The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-09-03
THE MAN-FISH.
Capt. Webb's Extraordinary Swim Across
the English Channel.

Capt. webb's Extraordinary Swim Across
the English Channel.
The greatest physical feat of the cen
fury was performed when Captain-why
are the swimmers of the age all Captains
Matthew Webb swan the English
Channel from Dover to Calais, 81 miles.
He started from the chalky cliffs of Do
yer Wednesday afternoon with a strong
stroke of twenty to the minute. He
seems to have maintained this stroke for
nearly the whole distance. Stimulants
were administered to him lavishly. He
began at $50 p. m. with beef-tea and ale.
At 3 the dose was beef-tea and beer.
This kept him all right until o'clock in
the morning, when the moon rose, and
he celebrated the event with a drink of
change at o'clock. This failed to be
of service. He seemed to be exhausted,
and the trainer who accompanied him III
n small steamer was about to spring to
his help when he rallied and swan on.
In an hour he took coffee and brandy
Thenceforward he drank brandy straight
every twenty minutes, so that he may be
said to have been brandOed as the best
swimmer in the world when he stepped
on Calais sands. King Alcohol kept him
atioat while he was III danger of death
from too much water. His feat can
scarcely be considered first-class illus
tration for a temperance lecturer. But
it is marvel. 1t must have required
muscles of iron and sinews of steel. The
swimmer had to meet cross-currents,
al, ,1o
is no more difficult strait to cross in the
world. 1t is said that the tide carried
him miles out of his way. If so. he
must have SWIM over % miles. While
there were boats near him all the while,
he seems never to have left the water for
second between the cliffs of England
and the sloping shores of France. A
skiff, and afterward steamboat, was
kept to the windward of him, and he
was thus partly saved the necessity of
buffeting with very rough weather. The
only other help he received was the adj
ministration of alcoholic drinks and the
stimulus of cheers from the spectators.
Upon landing, he was taken to hotel,
put to bed, and rubbed down. He was
soon TRANQUILITY sleeping, and the doctors
entertain no fears of any serious results.
This far excels any previous feat in
natation. AS the college song has it,
Leander swan the Hellespont
For to meet his dear,
and Lord Byron and Lieut.. Eckenhead
initiated him in 1910. The preservation
of the latters name in the encyclopedias
is striking proof of the fact that a man
is known by the company he keeps.
The Hellespont, however, at the point
where these three crossed it, is only 2, 40C
feet wide. The two points of Abydos
and ..Sestos run out into the strait, and
max cit strait indeed. Leander, Byron,
and Eckenhead swan less than half 6
mile the web-footed Webb has SWIM
20 miles. Boyton, who converted him
self into canoe and let the wind blow
across the channel, did nothing III com
parison with Webbs feat. He not only
had score of helps denied the latter
but he took two hours longer III crossing
the narrow sea. Webb is ahead. w,
see no immediate practical benefit to bc
derived from his success. The averag,
man, though good swimmer, woulC
! probably prefer to cross the channel IL
dry steamer than a wet skin, will
brandy-and-water served hot and to
gether, instead of taking the brandy in
side and the water outside, with such al
overplus of the latter. But the dee,
was feat of physical strength and plucl
without a parallel.-Chica9O Tribune.