The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-27
CAPTAIN BOYTON AGAIN.
Fifteen Hours in Lake Michigan
Ice.

Captain Paul Boyton, the noted
swimmer, had an experience in Lake
Michigan, Tuesday, that ne thinks he
will not forget for some time, says the
Chicago Times. The captain had grown
heavy during the winter, and to reduce
his flesh, had recently been taking lit lie
pulls out into the lake IN bis 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 his life, IL
! which he battled or hours with great
Ice foe, was carried many miles out
into the lake, stripped of his navigat-
ing instruments, and lost for fifteen
hours in the cold, bleak waste of drift
ing ice, hanging clouds and struggling
ducks and gulls. From o'clock in the
morning, until midnight, the captain
was without food, and the chill of the
icy waters had driven him to the des-
perate resort of hard work all that time
to keep up vigorous circulation, so
that he would not chill and perish in
the lake. at midnight, when he was
rescued at the crib, MS vitality was al
most gone. Stimulants were applied,
and the daring navigator was put to
bed. A telephone message Was sent to |
the police that the captain was saved |
and by them taken to his little family
wife an son, who were distracted by |
his long absence, and supposed he had |
persisted.
Captain Boyton was in bed when |
reporter called at his home last even |
ing. He was exhausted. the reaction |
from his desperate excitem ent of the |
day before having made him weak and |
sick.
when 1 entered the water at II
O'clock" the captain said, "there was q !
fresh west wind. l swan about two
miles, intending to clear the crio tor q
trip to South Chicago. Just about the
limit of my Iun east, l began to meat
ice. l pushed through II for time. and
then ran across some foes, onto which
l climbed. Meanwhile heavy sky had |
shut out all view of the sun, and the
wind had got the ice together. strug
gled quite a while in what thought was
the western border of the field, and |
then ran into what l thought YVES 8
pocket. pulled through it, and came
again to struggling foes. must have
fought them until 10 O'Clock before |
missed my compass. When loked to
get my BEARINGS, having noticed thai
the city had faded from view, l founo
that the band which bound the com
pass to my body had either been sew
cred by a piece OF ice or had become
unbukcled. 1t was gone. The sun was
hidden and there was nothing uy which
| could get my bearings. The wafer
was cold, and / bad been in it so long |
began to get drowsy. Chills ran through
my veins in quick succession, and I saw
l must either pull out for somewhere
or perish. looked about and saw the
field of ice was at nv teet-L swim feet
foremost-and then concluded | hsC
only to pull from the ice to reach
Chicago. So started, and vigorously.
too. For five hours worked as 1 never
did before. The water was heavy and |
lifeless. had to fight for every inch l |
made. Chicago was still nowhere to be
seen, and | had no notion of the time |
of day. Then l changed nay course |
about halfway round. and pullei hard |
for awhile. The ice gathered about me
again, and when night came, was
fighting again for my life. Sometimes |
could dodge the drift, at others, |
climbed on the cakes and crossed toen. |
When the moon rose, got fash OF |
view of it, and then saw my mistake
[ had crossed the field in the morning
when l entered what thought was
pocket, and all the long pull of the day
with the ice at my feet, had driven nat
towards Michigan. The turn ] had
taken had sent me south. | set about
and pushed from the moon. At II
o'clock. saw q faint light in the sky
and an hour later. perceived it was The
furnaces at South Chicago. Then l got
my bearings, and sighted the lights al
the crib. pulled up there at midnight
and blew my bugle. l must have called
d half-dozsn times before al answe,
came. Then Captain Mackay answered
my signal and | shouted, Crib ahoy !
"Aye, who's the:e?'' the captain an
swered.
~ must stav here to- night
"Pull round tC the port
when got there, they dropped bi
of rope into which fixed my foot
and then they drew me up. They CAV,
me refreshments, put me to bed and tele
phOned my vile that | was safe. Cap
tain Mackay says when | left the ice a.
night, it was fully fifteen miles from
shore, and think he is about right. be
cause the swim ming would take abou
the time used. l have swan create
distances, but that was the first time !
ever was lost, and the battle with the
ice and cold was a more thrilling ep'
sode than care to experience again