The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-30
FAMOUS WINNERS.
A Feat Whicn Recalls Leandcr and
Lord Hyrou.

Aholher Candidate for The hCuors awarded
so Literally TO ohsmpiou twimncts spreers
~ the pereon OF the eides. son of Lord
Duflet'n. To the celebrated names of
l4oander, Lord Byroa. lieut.. Ekenhesd Sir
Patrick ColQuhouD. Mr. Beckwitb. ara Can
Webb, mutt now be added that of Lord
Clandeboye, who has ventured on the classic
ground immorialized by tho horo of Musmus
and the author of Chilce HsrAld. The AR.
duous feat said to be accumulated nv tho
lover of Hero, presIess OF Venus. ,C swim
ming across tho Hellespopt aud back ppsin,
the madcup freak OF the 80 of NAV, lslO
when Lieut.. Ekenhead OF the Sslsetle. and
his companion, Lord Byron, swan Abydos
to Seslos, or IN o'her words, from the Euro
pean shore to the Asiatic; the pluck of Sir
Patrick Colquhoun, who in 1910, and r,el,.
less of Consequences, swan from Therspin
across tho BosphoIus and back lust 10 ret
an appetite fer breakfast, have in
their daring and energy been
equaled, II not exceeded 6y Lord
Clandoboye, who recently, in n litlle over an
hoar, swan the Hellespont from rherapia 10
Beicss, from Europe 10 Asia, considerably
greater distance and more arduous task
than that accomplished by the English poet
and naval lieutenant. On the whole, Lord
CiandepoYe came out OF tho task with lylpg
colors, Laander was drowned, Lord Byron
,O1k tho asue Sir Patrick Co'quhoun was,
according to his showing sone what incon-
veulenced from his long immersion, but SO
far G we Can fey, Lord Dutlerin's con and
hair arrived at Bgcos ~ ttesh AS did Capt.
Webb when he touched ground on tho west
side Of Calais bnrbor, having been In the
water for twoh,ysfuur houra and three,
quarters. There is ever disposition on the
part OF heroe6 of winning feats to dis.
parsge the lsbors of their predecessors.
In the case Of Leandar, he was in love;
} Is object Was not HlmlGs,. lie plunged
iAto the derk waters Of tho Heltes-
pont, and boldly out struck for tho shore
which held all that wAs deer to his life and
his ambition lie probsbly knew that there
was u reward Tor hun when he met the low
ing eyes OF ii tender Hero, and was indifIer-
ent 10 the fact that he had TO he baclI in good
time. Byron was keen enough 10 appreciate
| The sentimontsity of tho swimmer whose
love story gave Msrlowe subject for one Of
his most beautiful poems, but though there
Bro SONS herelics who positively deny that
there was grain Ut ruth in the fable of
MutWua, tho aristoeraiic athlet whose endeA.
vor created so much stir in 1910 is candid
enough TO confess that dark December is
not such "A favorable time for swimming the
HellGpont ss tho genial month of
May, though he cynicsly hints that
such a death rs Leander's was
on the whole, preferable to the poets
ioYeri,h sguo. This practical test of the
dangers AID currents of the Hellspont Is
universally quoted with appropriation by
such rs steadily. maintain that the modern
athlete Is no whit inferior TO his ancestors.
To swim from Setes TO Abydos Is child's
play whom compared TO crossing the chans
mel unaided between Dover and Calais. And
yet Lord Byron's exploit in 1910 wss con.
sidored At that time to be very remarkable
example Of strength and endurance.
The Sslsolte, under the command of Cap
tain Bathurst, was lying in the Dsrdsnelles,
and no doubt the officers, urged on by Lord
Byron, an athlete by practice and conviction
10 spite of his inarmity, took to talking
about the old classic ove-fable. AS il hap.
pened great number of the crew of tho
Ssloette were Temarkabls as swimmors and
wero said 10 hsve accomplished relatively a
far gaeator distance than ever did the young
and amorous Leander. Rumor asserts even
then that beanders feat was not without
parallel On one side il was urged in the
district that young Jew swan tho same
distance for his mistress, and local tradition
had 1t that Nepoitan was the true hero of
the Hellespont; but Byron and young Eken.
head who had consulted the English consul
could not got substantial proof of any pres
vious authentic record, and remained
deaf to oil entreaty that they would
not attempt so foolhardy teat--as it
was then considered. About three weeks be.
fore tho successful passage of May. 1910,
Lord Byron and bic friend had encountered
complete failure. They rode all the way from
the Troad the same morning arranged upon
for the swim, bpt the water was found to be
of icy chiiness, and II was resolved to post
poDe the expedition till the Sasette was an.
Chored below the castles. On the Sd of May,
nothing dsunted, the friends took TO the WA
Tor, and the feat was accomplished. The
whole dslanco from the starting place TO tho
Other side where they landed, Including the
lepglh the swimmers were carried by tho
current, was computed ht upwards of four
Eoglth miles. though tho actual breadth of
the stream is barely ono. The raplaity oftho
current was such that no boat could row
directly hcroRs tho Hellespont and, according
TO statistics taken on board the Sslsette,
Lord Byron and Lieut.. Ekenhesd accom-
plished the distance in one hour and five
minutes and one hour and ten minutes
respectively. From the communication of
Sir Patrick Co.quuhoun, which we publish
this morning, 1t would appear that Lord
Clandeboyo's swim is of infinitely greater
Importance thsa that of Lord Byron. Poor
Leander and his fable are dismissed
with undsgused suspicion. Sir Patrick does
not throw doubt upon the groundwork Of the
tho old love story, but he disputes the
accuracy of the facts AS recorded
III b,rtory. Says our genial corres-
,ndeit, who Is entitled TO hearing, aeeing
tiM be- was great swimmer himself forty
years bso. Lqander swam up tho Hellespont
to vis, Hero, to WOO, and Lord knows what
beside, and back again home; but il 10 noed-
ess to SAY that the first portion Of this ex.
plot Is impossible, for tho direct distance Is
three and half miles, and the stream strong.
Byron swam down, which is no feat at ali;
but Lord Clandeboyo swan ftom Therapia
TO Becos across the Bosphorns from Europe
to Asia, which Is undoubtedly greater
feat. In addition to that, Lord. Olandeboye's
swim was accomplished In little over an