Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-17
A NOTED sWIMMER,s DEATH.
Gnshed by N Gar6sh snd BOrne
Down BY q Barge.

~NNE SAAeAAs @AA4sot N1As o.
Yesterday evening about six
o'clock, William Sutclife, aged
th;rty-one years, a native of Man
chester, England, and a professional
long distance swimmer, was
drowned in the river, off the head
of Gravier street. In May last
Sutcliffe and Frank Printz, also a
professional Of note, were engaged
in friendly discussion as to their
respective triumphs in English and
American waters, when Sutcliffe
expressed himself as being Prints
superior in the water. This led to
match for $50 a side, distance
twenty-four miles, which was swan
on the I'd of June, and won by
Sutclilfe in five hours and twelve
seconds, defeating Printz by half
mile. AS Printz and his friends
considered that his defeat was alto
gether attributable to his having
drank a dipper Of whisky, he pro-
posed another race, distance ten
miles for $3.50 a side. The day for
the second test of endurance and
skill was fixed for yesterday, but as
SATELLITES friends had not come up
with the total aOmunt of the stake
money a postponement was agreed
on. However, as Sutcliffe and
Printz were on hand, and a numer-
GUS crowd were in waiting on the
river bank, they concluded to have
a friendly swim up the river as far
as Calliope street and return. A.
j. Ferth, a well-known and skilful
amateur swimmer, residing in Car
rollton, being present and on init
mate terms with the men, was in
vited to participate, and about 4;3O
o'clock they jumped into the Mis-
sissippi from off the steamship New
Orleans, lying at the head of Tou
louise street. Printz took the out
side, Ferth the middle and Sutclifft
the inside, near the shore and out
of the full strength Of the current
which at that point runs at the
rate of nearly five knots an hour
| About Canal street Printz wal
: ahead with Sutcliffe and Fertl
well together, Opposite Julia stree
} they. occupied the same positions
Sutcliffe being about fifty yard
J from shore, when he suddenly threv
: up his hands and exclaimed: "I'n
I bit by a gar" Ferth, who wa
e only a short distance on his left, a
G well as Printz, heard the cry an,
> swan toward him, but before the
: could reach him he had been picke,
D up by a skiff. An examination Q
e SATELLITES wound revealed a cash Of
8 his left arm which bled freely, bu
8 was nothing serious, yet Ferth an,
: Printz thought it of sufficient con
5 sequence to urge Sutclife to remai
: in the skiff, and thus follow ther
. down to the starting point. Bt
, lieving in Sutcliffe's promises tina
) he would remain in the skiff, Print
y and Ferth struck out for the mid
J die Of the river, and were a quartz
c of a mile away when Sutcliff
6 sprang from the skiff into the waite
G to get the rollers OF the tug Charlie
9 Woods and barge, which we're pass
u ing at the time. He was doubtles
Il urged by the thought that aided b
J. the waves he could overtake Print
Q and Ferth, aud have a laugh a
g their expense. Again in the waite
l. Sutcliffe made for the tug, swim
y ming "sailor fashion," but unfortU
II nately approached too near, as h
Il was struck by the port bow Of tn
{ barge and dragged under Almo'
e Immediately he reappeared asterr
l. threw up his hands and sank be-
e meath the waves, which he ha
u sought. Printz and Ferth, NEAR
T. time all unconscious of the fate fa'
- overtaking their comrade, swan o
y until a series of yells from the crow
u on the shore caused them to turn
I and from their position saw Sut
n cliffe as he went down. They swaI
l. to the place and dived for til
II body, but without success. Sui
" cliite in stature was stout, belo
le the medium height, and weigho
u about 100 pounds. In 1875, ju
u prior to his coming to America, h
" was the champion of Mancheste
N England, and held the belt,
:, 1875 he swan Frintz at st. Loui
u but was beaten. Since then he di
rs but little swimming PROFESSIONAL,
pS having been working at his trade
o. blaoksmithing. Three weeks hent
OF no, Print9 and Ferth were to staI
1le on a tour, giving swimming exh
y bitions throughout the country,
u ss'-N-'e 'er-----------
lee IN the mines.
p Virginia City Enterprise
lt The miners engaged in ratimho