Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-07-10
Il Naz1VE EEA9T

IN It'll a v ~
Ez@s, ACK of Duke Kahanamoku. the
q - fastest short distance swimmer
~ in the world and one of the
- ten men who will represent the
United States in the world
swimming contests in the Olympic
games at Stockholm. is long ances-
try of semi-amphibious humans. From
the day he was born till the hour he
dies the Hawaiian is never wholly out
of sound of the sea. From the time
he can walk. and sometimes before. he
begins to dabble in the ocean. Duke
Kahanamoku may win honors in speed
at the Olympic games, but he cannot
begin to touch in these games the
long distance records made by some of
his countrymen and countrywomen.
Here is a typical instance:
Not long ago a Sunday school pic
mic party started out from the Island
of Molokal for days junket down the
coast. In the crowd were old women
and young ones. There were dozen
or SO children not more than three
years old. and score Of half grown
bogs and girls.
Acout two miles off shore a sudden
gust upset the schooner and left the
Sunday school party in the water. II
that had been an English or an Amer
lean Sunday school picnic party, pos
sibly one or two might have reached
the shore, but all these people were
Hawaiians Men, women, boys. girls
and babies-they padded gayly back
to land. Except for the loss OF their
luncheon their days outing had not
been spoiled. 1t had merely been
shortened.
Some of the stories of their big
swims sound like fiction, but they are
not Here are two of them:
At half-past eight on Monday
evening in February year ago. I'M
der a clear star-lit sky, the little
schooner Moi Wahine was rammed
amidships by the steel prov of the
lighthouse tender Kukui. and the lat
ter put into port, believing that every
man on board the Moi Wahine had
been lost.
Not Afraid of Sharks.
Seven of the eight men who made
up the crew have never been seen
since They were Corean sailors. The
eighth. who was captain and owner
of the little craft, old Capt. Sam Manu-,
n years old, was Hawaiian. He
alone escaped. and this is the way he
tells his story:
Il don't know how long I swan
and f1oated about the spot where the
bones of my, ship went down. My
sailors either were drowned at once
or drifted away from me. And then
the stern lights of the steamer dis
appeared, and | was alone there in
the darkness, swimming for my life.
and miles away from land.
In my younger days would have
thought little of swimming across the
few miles that separated me from dry
land, but when a man gets to be over
20 an all night swim is a little more
than he cares to make. But it wasn't
what wanted to do; II was what |
had to do. so ! struck out AS / float
ed, working of my clothes so could
swim easier. something bumped into
my side.
Il had never been afraid of sharks.
have swan and dived and played
with sharks, like other Hawaiians, but
when l felt that thing bump into me
think my heart stopped beating.
didn't mind being drowned not so
much, because my boat was gone. and
was old, but | didn't want my old
body torn to pieces to make kaukau
food for sharks.
But it wasn't a shark thai hit me.
II was just a good friendly piece of
board, as | found out when / hit out
against 1t, determined to make a fight
for my life. l ought to have known a
shark wouldn't come smelling me that
way. | stuck the board under my arm
ard floated around a bit more till
found another-a two by four piece
about four feet long The two boards
were about of a size and / crossed
them into an X. put my arms over
them and struck out with my legs.
"Molokai was about Is miles away.
Lanai, the next nearest island. was a
little further, but the wind was off
shore from Molokai. and decided to
make Lanai my port. The wind and
current helped me and the stars wheel
ing their way across the sky told me
my course and measured off the hours
for me.
Lots of Time to Think.
When the gray morning came Il
found me strong. feeling well and rid
Of all nervousness and excitement BY
treading water when the waves lifted
me up. ] could gee the hills of Lanai
red in the rising sun That was some
tfIng to encourage me and / got back
10 my swimming.
IAN that morning swan. and bad
lots Of time to think Once had
addressed lot of haole sailors as we
Il swan around a wrecked boat of
Kalihi I remembered how much Of
job 1t was to unite wet shoe strings.
think l went over all my wrecks as
kicked along and watched Lanai
rising higher and higher out Of
The water.
1T was about noon when dragged
myself up the rocks al Kaena Point
had been in the water since haif-psst
eight O'Clock the night before. and /
an n years old"