New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-24
SIX WOMEN FINISH IN
HARD F|VE-M|LE SWIM
Mrs. Lillian Howard Wins
Championship of National
LifeSaving League.
MISS EDNA COLE SECOND
Time Is Close to Record, in
Spite of Battle Against
Adverse Tide, Due
to Late Start.

Mrs Lillian Howard. the fast long
distance swimmer. captured the tive-miie
championship OF the National Women's
Lifesaving League I'm the second re-
newal OF the fixture yesterday. The
victor gave rare exhibition OF speed
and endurance. winning by the wide
margin OF seventy-hye yards in the fast
time OF hour 30 minutes % seconds.
Miss Edna Cole. a younger competitor,
gave Mrs. Howard quite a scare in
the last two miles. by picking UP
much ground. but was unable 10 overtake
the leader. Her time was I hour 80
minutes 30 seconds. Miss Mathilda Bar
thildes, who also swan a credtable race.
finished. a good third. some sixty yards
behind. in hour IS minutes seconds.
Three or the other nine starters also
were able to finish the distance. They
were Miss Martha Hagstedt. who was
fourth in 1885; Miss Elsie Nesel who
was nth in 1920. and Mrs. +. ]. Fisher.
who was sixth In 1850.
Miss Aunabelle McColry brought up tho
rear but quit ono hundred yards from
the finishing point. The Misses Mamie
Waldls and II. c. Dreyer who also
started. were pulled aboard their row.
boats. The swimmers took TO the water
at Point Breeze and finished the swim
of the Brighton Beach baths.
The swimming league had fourteen
members scheduled 70 start. but owing
to Illness and other reasons only nine
competed. The event lost considerable
interest when Mrs. Clara Bouton. twice
a victor. Adeline Trap. the noted long
distance swimmer. and Miss Elsie Sutton.
among others. were unable 70 start. The
record Of l hour % minutes is held by
Miss Elaine Golding, who did not COM
pete.
The entrants were sent away almost
two hours after the scheduled time, and
rs result had to battle against the
tide In the last three-quarters of mile
instead Of having the advantage OF the
ebb water throughout. The water was
Of high temperature but strong head
on east wind chuned IL UP and made II
rather rough
The tide caught tho squad soon after
the start. and within a quarter of mile
three hundred yards separated the first
and last swimmers. As the Rockaway
Inlet buoy was passed Mrs. H. G. Dreyer
was In the lead. going along well with a
trudgeon stroke. with Mrs. Howard. Miss
Barthildes and Miss Cole all punched. a
little distance behind.
When i'm the lead one mile after tho
start. Mrs. Dreyer was forced to aban-
don the contest, being entirely exhausted
by the fast pace she set from the outset.
Mrs Howard then jumped into the lead
by a small margin At the one and one
half mile point Mrs. Howard was moving
along with strong overland stroke and
had succeeded in gaining forty yards on
Miss Barthildcs. who was second. with
Miss Cole some ten yards behind. and a
little 10 shoreward.
The swimmers were slowly being car
ried out of their course, but were gradu-
ally coaxed back into the right channel.
When Mrs. Howard came abreast of the
Manhattan Beach Hotel, which was cal
cuated 10 be three miles from the start,
she had increased her lead to one hun
dred yards over Miss Cole and Miss Bar
thides. tho former having caught up
with the last-named after swimming
One hundred yards further on Miss Cole
drew away from Miss Barthldes. and
slowly but surely was eating up the ad-
vantage held by Mrs. Howard. When the
breakwater of Brighton Beach was
reached which was about half a mile
from the finish. Miss Cole had succeeded
In cutting down the leaders advantage to
seventy five yards. and was tearing after
her in great fashion.
Miss Cole never faltered In her efforts
TO overtake Mrs. Howard. but the latter
kept her lead TO the finish. The winner
declined to be pulled aboard boat at the
finish. but swan on TO the beach, where
she was besieged by a large crowd,
through which she had almost to fight
her way. Miss Cole likewise swan
ashore. but Miss Barthides was willing
to be pulled aboard a boat, being ia
tigued from the swim.