St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-30
4 THRILLING ADVENTURE.
Capt. Paul Boynton Gets Lest on Lake
Michigan.
A GREAT BATTLE FOR LIFE.
The Great Swimmer Comes Near Losing
His Life Among the Ice on the
Lake.

CHICAGO, March 29.-Capt. Paul
Boynton, the noted swimmer. had an
experience 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 been taking little
pulls out into the lake in his rubber
suit. Tuesday morning at o'clock he
left Fullerton avenue for swim to
South Chicago and return, and met with
the most thrilling adventure of his life,
in which he battled for hours with a
great ice foe, was carried many miles
out in the lake, stripped of his navigat-
ing instruments and lost for fifteen
hours in the cold, bleak waste
of drifting ice, hanging clouds and
struggling ducks and gulls. ''When l
entered the water at o'clock" the
captain said, "there was fresh west
wind. 1 swan about two miles, intend
ing to clear the crib for trip to South
Chicago. just about the limit of my
run east began to meet ice. l pushed
through it for a time and then ran
across some foes. onto which climbed.
Meanwhile heavy sky had shut out
all view of the sun and the wind had
got very high. l struggled for while
and then ran into what | thought was a
pocket.
PULLED THROUGH IT
and came again to struggling foes. L
must have fought them until 10 o'clock
before l missed my compass. When ]
looked to get my bearings, having no
ticed that the city had faded from view,
| found the band which bound the COM
pass to my body had either been severed
by a piece of ice or had become I'M
was hidden and there was moth
bearings. 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 l saw / must
either pull out for somewhere or perish.
| looked about and saw the field of ice
was at my feet, l swan feet foremost
and then concluded had only 20 pull to
the ice to reach Chicago. So l started,
and vigorously, too. For five hours 1
worked as l never did before. The wat
er was heavy and lifelesS. / had to fight
for every inch l made. Chicago was
still nowhere to be seen and l had no
notion of the time of day. Then |
changed my course about half way
round and pulled hard for while. The
ice gathered about me again and when
night came
WAS FRIGHTENED
again for my life. Sometimes l could
dodge the drift, at others l climbed
upon the cakes and crossed them.
When the moon rose got flash of a
view of it and then saw my mistake.
had crossed the field in the morning
when entered what l thought was a
pocket and all the long pull of
the day with the ice at my feet
had driven me toward Michigan.
south. ! set about and pushed from the
moon. At 10 o'clock l saw a faint light
in the sky and an hour later perceived
it was from the furnaces at South Chi
cago. Then / got my bearings and
sighted the lights at the crib. pulled
up there at midnight and blew my bu.
gle. must have called half dozen
times before an answer came. Then
Capt. Mckay answered my signal and
shouted Crib, ahoy.' AYE, who's
there?' the captain answered. i mus
stay here tonight Pull round to the
port When got there they dropped
bit of rope, into which 1 fixed my foo
and they then drew me up. They gave
me refreshments and put me to bed
Capt. Mckay says when left the ice al
night it was fully fifteen miles from
shore and / think he is about right, be
cause the swim in would take the time
used. l have swan greater distance.
but that was the first time | ever wa:
loSt:and the battle with the ice and colo
was more thrilling episode than care
to eXperience again."