The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-03

The Daring Swimmer Bent on bIoW"s W
an Ironclad.

an IToBciad.
II Will not surprise any one VINO - ac-
quainted with Paul Boyton to learn tnat
the young American who Is trying 80
hard to blow up the insurgent warships
In the harbor OF Rio Janeiro II the wen
known aquatic fcrobat. whose nome - al
ternately In this city and New ioih'
Boyton is known to be in South Ahheri-
ca, and he is just the sort OF person 10
hide dynamite under the iron sue Oh
man-of war IL given half chance
During the forty-four years OF his ac-
tive life he has developed an ambition TO
illustrate his prowess in this peculiar
line, and It IL understood that he went
to South America with the thought that
the unending revolutions there would
give him the biggest field.
When last heprd OF he announced that
IL was his intention 10 return TO the
United States, but his appearance
here leads every one 10 accept as true Inc
report which reached here Friday OF his
capture by British man-of-war in Bra
lillian waters.
He was born and brought UP on the
water. and he has followed 1t as a
means Of livelihood ever since he became
Of age. He has been all over the world
giving his unique aquatic exhibitions,
and he has a way of turning up at I'M
expected moments whenever there Is
sensation I'm any part OF the two hemis-
pheres. He is an American by birth and
twenty-five years ago lived In Cape May
at a time when that was one or the
greatest seashOre resorts In the united
States. He kept shellstore on Washing
ton sh Get. and acted for some years win
a life-saWng crew. His love for the wa
ter kept him in the surf most OF the time;
and It was while at Cape May that ne IN
vented the rubber bathing suit which old
more than anything else to make his
name famous.
This suit was an ugiy-looking apparat-
us, inflated about the neck and waist Win
air and arranged so as TO float its occu-
pant on his back while in the water.
BY means OF this eontrivance Boyton
saved many lives at Cape May, and his
fame spread rapidly Then, one day In
the summer of 1863 his shell store was
buried TO the ground. and ne moved 10
Philadelphia. Through the reputation ne
had gained by his aquatic feats, he secur-
ed sufficient backing TO place his suit on
the market. and, in order 20 advertise II,
he Travelled a good deal, and gave eXhi-
billions in all parts Of the world. one
of the first OF these was given near Giou-
eester, and attracted q tremendous crowd
From that time his road 10 success was
a short one. In England and Spain he
gave exhibitions, which attracted wide
attention, and one time he tourned 5O
miles up the Para river in Brazil, fight
ing sharks the whole distance. He shot
rapids in his rubber suit, which some men
feared TO approach in boats, and he was
feted by royalty moro than once.
Ten years ago he began demonstrating
that his invention could be used profita-
bly, IN time OF war as well as peace
and he added to his exhibitions the TEA,
Of placing torpedoes secretly under ves-
sells with a view Of destroying them.
In every large city in the world he blew
up old hulks 10 give practical test or
his plan but, so far as known, no govern
ment ever adopted II.
In 1851 Boyton doated In his rubber SUIT
out in the har.bOr of New York and placed
a wooden model OF a dynamite bomb I'M
der an English man-of-war which was an
chored there The people aboard were IN
the lookout for him, but he carried cur
his bold proposition with the greatest sue
cess. and could easily have sent the IRON
clad to the bottom had he desired. The
feat gave him a great deal Of notoriety.
and he numbers 1t among the proudest OF
his achievements.-Phil Times.