The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-23
The Aquatic Champion
Dies in His FaVOrite
Element.
Drowned While Giving an
Exhibition in Stockton
Baths.
Essays to Remain Under for Three
Minutes and is Brought
Up Corpse.

STOCKTON, CAL, May 22-Charles
CavilI, the world-f famous English swim
mer. was drowned tonight at Jackson
of 400 people, while giving an exhibition.
He was slated TO stay under the water for
three minutes, and tomorrow. when it
was anticipated that the crowd would be
lar-er, he was 10 have tried to break his
own record of five minutes and five Sec
onds under water.
After giving several exhibitions of fancy
and fast swim ming il was announced that
Cavill would go under the water and re-
main there for three minutes. Every man
in the crowd who had a watch drew it out,
! and when the word was given and the
swim mer went down in the deepest part
of the baths every man began counting off
the minutes
Hardly person in the throng spoke as
one minute clap ed and the ripple made
by the great swimmer smoothed over and
the immense pond was smooth as glass.
The manager for the swimmers who are
here called out the half minutes and min
utes.
One minute. then two. then three, and
breaths, as they supposed the swim mer
! beneath the water was doing. Four min
| utes passed, and some one ventured the
remark that Cavill intended to break his
record tonight instead of tomorrow.
When i've minutes had sped by and the
GREATNESS throng was watching every rip
pie, the manager called out the time in a
loud voice and whistled as though to sig
nal Cavill to come up
The crowd began to believe the whole
exhibition fake and to treat it as joke.
Ii the Englishman had come up then tney
would never have believed that he had
been under the water all that time.
seven and half minutes elapsed and
the manager frantically sent for Kahn,
one OF the exhibition swimmers, and told
| him to dive for Cavill. The crowd
thought this part OF the fake and laughed
as Kahn went down repeatedly. Even
his fellow-swimmers, who were giving ex-
hibtions here, were not certain but that
he was playing a joke on them.
Nine and half minutes had elapsed
when Kahn dived for the last time, and
this time he brought up the body OF Cavlll.
The swimmers at once saw that the
Eng1shman was drowned, but the crowd
thought at first that their efforts to revive
him were part of the fake, and said so. 1t
was soon evident that such was not the
case, and dozens of willing hands began
the attempt to bring the swimmer TO life.
work as they would they could not put
lie into him. Dr.. Manly and DR.. Hinkle
were summoned. For an hour and a
quarter they worked over Cavill. assisted
by the spectators. Every known remedy
was applied. An electric battery was
brought into requisition. and nothing was
lett undone that might be done TO bring
the man TO lie. During that hour and a
| quarter the crowd stood about the room
| In which the physicians we're laborinR
over the drowned man. One woman
| tainted, and others had to leave the scene.
| A curious incident in connection with
the drowning is the fact that just before
CavlIl went Gown he was asked by spec.
tator TO write something On slate under
meath the water. He asked what to VIZ lite
ana was told to write the day of the wee k.
| When ne came up after doing this he
! tossed theslate on the ST de of the ba tn 8
and said:
| ~ 'turday; is that all ri,ht?"
Ihe word was written in chalk and the
slate Yves SO wet that it could not be read.
Alter he was brought to the surface in a
drowned condition Frank Buffers picked
up the slate, which was then dry, and read
| on 1t the words II dic." Tnis is the con !.