The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-06

running down the Channel under light
] favorable breeze, bur nasty sea and thick
ening weather. Nearly in the middle OF
| the Channel there is a sand-bank called
| the " Ridge" or by the French the Cox
bart, which splits the current in two,
throwing one along the French coast and
the other along the English. lt was, OF
course, the intention of BOyton and the
pilot TO get into the French carrent, but,
either because the swimmer did not get
far enough to the east, with the tide run
ming out, or what seems more probable,
because the pilot, owing to the thick
weather, which hid both the Freuch and
English coast, missed his reckoning, they
were swept down the English side OF the
Ridge" and all chance of reaching the
French coast before night was lost. Boy
ton resolutely attacked this ridge, hoping
to get over it and reach the French cur
rent in time. 1t proved TO be
TERRIBLE STRUGGLE.
The sea here was foaming and tumblfng
about in fearful way for the swimmer.
Is was not u regular roll or swell, but
short, quick, chopping waves, tumbling
about in all directions, that whirled the
swimmer round and round, rolled him
over and over, rendered his puny sail ut
terly useless and blinded him with foam
-
and spray.
1t was strangely fascinating spectacle
to watch the swimmerin his hand to hand
struggle with the ocean. The waves seem
to become living things, animated by
terrible hatred for the strange being bat
Ting with them. They roll and toss him
about. They struggle and wrestle with
him and howl around him. Sometimes
they seem to withdraw for moment, as
if by concert, and then rush down upon
him from all sides, roaring like wild beasts.
They seize him around the neck and drag
him down, graphing under tile water and
strangling him until, like giant athlete,
he shakes them off, and appears again tri-
umphant on the top, as they rush off
bowling. For two hours the
struggle continued, during which
time he did not make more
than mile, but at last he came off victo-
riOus, and reached the current running
along the French coast, where the sea. al
together nasty, was not so unfavorable.
But it was now one object, and, instead OF
being several miles south of BOulOgne, as
he had hoped, he was almost opposite, and
the current had already turned again 10
the north, thus carrying him far past the
place. He determined, however. to push
on and endeavor to land at Cape Grisnez,
about ten miles north of Boulogne. He
did not seem tired, although he had
eaten nothing since taking to the water.
He now
LIT ANOTHER CIGAR,
which he managed TO smoke, and Alto
gether seemed much happier than we
who, in the dirty old tug, were wallowing
about in the trough of the sea, most of
us horribly sea-sick. There was plenty to
eat and drink on board, but there were
few of us in condition to take food; the
weather grew rainy, foggy, cold and mis-
erable; the thick black smoke from the
smokestacks settled down over US and
sickened- us; and, altogether, there was
probably never a more wretched set of
beings than the press delegation, on board
that tug. BoytOn worked steadily for
ward, but the pilot began to grow anx-
ious. 1t was evident that the swimmer
would not make the French coast before
dark, and he expressed his determination
to push on all night if necessary. But the
weather was growing thicker and thicker,
we being at times unable to see more than
a quarter of a mile from the ship, and, as
we had not seen land for hours, it was inn
possible to tell where we were. The wind
and sea were both rising, promising bad
night. 1t would be impossible TO follow
the swimmer in the darkness and fog. We
would inevitably lose him, and if he should
miss Cape GrisneZ. he would be carried
up into the North Sea. Atlength, toward
O'Clock, the pilot declared that he would
not be responsible for the safety of the
ship, so near the coast, in the darkness
and foS. The Captain was, of course, un-
willing to risk his ship; general council
was held of every one on board, and it was
decided that the attempt would have to be
given up. Captain BOyton and his broth
er, who was on the tug, both protested
against this resolution in the most ener-
getic manner. The former maintained his
ability to finish his undertaking, declaring
that he was not in the least faiigued, and
to prove it, swan rapidly around the
ship.
1t was agreed, however, that he had
thoroughly demonstrated his ability to
cross the Channel, and that it would be
folly to risk the ship, the life of every body
on board, as well as the swimmer, by cruis-
ing along the coast all night in the fog and
darkness. He at last. therefore, agreed to
come aboard and give it up, maintaining,
however, his ability to stay in the water all
night. 1t was Just half-past o'clock when
he set foot on the deck of the tug, after
having been little more than fifteen hours
in the water.
He undressed and was Immediately ex,
amined by the doctor who was on board,
He found the temperature of his body only
a degree lower than when he went over
board. His pulse, however, was eighty, anC
feeble, which would be partly accounted
for by the fact that he bad been suffering
! from diarrhe& for two or three days pre-
viously. 1t was the opinion of the doctor
| that he mig 1t have stood six hours Longer
| in the water without damage. The heaC
of the tug was instantly turned TOWARD
the French coast, and in few minutes WI
sighted Cape GrisneZ. when we went abOu
| for Boulogne. AS nearly as could be mad
out afterward We were about five mile
from the French coast when BOytOn cam
aboard, so that he fully
DEMONSTRATED HIS ABILITY
to accomplish the feat. The course made
/ from Dover was east past the Goodwin
Sands, then south on the English side o
the "Ridge," which he crossed at it
southern extremity, then east again to
ward Cape GrisneZ, making the distanc
traversed about fifty miles in length. l
is certainly a remarkable feat, and full,
| demonstrates the efficiency of the lif
DdNC hO uOuOb ludb II ShN pAOPS
route had been taken he would have ac
complished the passage in twelve hour;
Upon arriving in BOlogne the busines
of landing was so badly nismanaged b
the pilot that the whole press delegation
was left outside the harbor on the tug ur
til O'Clock in the morning. The pilo
with the two BoytOns, c9olly went ashor
at $50 and left us to follow with the othe
boats, but without a single man on boar
who knew the way into the harbor. W
tried to get in, but got stuck on the ba
and came near knocking the bottom OF
of our boat and getting drowned. W
had to wait until the tide rose and the tn
could go in at in the morning. do NJ
think any of the press delegation preser
/, /, will wish to cross the channel again und'