, 1875-08-30
SWIMMING; TIE CHANNEL
CpItt. yycbb5s Elrat Att0tnpt.

l!Vytth y encEhHhtn phsd1El u kAa tnRnAet ~
eloAn III l',a ,ln!.ersal Interest 1namiastal IN
tho attempt ot Capt. ,Yebp 10 swim froan nasor
to calais without nny dress uxcaps lattina-
drawers. 1ne oApcrMent was moi ltoSal Dpe,
fur j0t!usotl, who deloated Cayto IN tho pris.
sno wrs tss ssf ,na ,aIn ,hH' 'no "'nc' as'sa" ''
Tin performance Of Capt. raul l,oyton, owing
to tho nleAuH l1o GMpttyel ~ cEuAsins. cuulu
buddy oc regarded in tho light ot trilimpl, far
n. S asi 4aH saSsc1g o. 1gfd nsson u, nvlm
referred to Of late. but II ceases 10 bo lair ton.
rarlepn when Quo reMcnlhora TINT tho entlro
lntRnre, allowing tor tln lido, tlld not exceed q
t,licg. Cap. ~ebb, accprdlnE TO tho bast estl-
m.s Inst hight petvro hq lclt tho watcr. aud
when row i'm un buard tho boat be s{ld MT hp-
pear to bo Etcally fatlguca. Tile Clapnol was
cesta1aty az rouRh. nut toughot, ,ilan tAe
llyTuu verified the old story Of Leaader'a uuo-
tufna, Vlslts tu loro.
With regard 10 Capt. WaDb. Tho aunuuuco,uout
Of Ha unao! tssug wa % Mado IN modest e,:y N,ny
with Jolly party, ho waa accomplished by
iuHger ni,d roaloat. The former WIS 40 ilne
cu,alostahlo that none but enthusiasts
could ha hiFoa 70 mako tho tf'p EIp o.
strong nlon, who followed tho swimmer for the
pur,.qss Of st,ccu.iu8 ln IN case Of cramp.
Il was we'll known that Capt. Mehb had
swan from Blackwell to nrortscud, 70 mtiot
down strcatn. ~ four hours aiao thnt ba had
Mater IRON Dover to 1lanAgate. MI ld'ml swim,
in n,ne Ilo,rs. There was nothl,s very AlrelBont
able, tbereforc, III Cart. Waone conclusion that
he cou.d, by httIo special trnlDinB, gGt hlmsolt
iu a CONDITION tU cross tho CAanuot. Tho actual
"air-line '1lsta,co OF II niles aas NOT TO bo OF
pccLcl ty tho swimmer, bnt, by o careful kelcn-
tipn Of tho proper nomont for starting, Itwas
hoped to lpud utmost oppositu tue poins Of de-
partu1e. An have altoady tcloarnphel YOU, be
enlcro;l tho wster al about 8 o'clock md kep, on
swimming .gallnnty through wind. iAn,, mist:
aud uut,l datltness, 1lh. iBn.. whom he climbed
isst' tho boat WITH tho romatk, mo living man
eau SWIM |1 Buch lltnry Hoa.' AND R!i "Ao were
there beloved him, for sae Wind lad r.sen afsor
tho ral,, ccasod, and WAS blowing quito strong
against tue ti0o. At my rate. ho accomplished
more than balf tho diHFAncct aud had the weather
bcou mora favorable lie would .douh.loHs, hayp
made Ills promises 70 20 to france sopd; IL
must Le remembered tint it WAS not nnlu hlR
arcunl Rttcnlrt that Capt. Doyton HuccGe1el lH
crossing tho Cham d.
About 4 o'clock last eYoning small body Of
gcnIlemcn, mostly Mombers OF lhe yarl l.us
down TO the Admiralty pier. DuliDg tho altar
nuon tley lad been watching tho sky With cpn.
siderable anxiety, aud buu takcn c0ubsel viii
aeyerai Of tho oldest Hoatler- prophets pI the
poit. But ~ IN nd and worthy negro once sad
tu lnu about lightning ~heo upbtaidad lMsn lpr
la cowarutcn tuIiuH RthunderstoEm: ''iop ish't
n,ways Ho natsin Mila' ita gwiua to str'he III nn-
sart,l wlA' 1t might" 30 waa given 70 uuder-
stand Aouut tic weather III tho Eayiiaa Clpuuel.
II would uot bot shisl,lg On tho woather three
hours 4lleau," and an u'd skipper to me. In the
afternoon. But as the cscuius began to fall,
and as lilo wcaA4ar had heen abuut I'd nnfpyota-
Lle as il could worry well be, Capt. Webb thought
A0 perceived cunning cllanHo which, 1t .haa
tor, and certainly cpulau't be for !he woEao. It
WAS dne,de1 by CApt Webb ana Ills foiereos
that. az tho tuls was favorable aud reasonable
prospect OF good weatlor, the attempt bud bot:
tcl, ho made at onco. Night WIS e9uipS 4 nn sn1
tAuntlor.ahower Ind Juat passed. but Webb d4d
ilot shrink IRON tho cold, dismal wAtor.
