New-York tribune., 1913-07-21

weeping and begging TO continue her
hopeless struggle against the tide. Dur
ing the two hours and forty-four min
ut.s that she was in the water she was
able % cover only about a mile ana
half Of the long distance 20 Sandy Hook
Miss Pitonof has sWum from Charles
town Bridge 10 Boston Light and from
goth street 20 Steeplechase Pier. 'oney
Island The SANDY Hook swim has never
been accomplished
A crowd was ON Pier TO give the iitue
Boston mermaid encouragement when
sh, dlyed into the water al 1:3G o'clock.
Those in charge of the swim had adj
yised her 20 start at that hour against
the incoming tide thinking that the wa
ter would De- rocedins hy the time she
reached Ruttormuk Channel and that she
would gain am hour which would be
needed az the end OF the swim 10 beat
the second tide. But IL was this early
start that caused the girl 10 fail
From the very first the swirls and
eddicr between the Battery and Gov
ernor's Island carried her out of her
way. She had intended 10 swim around
inc western sue fil lIIf ANlNilN tllNl f"' hI''
the current that races at flood tide
through Ruttcrmilk Channel. but she was
carried in and compelled 10 follow the
eastern course Nevertheless. she laugh
lngly called out that she would take the
current n she must and would make the
Hook I'm spite Of H. Swimming with an
easy breast stroke. she made good time
against the food and arrived at the Gov
ernor's Island sea wall I'm thirty-fvc
minutes.
Many persons In lunches. ferries and
sailing boats recognized the young wom-
an and waved good luck or blew whistles
as they passed She was closely fol-
lowed by her brother, Adolph Pitonof
and Herbert stevens .of the United
States Volunteer Lifcsaving Association.
In n rowhoat and her father, Eli Pito-
noff. and a company OF friends in the
launch Clara VI.
Everything went well until she reached
the channel But a. that point the tide
raced past the sca wall with such force
that she could not gain another inch.
Again and again she attempted to make
the turn. but always tho current carried
her back Deciding at last that any fur
ther effort To overcome the tide would
only waste her strength, she determined
10 hold her own just behind the turn
until the tide slackencd and then pass
out with IL through the channel.
For an hour and twenty minutes she
remained at that point. battling bravely
against the discouraging fow of water
and succeeding in nothing more than
preventing the tide from sweeping her
back 10 Brooklyn Bridge. Finally the
tide slackened little. and after another
plucky squirt she made the turn and
passed into the channel
The hour and twenty minutes wasted
under such conditions. however. had been
disastrous TO her hope Of gaining Sandy
Hook The impure water had made her
III. and the half mile that she swan
after making the turn was covered only
by pure grit and determination not TO
meet her first defeat But her father
realized that II would be dangerous for
her 10 continue in the water any longer
and gave ordeGs that she be taken into
the launch.
The girl protested 10 the last against
leaving her swim unfinished and sobbed
as she was lifted into the boat. She de-
clared she would try again in few days
and said she knew she could reach the
Hook il she could get "A proper start
from the Battery.