Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-22

America against England.
The Men. the Course. the Com<lAtl0ms Of
the Contest. Etc.


the Contest, Etc.
The swimming match between johnson
and Coyle for the championship OF the wor, ID
and 81 900 side took place on the Del.xvar
river at Chester, Pa, today. rr,otb men
jumped from a boat anchored I'm the river.
and Were ailowed 70 select u. cir own course,
hotel, Gloucester. Tne man who swan the
furthest distance, in case neither reached
gloucester, or tn one who arrived there
swan under the Lerican flag, representing
America, and Johnson under the English
flag, representing England.
Johnson, THE ENGLISH "MAN-FISH."
Mr.. Johnson Is well known to theater 60
ers as the "Man-fish." He has exhibited in
his large glass tank at various places OF
amusement here and II other cities, aston
ishinghis audiences with his feats of endur
ance and graceful evolutiOns under water.
He has won the first prize in swimming
matches all over the world and has Ia his
pos session medals CT all descriptions which
nave been presented to him in testimony of
bis accomplishments. Among the English
medals are two from the Serpentine SWIM
ming society OF London, awarded In 1873;
gold medal for the Bradford race, open to all
corners, on October so, 1866; a silver medal
from the Leeds Regatta Club, awar1ei for
tast swimming July IL, 1861; a gold metal
( { m the Sheffield race, October g. 1873; a sill
YER medal for "eminent prore jsional abili-
ty," awarded him in the same year as the
champion, by the Adelphi Music Hall Com
pany, OF Olcham: finely engraved testi-
Inonial from the Rochdale Swimming Club,
for the race .'open to all comers," September
81, 1870; a sold medal from the Liverpool and
EVerton Swimming Association in the race
Tor the championship of the Mersey IN May
1863; small medal from the race at Wei.
1rgton street baths, Leeds. In September
1e.O; a gold medal for ornamental swim
ming" presented by the Leeds Regatta Club
on the 10Th of July, 1869, and gold medal
from the Rochdale Swimming Club for the
race of September 30, 1870. He also exhibits
with Pardonable pride the beautiful silver
at Long Branch last season for the cham
plOnShip OF the world. 1t will be seen by this
long array OF testimonials that the English
swimmer has thus far carried off all the hon
ors. he has been matched against the "pro-
Iesslonals OF this country and came Of vic
torious; Now he tests the powers of speed
and endurance of a On-professional.
COYLE, THE PENNsYLyANIAN,
his antagonist, Mr.. Thomas Coyle. has
never taken part In swimming match in
the championship at Long Branch. He was
born and reared in the neighborhood of
chester, Pa. and from boyhOOd has loved
lhe water. He served four years in the navy
during the war, and there discovered to his
surprise that he was vastly superior both
in sped and endurance, to his comrades
many of whom prided themselves on their
aquatic accomplishments. He paid little
attention TO this discovery until after the
race at Long Branch, when IL occurred =
him that the speed made in comparison "a
ar,
he could make under the same circ 49,
stances. and lie concluded to try an e, r,,ari
ment. This he did and satisfied hmSe ~ tI,a
even If he had not attained to yer, r rraa,
speed, his long life of toll and so nafioos
hardshirs had given him more e ndurance
than that possessed by many WIN had no
come proficient in the art of propel ling than-
selves in the water, and when, sOr,e weeks
ago, JOhnSOn's prOWeSs was n ,enfjoned he
offered TO match him, provide a evervthiII
could be carried out "On the sopara - Uf
was assured that he should nave fair rIay
and a contract vas soon draw m mn and signed
He does not use tobacco, a. I'd touches aIco-
hOlic Stilnulats but sparfn' Hy He exercises
twice day with dumb-bC lis takes ono long
walk every morning, and. swins n distanc9
OF about two miles every morning and AFTER
noon. his present weight is not over ii5
pounds. He is i've feet light inches in heieht
of slender, wiry build, with sound and well
developed lungs, and his address is that of a
modest, hard working man, who feels that
circumstances have given him certain adj
vantage over his fellows, but who shrinks
from pushing those advantages forward
Johnson is about feet y inches i'm height
very muscular, and with considerabI Bile sur
plus flesh. His weight is over 30 pounds
greater than his antagonist.
While Coyle's muscles are very small but
as Esrd as steel, j OhnsOn's muscles are very
large and more pliable. Their manner Oi
swimming is also different. Johnson swIrnS
ike hsh ''under the water or, less techni-
cally Speaking, as deep in the water as il is
possible TO move and breathe. Coyle swims
On The water with head and breast well mr.
and body near the surface. Coyle finds il
difhcult TO make any progress gainst a head
VINO ana chop sea, while johnson is not
greatly incOnvenienced by any combination
OF the elements.