The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-03
SWEET SWIMMERS.
Young Girls Testing Their Natatorfal Prow-
ess-Engaging Display OF Limb, Science
and Grit.

Young Girls Testing Their Natatorial Prow-
ess-Engaging Display of Limb, Science
and Grit.
New York star.l
The East river. at the foot of One Hundred
and Fourteenth street. presented q lively
scene to the residents of the neighborhood
yesterday. Its smooth surface was plowed
the amateur sculler down to the fat-bot-
toned and turtle-shaped skiff of the terrible
small boy, and fleeing through the mass,
swift and ever changing as shadows, came
sallboats that made their way almost miracu-
lousy through the closely packed fiotiIla.
In the bath house at the foot of One Hundred
and Fourteenth street q score or 30 of young
ladies were busy enveloping themselves in
the very newest fashion of bathing
dresses preparatory to swim
were all the pupils of Mrs Grant,
the teacher at the baths, and they ranged in
age from nine to "a years. The foible of the
sex was manifested in the youngest as in the
Oldest OF the prospective contestants.
Banged hair was confined chiefly to the
young ladies above 16 years, although some
OF the young misses had tortured what little
hair they had into the ridiculous shape that
fashion prescribes. One young lady appear
ed with hair done up in lump, and pin ned
at the top of her head. a device that seemed
toindicate her fear of being drowned. 1t
happened that she gave out suddenly in the
swimming, and her hair afforded an excel
lent hold for the gallant young gentleman
who rescued her. Without exception the
| bathing suits were modest. There NAV have
| been rather larger display of the lower
| limbs on the part OF some of the more ma
ture maidens than would have been posi-
tiveiy agreeable to their admirers, but the
costumes were actually as comprehensive as
| they could be, considering the exertIons re-
| CURED of their wearers.
| At p. m. the starters for the first race
| were placed in a line on a float near the One
Hundred and Fourteenth street free bath,
and at the word of command they plunged
| into the stream to swim across the river and
back. They were six in number, and wore
| the most gaudily trimmed bathing suits at
| tainable. Kittie OConnor, Katie Graham,
Hattie Zettler, Carrie TONES, Libby Batty
and Della Hays were the contestants. The
the course was fully half mile, with an ad-
verse tide. Before the first 40 yards had
been made Katie Graham gave out and was
hoisted into boat, and in q minute after
ward Della Hays became faint and ex-
hausted. John Pagan, the profess
| sional swimmer attached to the
bath, kept close to the contestants who had
| dropped to the rear, and as they showed
signs of distress or fatigue he aided them 10
get into the boats that followed the little
swimmers closely. The girls struck out
boldly at first, but showed that they were
weary by turning on their backs and float
ing. As Kitty O'Connor turned the stake
boat she asked pathetically, "Ain't we goin'
to have no rest?'' As the other swimmers
were 800 feet behind her. and as they also
seemed exhausted, the race was closed about
20 yards from the stake boat, and the girls
were picked out of the water and taken
ashore. Kitty O'Connor won the prize,
which was pair of bracelets.
In the second race the entries were: Eva
Holmes, Della Reilly, Louise Sheldon. Mag
gle Brennan. Lille Decker. Mary Farrell
and Nellie Buchanan. Not more than as
yards from the starting point Louise Shell
don gave out and was picked up. Excite
ment had made her sick. Maggie Bremen,
who started little behind the rest, SWAN
well in her effort to catch up with Lille
Becker, who had the lead, and succeeded 90
well that she came In q fair second. The
third race was announced as q swim from
Harlem bridge to both street, but at Hath
street the two ladies and the little girl
interested in it decided that they had gone
as far as they wanted to go. The entries
, were Mrs. Milly Henlay. Mrs Esther
Kent and little Libby Green. aged 10 years,
, the daughter of the female instructor in the
!, Fourteenth street bath. The little girl was
allowed a start of two blocks, and set out on
! her long swim from the foot of Second ave-
nue.. The other contestants started from
|, Harlem bridge at the same time. From
! start to finish Mrs Kent and Mrs Henlsy
. never allowed clear water to come between
them. Mrs Kent fouled Mrs Henlay once,
but explained that she couldn't help it, and
was forgiven. The little girl came in at the
bath house two minutes ahead of her com.
petitors and won the first prize. Mrs. Hen
stroke, came In second, but barely length
, ahead of Mrs. Kent The prize was medal
scrub race ended the proceedings. 1t was
won by Miss Maggie O'Brien.
s Constipation, sick headache and bilious
| hxy 1arc1 Tsror Err