The sun., 1904-08-29
GIRLS BEAT MEN SWIMMERS.
TWO OF THEN STICK 1T OUT
FROM THE BRIDGE TO CONEY.
One tainted and tho Other Became Hysteri.
cal When Near the Finish. which
One.Legged Man Was the Only One
OF the Thirty.four starters to Reach.


Thirty-two members Of the United States
Volunteer Life Saving Corps stationed at
Bay Ridge assembled yesterday morning
on Jewell's wharf, under the Bridge on the
Brooklyn side, preparatory to an endur-
ance swim scheduled to terminate at the
foot OF West Twenty-fifth street, Coney
Island
Just before the start two young girls
arrived on the dock and announced their
intention Of participating in the race. They
were Eleanor Webber. 18 years DID, OF East
Twenty street, Flatbush, and Florence
West. II years old, OF Ninety-second street
and Fort Hamilton avenue, Bay Ridge.
Both girls have won many medals In swim
ming contests.
The men tried to persuade the two girls
to forego the attempt.
We're going along, and that's all there
is to it," stated Miss Weber, emphatically.
One Of the thirty-two, who wore the fanci-
est trunks in the lot, turned to the young
women, and in his sweetest tones said:
Now, girls, you must not attempt any
such test of your strength as will be re-
quired in this race. Why, by the time we
| reach Bay Ridge you girls will be 30 tagged
out that the men following will be forced
to drag you into boat"
-Tut. tut. little boy" remarked Miss West.
BY the time we reach Bay Ridge I'll be a
mile ahead Of you. Furthermore, l don't
think you will last as far as Bay Ridge.
The men finally saw that the girls were
going so all hands leaped off the dock at
7 minutes after II o'clock. 1mmedi-
ately dozen Of the male swimmers tool;
the lead. The girls stuck to the slow English
side stroke. Trailing the swimmers was n
big launch carrying the three judges and
many reporters.
When the west shore of Governors Island
was reached, half of the male contingent
decided that they had had swim enough
| and begged to be taken into boats, many
of which were following in tho wake of Tie
judges launch Between this point and
the Crescent Athletic Clubs boat house,
at Bay Ridge, five more swimmers gave up
| the fight and willingly allowed friends to
haul them into boats.
at the Engineers dock, off Fort Hamilton,
it was seen that the two girls were fast
gaining and that many Of the remaining
male contestants were firing. In the
stretch to Norton's Point, six men began to
act queerly and had started to swim back
toward Manhattan when friends in the
trailing boats went to their assistance.
One Of the first to be lifted from the water
was the young man with the gay swimming
trousers. who had tried to impress the girls
with the fact that they would never reach
Bay Ridge. He was suffering from the hal
lucination that the ocean was leaking and
leaving him no room to swim.
After Norton's Point was turned only five
swimmers remained, and leading them
were the two girls. When the five were
pointed straight along the Coney Island
shore, Arthur Dietz OF los West l25th street
got an idea that the Statue Of Liberty was
clinging to his neck. He was hauled into
the judges boat. Dietz was found to be in
such serious condition that the launch
summoned from the Emergency Hospital,
Coney Island. Dietz was still very sick
man at late hour last night.
Meanwhile the girls had gained quite
lead over the other two. When the
judges boat scudded out from the shore one
of the four, Arthur Dretley OF 700 East l38th
street was exhausted and he was lifted into
the launch The Misses Webber and West
appeared to be winning easily when of
Thirty-sixth street. Coney Island, just
eleVen DlCCkS ITCItl llIiSll, Wuou hlSS
Webber threw up her arms and tainted.
She was taken into the judges launch.
Shortly after. the little West girl became
hysterical and also was taken out OF the
water.
This left the race at the mercy of Charles
Siegfried of Bay Ridge. He is one
legged man. Miss West. when she came
to- declared that this fact was in Sieg
fried's favor. as he had less resistance to
contend with. Siegfried took things easy
and reached the terminal dock in fairly
good shape. He received a gold medal
and blue championship ribbon for his
trouble.
Both young men were noisly applauded
when they We're taken ashore. Miss West
blames her female companion for the fact
that she did not finish.
IF Eleanor had stuck it out I'm sure
that would have won" she said. When
saw her faint lost my nerve and to save
my life I couldn't lift an arm. This has
been an experience and you must watch
me the next time this race is pulled of
1t took Siegfried 5 hours and As minutes
to make the distance.