The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-10-09
swees SWIMMING.

Probably no less than 5000 per
;. sons assembled Thursday after
noon on the grounds attached tc
the NataLorium, st the foot of Six.
ty-sixIh street, East River, to wit
ness the swimming entertainment
iaS1hieh Mr. j. B. johnson, the
champion, was to take 3 promi-
nent part. 1t was about 4:3O
: O'Clock when.the amateurs match
Wa ready to start. The names of
these were: Hubert Praeger, Os-
ca: Weber, Frederick Jack, and
William FagiB. The course was
from the starting point, opposite
The Charity Hospital, on the
RlackwelPs Island, down the river
distance of about three-quaiters
OF a mile. To this point the
swimmers were transferred in a
row boat, an operation which was
greatly delayed by the strong in
coming tide. Owing to the crowd
OF small boats that accompanied
the men after the start, the posi-
ton of each was entirely obscured |
from the spectators on the beach |
near the baths, until the arrival of |
the entire party within about sew
enty-five yards of the goal. Web
Der was then leading about twenty
yards, with the others in a cluster
behind. All were swept past the
winning post by the current, and
in order 70 reach the flag were
obliged to partly swim and partly
Chamber. over the rats in their way.
In this manner Praeger, who had
been second in the open course,
succeeded in winning the race, the
prize for which was gold medal.
1t was original intended that John
son should attempt to swim across
the East River to the Island and
back three-fourths of the distancd
above water, and one fourth under.
This project was abandoned, how
eyer, the current being too swift
for direct swim. He was accord
ingly roWed down to the vicinity ;
of the large rock near the south
ern end of the island, one mile and
an eighth from the baths. Here
he plunged into the water and was
not again seen above the surface
until about fifty yards away. The .
swimmer was no sooner up than
down again, all the time rushing I
through the water at high rate of
speed. His unique style of swim
ming has already been described
in these columns in the Pleasure
Bay, on which occasion Johnson :
won an easy victory. When above
water his right hand only is seen
to work, and with that he grasps {
the element as if he found support
in to draw himself up. By repeat
ed efforts of this description he
reached the baths, amid the ap-
plause of the spectators, in the ,
short time of six minutes and a
half. The feat is easily explained
when it is understood that he swan
with the tide, which greatly accel-
Grated his own speed. 6
The women's race was the next
swan. This was one of the pref
tiest and best-contested races ever
witnessed. The entries were Min
ME Leyboldt and her sister Mary
Ellen, Emily Braun, daughter of
the keeper of the academy, and
Josie May. The four struck the
water at nearly the same moment.
Then began the struggle. The sis /.
tiers Leyboldt at once took the
lead, followed by the others. On
they came, nothing seen but four
heads popping up and down, in and
out of the water. Miss Minnie
Leyboldt was but a few feet in adj
vance of her sister, and won the
race by only two strokes, amid the
cheering, her sister coming
in second, Miss Braun third.
Miss May gave out when near the
end, became frightened and cried
for assistance, when Johnson {
struck out manfully for her and
accompanied her in. The dis I
lance was half mile, with the tide.
No time was taken in this race. =
The entertainment closed with Q '
varied performance by Johnson in :
one of the floating baths. Here
he smoked cigars and drank milk
while under the water, and execut-
ed other surprising feats apparent
ly at variance with the laws of Ma
ture.-N. Y. Times.