Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-04
The Man Fish.
CAPTAIN wEBB's CAREER AS OUTLINED BY HIM


CAPTAIN WEBB's CAREER AS OUTLINED BY HIM
SELF.
Capt. Webb, the Englishman who swan the
ton Of utter nakedness was % hours In doing
IL, ana during his progress never rested once
taking hts food in liquid form while swim.
temperature Of the water 81 degrees above
zero. This remarkable man fish is now in
B Boston, and proposes to beat Capt. Paul
match, wherein he contracted to swim ten
miles naked, While Boyton spurts twelve
miles about the buoys in his india
no account to him. He would as leave swim
Two score miles as one, If he had a reason for
gong IL: ne Is about 81 years OF age, carries a
marine ard is five feet four or five In height
SO lar MS proportions are common place. What
a ar ara astens ones attention about him is
ms extraordinary breadth OF shoulders and
chest ana the size of his lower limbs. He is a
PERCY , Hood OF blood. He is, in Short almost
a Tha adeai leaizatlon Of perfect physical health
soWafu hlty inches; at least he looks it. HIS
spiendd Development, in which there can be
oelected none OF the results of fat-short wind,
etc.,-glves him the look OF being short.
He is AS SOLID AS GRANITE.
Every man and woman in the world ought
honestly feel prouder OF what I have done to
encourage swimming in England than do of
all my exploits In the water"
:. What nave you done there, captain?"
1T seemed to me as Ii every boy in England
who ola not know how to swim suddenly went
into the water to learn. Swimming baths were
e,r bai and boys and
voted portion of their play grounds to the con-
struction CT swimming tank, no matter how
limit limited the space. ! have talked a good deal
other people to talking about it too. In this way
starled the enthusiasm England takes hold
OF oa+ Id Ting pretty slowly but the people were
A swimming bath is the proper place to
learn to swim: The surf is the worst place
Il dashes the learner up and down, and ducks
nun mn3t ana tips him up unexpectedly, fills his
OF MS effort, and Hnally discourages him. BE
may learn, OF course, but his style is not so
good as the style of the man who learned his art
OF course: l could swim a short distance and
tire myself completely. There is no necessity
1 1Gr 1ns; , How few, however, are able to avail
90 not learn correctly, believe it is possible
to keep In the water Of the ocean after q wreck
an incredibly long time. Even sailors know
tn1 xG Inc great dlmcuty Is not SO much the stay
ability OF the swimmer to keep his blood in cir
THAT IS THE SECRET WITH ME-
a une ttniag pay the most attention to is this
one OF keeping my blood in circulation. When
! landed at Calais, in France, after swimming
for two days In the English channel, nv blood
was SO warm that persp1red, and the Their
mometer had been at 81. Swimming is not
much exertion with me. swim deep In the
water, letting my mouth come clear down to the
eoge, ana even go under, instead Of holding
myself out OF water to the middle OF the breast,
as lncautl0us swimmers do. NY policy ia to
make tne water support me. Then all have to
90 ls 10 tprOpel myself. This DO chiefly with
my iegs. 1t does not weary the legs much to
per. I breathe with every stroke, and never
JAKE Inc SECOND. stroke until / have entirely
passed out of the effect of the first. All these
things are economies"
IL is evident, however, in spite of what Capt
Wepo says, there are few men with all the skill
cause OF the enormous quantity of warm blood
flesh. AA'
Capt. Webb was born In Shropshire In 1s4s.
HIS father was doctor, but the lads earliest
procl1v1ties were for the sea. He went to sea
captain. In 1873, In the month Of April, he
was working as foremost hand on the Cunar- |
der, Russia; returning home, man fell over.
board and he jumped after him. The ship was
going along at the rate Of fifteen knots, and q |
neavy sea was running. He did not find the |
man, ana was SO minutes in the frigfd waves |
before the ships boat picked him up. He was |
presented with purse OF e12O by the passen- |
gers, who were mostly bound for the Vienna |
Exposition. He OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the first |
gold medai awarded by the Royal Humane So
clety OF London. His first Ions. distance swim |
mas recently won six-days swimming match |
N London, the first two days OF which he swan |
fourteen miles each day without stopping He |
now challenges anybody TO swim twelve miles |
day with him In the rough water.-[Bosto,, |
Herald. |