The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-25
SCENES AT THE STARTING POINT.
The Life Dress and the Mode
Of Propulsion.
FIFTEEN HOURS IN THE WATER
The French Pilot Responsible
for the Failure.

AT TWO O'CLOCK yesterday morning the D0rlor or
the Lord Warden Hotel, IN Dover, presented
curious spectacle. bright coal IRE burn
ing IN the CRATE, throwing It's rudy glow over a
number or queer-looking objects and ngures that
were distributed throughout the room--a table
on which were the remnants OF q banquet,
consisting principally OF champagne glasses
and bottles, the latter looming MP in
the seml.obscurity OF the place, with their gold
and silver SUBMITS catching and throwing back
the rudy glow OF the 1re like mountain peaks
under the red light OF the setting SUI. Strange,
outlandisn looking tobjects were scattered about,
such as an oar or two. a miniature sailboat,
tackle and o.her things suggesting thoughts OF the
sea, and a number OF still more strange AID
outlsndlsh figures were stretched out on
the door, some along the walls, some
under the table, some with their feet
to the fire, with their heads on travelling bags or
the backs or chairs turned up, and wrapped in
blankets, shawls and Ulster overcoats, all asleep.
Standing up against the WALL like sentinel on
his post, lnaistincty seen in the ntlul nashes Of
the nre was strange ngure resembling
cross between knight in armor and
an Esqumaux, the only thing that seemed
TO be awake, ana which covered over the sleeping
figures on the noor in threatening way that
ought TO have given them most unpleasant
dreams The sleeping men are the press deega-
ton who have come TO Dover to witness Captain
Boyntons attempt 10
SWIM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
and the Esqulmaux or knight in armor Is the life
dress useo by the intrepid swimmer in his hardy
undertaking. which has been set up against the
wall Tor exhibition, veritable suit OF armor for
his struggles with the winds and the waves.
He TO start at three O'Clock, and we all de-
cided that IL was not worth while TO 20 to bed,
and so we turned the parlor into battlefield,
whereon persisted many bottle or pale ale. stout
and champagne, and then went TO sleep until the
hour for starting Suddenly there Is the sound OF
horn announcing the hour OF departure, and We
all start to our feet. We gather up our effects,
get on our sea clothes, swallow a cup OF coffee,
while the glowerlng knight leaning against the
wall suddenly takes lie and stalks out among u.s.
initiating himself by blowing through little pipes
untl the knight disappears and only the Esqul-
maux remains. Then Gil troop down to the
quay, whence the swimmer Is gong TO take his
start, and amid a great crowd that have gathered
TO see him of, most horrible din, uproar ana
confusion caused by the shouting and rush OF the
people, the whz oil rockets. the pufing OF steam
boats the hoarse voice OF what appears TO be
uncomfortable speaking trumpets, the glare OF
Bengal lights and burning pitch. We man
age to scramble aboard the tug des-
tined to convey us along with the swimmer.
Tnen we look down aud huge OBJECT ike
devil fish stopping about IN tne water right under
our wheel, which has slowly commenced turning,
but with vigorous push it glides out rom
under US among the boats and hips, ana passes
out from the circle Of light into the darkness be-
yond. Then there Is ear-splitung report . sea
OF IRE riant under our noses, which olaxes in the
faces OF the crowd on tue quay. When
the smoke clears away we behold what
appears to be several human heads floating
10 The water which turn out TO be only hats. car
ried away by the force or the explosion. IL was
toe tugs gun which had been stupidly fred right
into the crowd on the wharf, not more than ten
feet distant. We were greeted with curses and
imprecafions az wen as cheers as We slowly got
under way; and would not be az al surprised to
hear that somebody had been seriously Injured BY
The fash OF the gun, and o good many must have
had Their hair. eyelashss snd eyebrows slnged,
besides tue damage TO their clothes and tie loaa
OF their hats. Bat
WHERE u DoySroxs
We can see nothing or him although we strain
our eyes In every direction AZ the tug slowly
steams out into the darkness. Al length we hear
his norm Tar out on the water and we Immediately
make for him IN order 10 take the lead and show
him the way. Tue lights are put Que because they
only take away our Eiahs Tor anything outside the
I ship, bot although we hear the sound OF the
swimmers horn now and then ana the plasn OF
his paddle coming 10 as over the water, the dark.
ness 10 too intense 10 allow "a to catch glimpse
OF HIM.
We push slowly forward. Keeping him within
hail as the lights OF Dover gradually grow dim
and inoIstinct in the distance ana tho lighthouse
on the Goodwin SANDS shines clear ana bright IKE
tue star OF morning. Il was cold. raw morning,
made all the rawer and colder by the thought OF
tue man padding along the cold gray water
beside u. IL made one shudder TO think or the
water dasning over his face, Notwithstanding lne
Z foar hou nhah No 80
At length day began to break, cloudy and gray and
cold aud soon we began 70 eaten gIimpses
OF the Skinner. tossed about by q cnopping sea,
but padding cneerlully along. At i've O'Clock we
were aDoat mIle or Goodwin Sands, the tide
having carried us IN direction about east-soutn.
east IRON Dover.
The pilot employed by Boynton was one sent
over from Boulogno BY the French societe au.
MAINE saId TO DO tae best the French coast.
The course agreed upon between him and Boyn.
ton was "a folowss-TsEe the tide running
northeast from Dover at three In the morning,
when would carry them seven or eight miles
ia that direction somewhere on Goodwin sands
Here tue toe turns a. about six O'Clock and runs
southeast down the Channel they would follow
tina toe 90 point considerably south OF Bou.
loxne. where the current turns aud sweeps again
10 tho east and nows into noulognc narDor whicn
they hoped to reach about tGfes O'Clock Ia tho
afternoon. making = distance OF sixty miles. Ii
was a. very roundabout course, ana l think 1t
would have been lar better TO have struck straight
across the Channel cutting scroas the currents "a
much as possible, Instead Of following them In this
way, although the swlmnler would nave been un.
douotedW driven far out OF his 0. urse ny TIE cur.
rents, ne would have been carried back again by
them and would &C the Same tine have maue
mucn more progress forward. At ave O'clock
wnea dAYnxss came, everything was going wen
been lonowed--only We had started about twenty
minutes late. BOynton now swan alongalde ana
CALLED FoR MS SAIL.
Tnis was fastened 10 his foot BY means OF q kind
OF wooden skate TO whlca was attached little
tin tube tor toe Insertion OF the tiny mast TIE
SAT- was about Jour ieet high, aud was praced py
cords attacnod to strap around the swimmer'.