Wlhous q word Capt. Wepb ropa,fod to q shed
near bY, Where lle MAS stript4o, aud, aftcr he,nS
uniu.ntel with do pbln oI to cloAa als pores ~
THO cold. hs stappa.t to ths enl of tbs pier and
ut III. 53m. 3Ds., touk Bplcnu!d ''leAupr" lntu
the 4ea. Tho select lew who wefo to accompany
him had mean"hiIn been EoMcd on 10 tho ANAL
Rail-boat Which MAS 10 prero1e hin, aud tho ruH-
Loaf which wab to follow him nt one and tho
sanlc moment slot out from bol,'nd tl.e p.er.
With LAos9 OIL tho luSgot tue tino socH began
to drag. The few hoata truln tho store which
had followed tho Swimmer fof tue hss 1uartor
Of IN hour began to lfDp oil, anl soon after
wolo to ao Bvcn returning towasd tho HhoHe.
Still ouwn1d went the Swimmer, nov ris,nE upou
tho crest OF wave, nor siHsiag for uaonant
gor. At half-raat Capt. Webb was com.Mg
htcaally alonH y our wake, keop.pE well up ana
a'st a"i boat from the luggcr to capt
Webb. No reached him vt tweuty 1juntes pAAt
0, RAYe A,m Aoms rsronB lcut mud 3 biscuit,
whlch le drank md ato On Lily back, aud i4eu wo
left bitu In rool condition aud w:thnpt any aignA
of fatigue. Twenty mlnntes after our return 70
tue salibo'.t We really had scalD. It seemed
~ ii tao hamburg Lloyd ssonucr. coming down
the clauuel, aas determined ~ run down bplA
ii, tLstA
tnerac amount Of tos.Anrn tl1wing and shout-
ing her Captain chanYol hts 1niad WHOM almost
on top Of III, Hnd passed. As Oh the star board
aide. Thon wo congratulated outseives that all
danger wan over, mid VIC could "lnaao night
OF It" In tue best manner posstb;., under the
circumstances. But again We were disappointed.
fur tho wind which uow haRhp to tEehisa COW
brod slo dark With spray ttoM tho 'ssdela bow,
and mAdo tAa ship Almost untcuantablo, 10 re-
main III tho cobin--vhefe hot Are VAS burning
lot lhs purpose Ut keeping Capt. Mebb'a collba
| Narm-waB impossible. -:
Tho sw1umcr ROW essayed to west pair OF
spectacleB, which wers provided for him by tho
sofelee bnt tho remedy wan 30 mitch worue
than tho oisoasa thst he soon dropped tlem un-
| rcgrelf4lly luto Tue dsep, /,
| AZ Tue south saudhoad Lghtahip Vas sighted
| tho pilot, Mr.. Toms, put or to Capt. Webb aud
| thev convarscd regarding the brcaze. Tie pilot
| declared the breeze would Hnbside at sundowl,
aud the Captain pursued hi. way hopefully. Al
I 7.JQ 10 patook Of, spule hot coTse. aud 4ta
pEog,asn waH then stated 10 % ubqut four l1iles,
| which had been accomplished at tho rate ot Qps
| aud half mtcH PEI hour. The Hnn disappeared
bound ! heavy bunk Of clouds IN the West. tho
wind sai'duad aomewhRt, 10 tho eridsut com.
iost a{ tAe swinn.ef, Who was ntNl follow,
ipg w WITH uusbAted y,gpr. Ihe Huuth
F5reland lights began to show out clearly
/ over the c>lIs, and soon attor tn. Caaa!s aud
Oups urlAnsz lghta were deserted. Tie lusgcl
was odcas1oDa!!y .ant about to permit of tause
OH board getting view OF aud clco1ing the
| swimmer. alter wAsct. st4a stazssl agasa ~ hss
courso. About twenty minutes psst 10 s1sddor
HqlaI! OF raln struck us;l and tliirk mist fellow
Cd, through which we wero nu4bo 10 sea III.
light p tho small boat, lha rain came down
pitiiesa,y fos abuut an haur sud when il ouded
looking over our pogt quarter We daIqctel III tht
gloom the gallant s.tmmer aud biz escort eloat
upon n. With tina cessation Of The rain camt
an ,nD,sase in the lorcs OF The Wind. bearing.
were sgan tafan. but i was aooo time haFoe,
tho exact l6eatlou Of CALAIS lKht could pi
settled. Tho tsking OF ososs bearings va,
impossible. Tue sases, wers now crestet
forty-sz minutes past IL. when tho lusge
love to. near sha captalu's hoat = cheary- vufo,
heard M ft,H ripna I'M 11in1-sb1 rnv