The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-07
VICTORY WON AFTER
 TERRIBLE STRUGGLE
Although Many Attempts Have Been Made Channel Has Not Been Crossed by Swimmer Since
 Webb's Feat 36 Years Ago

teenth attempt, he naVlng llfSt eSSdyeu the task In 1904.
 Burgess started from South Forelaad, Dover, at u:15 o'clock Tuesday morning. He landed at Lechatelet, a little village two miles east of Cape Gris Neg at 9.50 o'clock this morning, accomplishing the distance in p hours and s5 minutes. A motorboat accompanied the swimmer. and lit is estimated that Burgess, owing to the zigzag course he was compelled to ltake because of the baffllng tides, covered sixty miles.
 Soon after the start dense fog settled down over the channel and no further ltidings of his progress were received un- Itil the announcement was made that he had landed on the French side. Throughout the trip Burgess was ia vored by calm sea, but strong tide was running and a severe strain was put on the swimmer to get past the Goodwin sands. Twice he was attacked by sick ness and several times was only held to his task by the strongest will power and the encouraging words of the men in the boat. He remained on the French soil
  his success to his wife and partake of refreshments in bathing box. Then he returned by motorboat to rest and sleep When he landed at Deal this evening Burgess received tremendous ovation, and with difficulty made his way through the cheering throng GO a hotel. Speaking of his great achievement he said: iAd should have been able to cross the chan Incl twice. but for the adverse currents. Against these I had a terrific fight and again came within an ace of failing. When approaching Cape Gris Nez. the strong outward set current forced me to- alter my course three times. I was re- tarded for some time, but when I had and then knew that I was assured of success
 Slack of the Tide
 Tt was just in the slack of the tide that I got in. If I had not managed 1t
 then might have missed it and drifted to Calais. It took three full tides and two part tides to bring me over. 'I was severely stung several times by jelly fish and while in mid-cbannel after sick spell l felt heart broken. For a while l was almost delrous, but my pilots began to sing and this gave me fresh courage to persevere'
 It was 1 o'clock in the morning when the swimmer reached Gris Neg semaphore. He was then two miles to the west-south- west In these two miles 1t was a bat tie with the currents, but when Burgess l got within the shelter of the cape he swan easily ashore He stumbled for l two or three steps. then walked steadily without assistance. He looked remark
 ably fresh considering his long immer- sion a.e..
 l Burgess has been trying for years to emulate the feat of Captain Webb in | lS7o and several times he got within a
 mile of the goal only to be swept away | by the receding tide.
 l Burgess made his first try for the hon
 or on September 6. 1904, but gave up after
 struggle of about 15 hours. The next I day he started again, but after covering l 22 miles in about hours was compelled | to abandon his attempt because of a gale In his successive trials Burgess | each time was forced to abandon the at tempted when the goal was almost with l in his grasp.
 1 The channel between Dover and Cape 1 | tide through the straits is very strong and swimmers are obliged to cross at a wide angle. | The Keeper of the lighthouse first | caught sight of two boats approach | ing the shore. a motorboat and a pilot boat. He then made out a figure in the | water struggling against the cross cur
 rents and finally saw Burgess, with a 1 last great effort, reach the beach al 1 Le Chattelet. Fathers also caught sight of the l'swimmer and word was passed that il
 was Burgess finishing his long swim. A
 crowd soon assembled and many per sons plunged in and escorted the plucky l swimmer ashore. encouraging him with
 cheers. When Burgess .regained his
 feet he was seized, raised shoulder high, and carried to bathhouse to the
 strains of the Marseilles, sung wildly by l the excited crowd.
 | After rub down and the adminis- 1 tration of stimulants, Burgess did not appear much the worse for his feat | For the greater part of the Journey the sea was exceptionally calm, which l enabled Burgess to swim easily and
 husband his strength, but in the last l two miles, the most trying of all, the
 violent cross current swept him time l and again out of his course.
 We'll Dressed
 For the trip across the Channel Bur Igess was well dressed. He wore pair
 of goggles and a rubber bathing suit l A party of II accompanied him in the lmotorboat. Soon after the start the wind freshened and the swimmer had a
 pad experience in a lumpy sea- The l water penetrated his goggles and first
 affected the right eye. though finally
 both eyes became badly infamed Al together, said Burgess. he never before
 suffered so much on small water. The i, swimmer ate some sweet chocolate l which made him sick and he consulted l with the pilot as to the advisability o1 his continuing. Being informed thA, the conditions were more promising he decided to go on, although feeling in bad condition. The end of the flood tide on which
 he started found the swimmer three miles north of the sound sands head light ships. The ebb tide was tre-
 mendousy strong, but the weather
 rapidly improved. Burgess spirits re- lvived, and after seven hours he was