The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1899-01-21
A REMARKABLE FEAT.
Performed by the Champion Swim
mer OF Australia
He swims Across the Golden Gate 1t
Sam Francisco In Ono Hour and
Fifteen Minutes Against
the Tide.

The most important feat in swim
ming in the history of the coast was ac-
complished recently by Charles Cavill,
the champion swimmer OF Austraha.
Cavill managed to breast tides and cur
rents between Fort Point and the Mar
in county shore and swan across the
Golden Gate. It was $50 o'clock when
Cavill left Devils Point, and just l
hour and Is minutes later he touche0
the rocks about 200 yards seaward
from Fort Winfield Scott, having COW
cred distance, as the crow flies, OF
over IA miles.
The Australians performance drewa
big crowd. The shore about Fort Point
was lined with people and the waters IN
the gate were crowded with small craft
of every description. The ferryboat
Sausalito had place in the stream
with almost thousand people aboard
From swimmers standpoint the day
was an ideal one. The water was as
smooth as could be desired, it's surface
only rippled by the curling edges OF the
long swells that came from the ocean.
There was slight wind blowing. but it
was not strong enough to kick up any
disturbance.
CaviH left the Sausalito when the boat
arrived in midstream off Lime Point.
He had as companions Adolph Kahn,
the high diver Of the California Swim
ming club, and Prof. Kllick,- of the
Sutro baths life saving crew. The tide
was at standstill, and the three men
chose as starting point for the swim
mer bunch of rocks about 100 yards
north of DEVILS Point and a mile north
of Lime Point. A selected crew from
the Dolphin Boat club acted as escort
in whitehall boat.
Cavilrwere the regulation tights. He
dipped into the water easily and natur-
ally, and started for the San Francisco
shore with energy, Killick and Kahn
and the Dolphin crew accompanying
him in boats. The swimmer led OF with
long, easy, rightside stroke, and for
the first few hundred yards of the
course the way was easy and his pace
was rapid. About a quarter OF a mile
from shore the Australian encountered
what he says was the swiftest current
he ever met. -@
The tide had turned since he left the
ferry, and was now pouring through the
channel with the speed of mill race.
The ripples 1oared like miniature sea
and threatened to engulf the boats.
Cavill struck into it bravely, and at
tempted to stay it's progress by turn
ing his face toward Sausalito and SWIM
ming north The rowers in the boat
attempted similar tactics, but the rush
of waters toward the ocean carried
everything with it. Seeing that it was
useless to attempt to Withstand the
force of the tide Cavill drifted with it.
He was carried ont almost to the Heads
before he encountered the counter
currents on the Presidio shore. The
eddy opposite Point Lobos caught him
in it's grip and whirled him back again
toward the bay. From this time on
Cavill's work was comparatively easy.
He swan leisurely and easily toward
the fort, followed by half hundred
boats and tugs. A half mile from the
landing point he picked up an old felt
hat that was floating in the water and
put it on his head, much to the amuse-
ment of the spectators.
As he neared the shore Cavill in
creased his speed. The Dolphin crew
and a boat from the 1ife-saving service
! cleared the way. There was long
| slow swell smashing against the rocks,
and on top of one of these breakers
| Cavill landed easily. There was grea'
! crowd awaiting his arrival, and as the
| swimmer walked up the beach he was
given an ovation by everything and
everybody, from the small boy on the
fort parapets to the big whistle OF thl
steamer Sausalito. Cayill returned te
the water almostimmediately and swan
to the Dolphin clubs boat, from which
he was transferred to the Sausalito.
Cavilrs performance adds q new
notch to the swimming record OF the
coast The time spent in covering tht
distance is remarkably short. consid
ering contrary tides and currents ant
the fact that he was carried almost 6
mile out of his course. Throughout h
SWAN on his right side, using q sid'
/ stroke. sr
At the finish he wo1 almost as fresf
as when he started. The water wa
cold, and when he touched shore afte1
his long swim his right arm and lei
were benumbed TO the point OF use
lessness.
The swimmers physical dimension
are: Height, feet 10 inches; weight, le
pounds; chest measurement, 43 inches
with the phenomenal expansion o
9A inches. He is the son OF Prof. Fres
Cavill, of England, who SWAN acros
the English channel in II hours, max
ing q worlds record.-San Francisc'
| Ch1AnniclA. go -.