The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-30
A TlRILLING EXPERIENCE.
Captain Paul Boynton, the swimmer, has
Terrible Battle with Floating Ice.


Terrible Battle with Floating Ice.
CHICAGO, March 90. = Captain Paul
Boynton, the noted swimmer, had an ex-
perience in Lake Michigan Tuesday that
he thinks he will not forget for some
time. The Captain has grown heavy
during the winter and to reduce his
flesh has recently eentaking little pulls
out into the lake in his rubber suit.
Tuesday morning at o'clock he left
Fullerton avenue for q swim to South
Chicago and return, and met with the
most thrilling adventure OF lis life in
which he battled for hours with great
ice flow, was carried many miles out
into the lake stripped of his navigating
instruments, and lost for fifteen hours in
the cold, bleak waste OF drifting ice and
hanging clouds and struggling ducks.
From s o'clock in the morning until
midnight he was without food or drink,
and 1.-The chill of the icy waters had
driven him to the desperate resort of
hard work all that time to keep up u
vigorous circulation so that he would
not chill and perish in the lake.
"When | entered the water at Z
o'clock" /" the captain said, "thero was a
fresh west wind. I swan about two
miles, intending to clear the crib for n
trip to South Chicago. Just about the
limit OF my run east began to meet ice,
l passed through it for time, and then
ran across some tloes onto which l climb
ed. Meanwhile a heavy sky had shut
out all view OF the sun, and the wind
had got the ice together. struggled
quite while in what / thought was the
western border, OF the fileal, and then
ran into what l thought was pocket.
pulled through it and came again to
struggling foes. must have fought
them until 10 o'clock before l missed my
compass. When I looked to get my
bearings l noticed the city had faded
from view. | found the band which
bound the compass to my body
had been severed by piece Of
ice. The water was cold and
had been in it so long l began TO get
drowsy. Chills ran through my veins
in quick succession and saw l must
either pull out for somewhere or perish.
looked about and saw the field OF ice
was at my back. l swan feet foremost
and then concluded / had only to pull
from the ice to reach Chicago. So l
started and vigorously too. For five
hours l worked us never had before.
The water was heavy and lifeless, / had
to fight for every inch made. Chicago
was still nowhere to be seen and | had
no notion Of the time OF day. Then l
changed my course about half wayround
and pulled hard for while. The ice
gathered about me again and when night
came was still fighting formy Some
times could dodge the drift; at others
| climbed upon the cakes and crossed
them. When the moon rose got q
flash or view OF it and then saw my mis-
take, / had crossed the field in the
morning when entered what thought
was a pocket, and all the long pull OF the
day with the Joe at my feet had driven
me toward Michigan, The turn l had
taken had sent me south. ! set about
and pushed from the moon. At 10
o'clock noticed faint light in the
sky and an hour later perceived it was
from the furnaces at South Chicago.
Then l got my bearings and sighted the
lights at the cribs. pulled up there at
midnight and blew my bugle. must
have called n half dozen times before an
answer camel then Capt. Mckay an.
swered and l shouted Crib" and
"Ahoyp
AYE, who's thero?p the captain
shouted.
"I must stay here tonight"
"Pull round to the port"
"When l got there they dropped a
bit OF rope, into which fixed my foot,
and they drew me up. They gave me
refreshments, put me to bed and tele.
phoned my wife that ! was safe, Cap
tain Mckay says when ] left the ice at
night II WIS full fifteen miles from shore,
and / think he Is about right, because
this swim in would take about the time
used. have swan greater distances
but that was the first time ever was
lost, and the battle with the ice and
cold was n more thrilling episode than !
care to experience again"