The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-10

the Water in II Helpless Condi.
tiOn.
A correspondent of the London Time
writes from Dover, under date Of Angus
"a, as follows:
"On Wednesday last huge plaCards
posted about the town announced that J.
b. johnson, the hero OF London Bridge
and champion swimmer of the world,
would swim from England to France or
Friday, August %, and on Thursday Mr.
Johnson, accompanied by his brother
MIR. Peter johnson, (the champion diver,
and Mr.. j. NJ COlard (the secretary Of
the ScrpCntine Swimming Club, arrived
at Dover and the match became the gene
raj topic OF conversation. Nautical men
stOUIly affirmed the performance OF
such feat to be utterly impossible owing
to the force OF the currents in the chan
mel, which would make the actual swimm.
ing distance between forty and fifty miles
Tradition aillrms that some seventy years
ago three men, convicted OF u political
offence, to escape punishment swan from
Calais to Dover. One was drowned, the
other two landed on the beach, the one
one in an utteEEstate-Of exhaustion, from
which h0 died; the third recovered and
lived in the town for several years.
The weather yesterday not being pro,
pIllous, the event was postponed until
to-day. A large ConCourse Oi people hay.
lug assembled on the Admiralty pier tO
witness the departure, johnson (no,
wishing TO disappOint them) with bis
brother and Mr.. COllard lett the pier in q
steamer, from the bow of which they
divcd into the sea, there performing vari.
ous aquatic ieais for more than an hour, at
the conclusion Of which they were loudly
cheered. johnson is twenty.four years Of
age, OF medium height, and one Of the
finest built men it is possible to see. lie
measures iUrtytive inches round the
chest, and at will can initiate 1t 10 about
five more; his muscular powers arc also
enormously developed. The terms Of the
bet did not allow OF his coming out Of the
water, consequently, although his abilities
AS u swimmer might have enabled him to
accomplish the distance, it was thought,
and il afterwards proved, impossible to
keep up the circulation OF the blood for
SO long period.
"Mr. +. Strange, who had charge Of the
affair, arrived in Dover late last evening.
by $50 A. NJ, the time advertised Tor
starting, some thousands of spectators
assembled on the pier to witness the dc.
pArlurc. The bsnd of the Royal Surrey
Geological Garden arrived by the early
boat train, and proceeded to the Harp
Hotel, where they headed a procession
johnson, his breast adorned with upwards
OF thirty decorations, mementoes Of form.
er cOnquests, accompanying them. Mr..
Strange and friends embarked on board
the steamer Palmerston, MIR. T. Iron, the
harbor master, COurtcOusly accom- yanying
them to indicate the course.
when some two hundred Yards from
the pier, johnson asCcnded TO the paddle.
box, tremendous cheers greeting his ap.
pearance. lie then divcd, the time being
lO:iO a. NJ, and striking out to sea with
vigorous strokes accomplished the first
two miles in thirty minutes. The wind
was moderate from east northeast; a
strong tide was also running, with short
chopping sea. At1l:9O he partook OF port
wine, and again at 1870 refreshed him.
sell. At ll;45 he approached the steamer
and requested something to eat, asking
whether he might come on board. Nj.
Strange, seeing that in consequence Of the
strong tide, &C his chance of reaching the
French coast was quite hopeless, thought
it advisable to do so. When assisted on
deck it was found that his legs, from the
thighs downward, were numbed; the cir.
culatlon OF the blood seemed to have al.
most stopped-in fact, the cold had so
thoroughly mastered the system that he
was unable to raise basin Of beef tea to
his lips.
"The steamer then proceeded direct to
Calas, where she arrived at o'clock +. ~
When half way up the harbor Johnson
and his brother diyed into the water, one
from each side OF the boat, and delighted
the spectators AnxiousIy awaiting his ar.
rival with various specimens OF aquatic
skill"