full view of his start, which was effected ,
from the west side of the pier. Paddle in hand, a fog-
horn suspended round his neck, a brandy flask in his!
waist-pocket, a bowie-knife of formidable proportions
at his side, and carrying inside his dress a packet of
letters pleasantly called "the Boyton mail for the Con-
tinent," Captain Boyton descended the steps of the
landing-stage, and, after inflating his costume by means
of the tubes attached to it, waded into the water
between the pier and the tug. At the same moment one
of the pier officials hurriedly ordered the captain of the
tug to move away, as the morning mail steamer was
approaching, which command being at once obeyed
Captain Boyton found himself in a somewhat awkward,
if not dangerous, position. The moment the tug's paddles
began to revolve he was caught by a seething whirl-
pool, which knocked him against the huge piles of the
landing-stage, and by the light of blue port-fires he
was seen to be tossing about, apparently helpless, at
the mercy of the waves. With commendable coolness,
however, he contrived by a skilful employment of his
paddle to extricate himself from such dangerous
proximity to the staging, and at twenty minutes past
three a hoarse shout from the two or three hundred
spectators on the pier, a flight of rockets fired by his
brother on the boat, and the flash and report of a piece
of artillery, indicated that he had really begun his
voyage. By the glimmering rays of the lantern in a
boat towed by the tug he was perceived to be floating
on his back, quietly and easily paddling himself sea-
wards, and then he disappeared in the darkness.
lie remained out of sight for several minutes,
and then his brother ignited some port-fires and
held them in the bow of the steamer. By this
means Boyton could be seen steadily at work, hut he
,usuted-olit instructions that the hg'-'-- -- '

snehtsweretobe dis-
cOntintted, as the sparks from them burnt him. On
getting past the pier-head Captain Boyton was caught
by the tide and carried swiftly to the eastward, the
steamer drifting with him. The brilliant electric
lights of the South Foreland were soon seen, and at
ten minutes to four o'clock Captain Boyton, by means
of his paddle, was making good headway for the
middle of the Channel. The instructions given him
were that he should do his utmost to avoid getting
inside the Goodwin Sands, the lightship at the
south end of which was now in view. As the
morning dawned a breeze began to rise, and at
half-past four, when abreast of the Foreland light
nearest Dover, a small sail, about the size of a
large handkerchief, was hoisted on a miniature
mast and fixed in a socket to the sole of the foot
of the paddler, who controlled it by means of lanyards
attached to his costume. Under this modest spread of
canvas Captain Boyton made astonishing,iorogress, and
displayed great skill in employing his paddle both as a
means of propulsion and as a rudder. His physical
powers were evidently unimpaired, for at 5 20, when
the stars and stripes were run up on the steamer
he waved his hand and cheered; and at six o'clock,
at which hour the French pilot in charge thought he
had made two miles more eastwards than had been
anticipated or hoped far, he came alongside and asked
for a cigar, which was at once lighted and handed down
to him. He was now being carried by wind and tide
towards Cape Griznez, which the pilot, apparently
having the advantage of a longer sight than any one
else on board, declared he could make out in the dis-
tance. It was then calculated that Boyton was eight
miles from the English shore. At 7.20 he was hailed,
and, in reply, said, "All Well." This intelligence
was duly written on paper and attached to two carrier
pigeons, which were then liberated, and, after wheel-
ing round and round the steamer for half an hour, and ,
occasionally alighting on the spars, darted o.wa‘,, it was
hoped, for their destination. At half-pas t seven a boat left
the tug and gave Boyton his first refreshment since his
departure. His temperature was at the same time
taken by Dr. Diver by means of a chymical thermo-
meter placed in the mouth, and was found to be 071,
as compared with 07*0 just before he left the Lord
Warden hotel.
f Proceeding merrily on his voyage, Captain Boyton
was soon at the Varne, and blew a loud blast on his
horn when he observed a fleet of fishing smacks
approaching somewhat too near him. The surface of
the sea was now broken up into waves, and the steamer
was so far from him that he could be scarcely dis-
tinguished from them; but he did not cease paddling
until nine o'clock, when he hailed the steamer and called
for some brandy and water. His sail was removed from
one foot to the other, and, in reply to the dooctor's in-
quiries, he complained of being sleepy. In the opinion
of the medical men there was at this juncture a great
loss of muscular power, and their diagnosis
was to some extent confirmed when, twenty minutes
later, he again hailed the boat and had a con
versation of some minutes' duration with his brother
and the doctor. He had by this time reached the
Varne Ridge, a portion of the English Channel be-
tween Dover and Boulogne where the tide is divided
by the sand and rocks into two currents, one of which
when the tide was running in a westerly direction,
would carry the American in the direction of Dunge-
ness on the English side, and the other to the coast
between Cape Griznez and Boulogne. An important
element in the calculation of the Yrench pilot was that
this ridge should be reached at a time when Captain
Boyton would be sure to catch the French current,
but when he got there, probably through the loos! of
twenty minutes in starting, the stuface of the sea •

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