Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-09-03
Swimming the English Channel.

A Captain Webb, an Englishman, has
thrown the American Captain Boyton's
exploit into the shade, by swimming across
the English channel, from Dover to Calais,
without the aid of any India rubber suit,
or artificial floats of any kind. 1t is GER
tainly a great feat of physical exertion
and endurance, and the swimmers across the
Hellespont are nowhere; though it is to be
remembered after all, that Leander and Lord
Byron were not accompanied by boats, to
give them coffee. and brandy every mile or
two, and to pick them up If they got ex-
hausted The English channel is u miles
across in straight line, and Webb swan
it in q hours and three-quarters. As the
tide made it impossible for him to make a
straight course. he doubtless swan several
miles more than the air line across the
Channel, and so averaged something more
than mile an hour. He started at l
o'clock, Tuesday afternoon, from Dover, on
the English side, attired in suit of ordina-
~ bathing tights, and accompanied by
small tug and a row-boat containing his
trainer, physician and a few friends. At
the start the weather was fair and the sea
calm, and striking out at the rate OF ~
strokes to the minute he made good progress
seaward. At $40 he lunched on ale and
beef tea. and at s o'clock beef tea and beer.
He then rested, floating on his back.
At 9 O'Clock he was troubled with Heating
seaweed. At II o'clock, cod liver OIL was
given him. The moon rose at l in the
morning, when he INDUCED in brandy and
tea. At this time Webb declared his ac-
complishment of the feat a sure thing. At
3 a. M. he partook of coffee. Then the
tide turned, running northward, and the
captain appeared somewhat exhausted, so
much so that his trainer stripped, ready to
render assistance, but Webb laughlngly de
clined his services, and struck ont again at
the rate of 20 strokes to the minute Day
light broke at o'clock, finding him drowsy,
when he INDUCED in coffee and brandy.
At o'clock a westerly breeze sprang up
and the sea became ehoppy, retarding his
progress. From this time the skif was kept
on the weather side, Webb swimming slow
", and indulging in brandy straight every
20 minutes. Steamers now made their ap-
appearance from Calais and steamed along
the weather side of the swimmer, breaking
the force of the sea, and cheers rang out IN
cessantly, giving fresh hope to the gallant
swimmer, who laid in direct course Tor
Calais Sands. At 1870 O'Clock, he was IN
shallow water. and at 1910 stood on land.
lie was tired, but soon recovered, and was
taken TO a hotel in carriage, where he
was rubbed down, put to bed, and, at l
O'Clock. lust n hours from the start, was
TRANQUILITY sleeping, with no fears OF serlous
consequences.
His time is two hours, and over, quicker
than that made by Boyton with his inflated
lndia-rubber suit. Capt. Webb has been
for some years noted as long distance
swimmer, having swan from Blackwell to
Grayesend, 70 miles down stream, IN four
hours. and on another occasion from Dover
to Ramsgate, an lS-mile swim, in =nine
hours lie has once before tried the feat
Just accomplished, when, after having com
pleted over two-thirds the distance, he was
forced to give it up because Of the roughnes'
of the water