Evening star., 1901-08-26
HOLBEIN HAD TO GIVE UP.
But He Had Almost Swum Across the
English Channel.

But He Had Almost Swum Across the
English Channel.
A dispatch from Dover, England last night
says: Mr.. Holbein. who Saturday. the an
niversary OF Capt. Webb's swim from
Dover to Calais. started from Cape Girls
Nez (between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais)
In ansattempt to swim to Dover, narrowly
escaped drowning. He covered the course
to a point within six miles of Dover and
then collapsed, after having been in the
water twelve hours and forty-six minutes.
The tug which accompanied him took him
from the water and brought him to Dover
this morning He was carried to a hotel In
q semi-conscious, precarious state, and SUD-
seuuently, on the advice of his medical at
tendants. was removed to hospltal, Wnere
he lay for some time in a serious condition.
1t was found that his eyesight had been
badly affected by the salt water.
Tonight however, he had recovered, and
he announced his intention to renew the at
tempt. His exploit was very remarkable,
considering the roughness of the sea. 1t
has established record
He wore a white cap that covered his
head and partially protected his face, and
also a mask from brow to nose in order to
protect his eyes. He found 1t impossible to
| take solid food without swallowing sea wa
ter, and he therefore subsisted mainly on
raw eggs, as he was able to suck these
while lying on his back. He also took hot
milk from a feeding bottle. The sea was
heavy and there was nasty swell. HIS
attendants became seasick. He swan with
a powerful stroke, alternately ~on his back
and on his breast, making good pace.
The first six miles from Cape Griz-Nez
were covered in two hours and twenty-five
minutes. At sundown he found great diff
| Guilty in keeping a straight course. Much
of the time he swan with his eyes closed,
owing to the irritating effects of the salt
water.
Instructions to Holbein were shouted
| through a megaphone, and powerful acety-
| lene lamps were lit to guide him. In the
| middle of the channel the wind was fresh
and the water very rough. At the end of
the sixth hour he was swimming WELL but
| he began to complain Of an injury to his
| left hip, sustained on the rocks at Cape
| Griz-Nez, but not mentioned before. AT
| this time he was about six miles off the
| British coast, and Capt. Lambert was of
| the opinion that he might make Dover on
| the next tide. He continued to swim well,
| mainly on his back
After IL o'clock he was once lost for five
| minutes, a big wave having swept over
| him. He kept going steadily, but during
| the tenth and eleventh hours westerly
| and it was evident that the heavy seas
were having q bad effect During the
| twelfth hour his stroke weakened consider
ably. He was swimming with breast low
| in the water and head much down. He was
making almost no progress, and now
| seemed unable to grasp the directions given
| him. Twice he turned completely round.
| making for the French shore.
At APO am. Council was held on the
| tug, and 1T was decided to take him out of
the water He was turning like top and
| hopelessly blind. If he had been left longer
he must have gone down. Allowing for his
! zig-zag course, it is estimated that he swan
| twenty-six miles. When he was taken from
| the water Dover was about five miles
| north-no stheast. His next attempt he
promises . make next year.