New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-20
PRICE THREE CENTS
SWAN NUDE IN ICY WATER
A LONG ISLANDER CROSSED sETAUKET
LAKE ON A WAGER
THE THERMOMETER REGISTERED IS DEGREES
ABOVE ZERO BUT THE NIGHT SWIM IN THE
FREEZING WEATHER WAS Sue
CEssFULLY MADE-No ILL., In

EFFECTS EXPERIENCED.
A strange wager was quietly made and won
last Sunday night in Setauket, Long Island, with
a view Of testing human endurance In cold water.
William Sckles, wel-known young man Of tho
village, declared that he could swim across Sc
tauket Lake. a quarter Of a mile, without .
stitch of clothing on him and with the thermom-
eter considerably below the freezing point. Three
well-known Setauleet men, DE-. Bates Ellis H.
Davis and James Fallon, declared that no human
being could go through the ordeal without per.
manent injury
The wager was brought abou. by the four men
discussing the death Of a horse that happened to
fall into freezing water and died simply from the
effects Of the exposure soon afterward. Mr..
Sickes listened to the discussion and finally de-
clared that man could endure cold In any form
better than a horse. His opinion was opposed
Then he announced his willingness to swim
naked across Setauket Lake that night. Tho
three men declared that he could not do It. but
Slckes insisted that he could and offered to put
up money on 1t. The wager was promptly ac-
cepted.
That night the four men repaired to Davis's
Hotel, which Is on the edge OF the lake. The at
tempt was to be made at o'clock in the evening
and the thermometer at that hour indicated
fourteen degrees below freezing point Sickles
doctor and Davis and Falon. down to the
lake shore and plunged into the icy waters
He struck out boldly for the goal on the other
side, Captain Hudsons MILL but the three men
who accompanied him did not believe that he
could get across, and, supposing that he would
return. stood on the shore in readiness to launch
q boat If ne showed signs Of distress
But Sckles kept right on swimming a clean
overland stroke. He soon reached the middle Of
the lake and in few minutes, was on the last
half and nearing the goal. The three men then
FASTENED TO the other side Of the lake to await his
arrival. the doctor taking restoratives with him
and Davis having several blankets. With the
same vigorous stroke with which he started,
Sickles neared the goal in few minutes. He was
assisted out Of the water rolled In blanket and
started on run to regain the hotel kitchen where
a roaring fire awaiting him.
In a few minutes he was dressed again and de-
clared that aside from the natural exhaustion Of
such rapid swim. ne felt none the worse for the
experiment. AS he manifested no Indications of
a cold since Sunday night or any deleterious re-
suits OF the exposure. Sickles has claimed the
money and received II.
When seen by Tribune reporter, Mr.. Sckles
said: Il have always maintained that man
can stand more cold than horse | have been
some years at sea and have been exposed to
fearfully cold auher or course. there is some
difference in SWIMMING in salt and fresh water.
but | always have insisted that a man could
endure exposure to cold better than horse or
most any other animal have frequently jumped
overheard while at sea in winter and taken q
short swim and thought little OF il. The fresh
water In Setauket Lake OF course was cher
| than I expected and not buoyant as the salt
water but that is only additional evidence OF the
| endurance Of the human body
THE thermometer at the time I went into tho
water was eighteen degrees above zero and was
rapidly growing colder Ice had formed along
the borders Of the lake, so l had to walk out on
the Ice some distance before could get into tho
water. Several times before In my life have
been exposed TO the water when the thermometer
was below freezing point. Once l fell from o
schooner off Bay Ridge and 1t was two hours be-
fore could get ashore. On another occasion
fell overheard off the Jersey coast and was three
hours In ice cold water"