New-York tribune., 1911-09-10

why, she looks Ike a baoy,'. exclaimed
sone one who saw the much-talked-o of
BROOKLYN swimmer. Miss Adeline Trapp,
for the first time the other day
she certainly doesn't look Ike what she
is-the champion non-professional woman
swimmer Of the world. and the first woman
who ever had the courage 70 breast the
currents o, Hell Gate. She doesn't look al
all IKE a school teacher-which she IS;
ANYBODY would take her for one OF her own
pupils Her small features. her bare i've
feet OF height, and her slender though
rounded form make her seem considerably
less than the twenty-one years she owns
But this baby has achieved what few
champion men swimmers have achieved
she has come out Of the water after each
OF her long public swiIns. Of which she has
made four. feeling. 10 use her own words.
that I needn't stop; that 7 could 20 on
swimming further"
William Burgess, who swan across the
English Channel last Wednesday, left the
water exhausted and almost delirious. To
be sure he was in the water twenty-five
hours and swan sixty miles. and Miss
when she went from North Beach through
Hell Gate and down the East River 70 the
Batterv. then 10 Governors Island. from
there 70 Bedlow's Island. and from there 70
Staten Island kept her in the water but
FIVE hours. while the distance was not
much over third Of what Burgess accom-
plished. But. II the general condition at
the end % the feat counts. and this is be-
ginning 10 be considered in athletics, then
Miss Trapp scores.
She SAYS she can't remember the time
when she didn't swim but she has been
told that her irst experience was when
she was about six years old and her
father put a life belt on her, with rope
attached. and dropped her overheard from
his launch. She has also been told that
she was ar hrst afraid OF the water,
screamed az sight OF II and had 10 be
cosxed 10 approach II. Yet az nineteen
years OF age she was brave enough 20
plunge into the waters OF Hell Gate and
swim from seth street 70 Clason Point.
That was on September 3. 1909. her first
public swim, and Of the forty-seven men
and one woman who undertook the swim
with her nineteen men and the woman
gave Up and couldn't finish Miss Trapp
swan eleven miles on that occasion; the
distance 10 be covered was nine miles but
currents took her out OF her way. She was
in the water Just one minute over two
hours and a half
Her second long swim was down the East
River and 10 Coney Island. distance Of
seventeen miles and she made II IN five
hours and a half That was on September
IS. 1910 Almost a year later, on July g.
1911. she swan the eighteen miles from
yonkers 20 23d street in seven hours and
seven minutes
one OF the hardest swiTns I ever had. -
she saws. "on account OF the tides OF the
Hudson But ! don't believe I mind the
Hudson tides as : DO the ilth OF the East
River. Ugh, ! felt last Sunday. when I
was ploughing through that filth, as If I'd
never be able 70 wash It of But when I
got down beyond the Battery forgot all
that There IL was glorious"
Just why do YOU undertake these long
swims? They mean some sacrifice on your
part don't they? You have 10 90 into
training. give up things and all that?'
Yes and that's one reason why under
take them-I learn so much about myself
while I am training said the little swim
ner. 7 learn that eight hours sleep out
OF the twenty-four are necessary for
health I learn much about exercise. and
food, and 7 learn how much better II is 20
do without tea and coffee. Tea and coffee
7 never drink, whether I'm training for a
swim or not
'Its mostly FOR the sport Of II that
take these swims. however. I love the