The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-28
BOYTON ABROAD
The Famous American Swimmer SHOW.
ing on in Rome.
Rome Letter to the New York World

Rome Letter TO the New York World
A few DAYS ago received an envelope by
post on which was the picture of an Esqui-
maux looking man, and under 1t was print
ed Captain Paul BOyton. Inside the envel-
Ope were tickets to an exhibition he was to
give, a programme OF his performances and
card addressed to me. with the cOmpli-
mentS of Captain Paul Boyton, New York,
United States of America, upon it. On
Sunday afternoon i drove over to the Vasca
NatatOria, in which the famous swim
mer was to give an exhibition OF his life-pre-
server. The Nasca Natatoria is an immense
tank of Acqua di Trevi outside of the Porto
del Popoli 1t is quite a little lake in ex-
tent, and has pretty island in the center;
the Romans go there in summer TO swim.
The place was crowded; l should think there
were over 500 persons present. ana the fine.
liveried carriages outside showed that 80
ciety's" sons and daughters were taking in
terest in the gallant swimmers exploits. The
captain looks. when dressed in his suit, like
one of Captain Kane's company attempting
the discovery of the north pole. His APP
paratus or habit is in two pieces, separated
at the waist; the upper part covers the head.
the lower the feet; attached to 1t are
little tubes for initiating the suit with air;
these tubes make him look like figure pre-
pared for bronze casting His performances
were extremely interesting; he was as light
as air ball on the water; tioated. walked,
in short did as he pleased it was like terra
frma to him. He fioated about with a flag
fastened to his feet, as signal; he sent off
carrier pigeons and fired fusees. Then he
went to different parts of the tank and
picked up floating bits of plank, and nailed
a raft upon which he mounted, waved his
flag and blew horn. Then he fioated off
again, took fishing line and went fishing;
after few moments he drew up fish, which,
of course, was previously fastened to the
line, but that was nothing. After catching his
fish he returned to the raft and took from his
little floating travelling sacQue all the arti-
Giles needed for dinner; little furnace,
some pieces of charcoal. bottle of beer,
fruit, bread cheese, plate, tumbler, ETC.;
made fire in the little furnace, cleaned the
fish, put il on TO brOil, and while il cooked
he uncorked his beer drank to our health
and fioated about eating bread and cheese.
Then he opened newspaper and raised an
umbrella, which he fastened to his feet and
read the paper under the shade of the UNI
brelIa. leaning his head comfortably on one
arm, as if he were lying on a sofa instead
OF wateri After these amusing per-
formances he gave some Others, which
were to show the usefulness of his
apparatus in shipwrecks. and for the service
of pilots and coaStguards and variety of
other uses 1t was evident however that
notwithstanding the captain performed all
his remarkable exercises with a great deal
of skill and facility, they were. on the whole,
very exhausting. The apparatus is.a won
derful arrangement, and fancy any one
once put into it would be sure to float; but
it certainly requires a capable person to
manage it, even one-hundredth part as well
as its inventor does. I am told that the
minister of the Italian navy intends to puff
chase a number of these suits for the SER
vice. The apparatus costs from $50 to 400
francs apiece. according TO quality and &C
cessories. The captain is a most decided
American looking man; he has resolute,
intense expression of face, and has made an
excellent impression in Rome.