The New York herald., 1874-08-31
MERMAIDs NEAR FORT HAMILTON.

Swimming Match Between Gfrls-Five
Thousand Spectators ON the Beach
Young Women Striving for HOnOrs
in the Surf-Thc Naiads OF the Lower
Bay.
Yesterday was gala day at Fort Hamilton.
Quite early 1t evident on all the routes OF the
Brooklyn car lines that something extraordinary
was on the tapis Swarms OF men, women and
children crossed over Fulton, Hamilton and South
FERRIES from New York and eagerly sought
places on the Fort Hamilton cars. Upon inquiry
by o HERALD correspondent the response was
gwen tnat there was to be swimming contest
between a number Of young girls at Fort Ham,
ilton, the prize TO pe q gold watch and
chain. Miss Bennett, who was instrumental in
getting up the match, Is busting little lady
connected with one OF the public baths In this
city, and last Sunday week there was an exciting
contest between q lew OF her pupils for the prize
OF q gold lOcket, which was won on that occasion
by a little water witch who Is humanity known as
Miss Annie Mason. The crowds then who
thronged to see the present trial of skill in the
surf amply testified to the interest New Yorkers
felt in the present swimming match. The car
lines put extra cars and supplied extra relays
OF horses but all were insufficient Men clung 10
the steps, jostled the drivers, crowded the plat
forms, surged In the interiors, cambered upon
the roofs, and finally became disorderly
human mass, where legs and arms seemed to be
inextricaby mingled. while the cries. yes, shrieks
and oaths of the men formed strange dapason
in the chorus whose trebles were family varied by
the walls OF infants and the faint protests OF suffer
ing women. II added to this Inferno he considered
the oaths OF the drivers urging on their painting
and broken-winded horses, the contrecnaps Of
cars on the tracks always half enveloped in clouds
Of Long Island dust, some idea may be had Of the
pieasure-scekers ~ rom New York who went
down to Fort Hamilton to see Miss Benefits
pupils dampen themselves for the amusement OF
the crowd.
from the Fort with the Narrows in the distance,
as s ae , tss
crowded with all sorts OF people in
all sorts OF venices-which environs the strong
were assembled the eXpectant multitude, but the
course upon which the swimmers were TO contest
who bobbed up and down in the waves ike buoys
in O dangerous bay. There were snrieks and cat
calls, contests of Skill out to the police boat SEN
eca-which was moored opposite to the bathing
house--and Oil the water games known to the
wharf rats OF the great city. At length, when the
girls who were to contest Tor the prize appeared
only four OF the water witches putting in an ap-
pearance-they could hardly get into the water
for the Interruptions and when they did go In the
'boys'' surrounded them so completely thai the
reporter could hardly tell where The rivals were
Il was more like a scrub race" on land than any
thing else.
Iue udmcs Vi Tue contestants were ANNE HAL,
Katie Hall, Annie Bokcnkamp and.Adellne Boken-
kamp. lt was intended to start several more, but
owing TO the decllnation OF Miss Lille Lederer, who
won the $3.50 piano prize two years ago, to swim
some OF the young ladies got frightened and would
not enter the sur or the match, even although the
prize should be dear to every young lady's heart.
Alter wading out short distance the race be-
gan. Only about three hundred yards was gone
over. and Miss Annie Bokenkamp was decal ed
the winner; time, rwo minutes Ii is said there
will be another match with more contestants
probably this week. In response to question by
the reporter Miss Bennett stated that the reason
these matches took place on Sunday was that 1t
was the only day the friends OF the fair contestants
could leave the city to see the performance