New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-30
TIDE FO|LS SWIMMER
CLOSE TO SANDY HOOK
DurborOW. Breaking Every Rec
ord. Hurled Back When Only
Half a Mile from Goal.
is FORCED TO GIVE UP
Starting from Battery, Athlete
Fights Wave and Current for
7 Hrs. 81 Minis. Before
Old Neptune Wins.

Charles Durborow. the young Phila-
delnhia bank clerk. whose aquatic abl-
itics have placed him at the head of all
Americas long distance amateurs.
came within an ace yesterday of per-
forming the impossible by swimming
from the Rattery to Sandy Hook. For
seven hours and thirty-four minutes he
fought his way through the shifting
tides and currents Of the trcacherous
course. winning TO within half mile
Of the low-lying beach opposite the
u hook lighthouse before the food tide
gripped him and swept him back.
The feat Yesterday. over course ad-
mlttcdIy the most difficult and hazard
Gus which has ever confronted a swim
mcr. breaks all records for the attempt.
Durborow beat his second trial OF a
week ago by more than three and a
half miles. and the next best, that OF
Albert Brown. by nearly three miles.
incidentally he eclpscd the old dis
tance record Of the great Captain
Webb. who made the trip in 1SiS. by
something like nine miles. for the re-
doubtable Encishman got no further
than Swinburne Island.
The attempt of a week ago. when
Durhorow essayed the journey from
the Hook in 10 the Battery, gave prom
isc cf the kind Of performance the bank
clerk would put up when he started on
vestorday's swim. on that occasion,
despite adverse conditions OF wind and
water which buffcted and swirlcd him
about for hours nearly carrying him
ont 10 sea, he hattlod his way back
and forth across the tide lanes for
eighteen miles 10 the mouth of the
Narrows. near Fort Wadsworth, before
tbe igbt became hopeless and he re-
Iuctant. was drawn from the water.
Well Known Escorts.
The start yesterday was made from
the Bate Y. rear the immigr- on sta
tion. at 4:21 o'clock in the morning.
Accompanying the swimmer were Cap
tain Edward ". Berke who made the
famous trip to England in an ls-foot
vawl: Captain Dan" Seeley, who has
ACCOMPANIED every swimmer but Cap
tain Webb on the long trip; William
Steinkopf. his assistant and Paul
Frommhold, Of the American Lifesav-
ing Society. under whose auspices the
trial was made.
Piloted by Captain Berke. Durborow
struck out i'm southeasterly direction
toward TIE Brooklyn shore. and did not
vary his course until he was few
wards from the Atlantic avenue ferry
pier. There he turned almost at right
angles and started through Buttermilk
Channel working against the weaken
ing flood tide. For an hour and ten
minutes he fought. and 10y the time the
ebb had set in he was opposite the
Hamilton Ferry.
Hugging the piers on the Brooklyn
pojnt off Goth street. Some idea can
be gained of Durborow's machinelike
progress from the fact that he was off
the 3gth street ferry at 6:31. passed
Bay Ridge, 65th street, at 40 and
passed Fort Lafayette at SIP o'clock.
He lay low in the water, using a
double-overarm stroke and making ex-
actly twenty-eight strokes to the min
ute.
BY this time the tide had set in
strong. and he cleared through the
Narrows between Fort Wadsworth and
Fort Lafayette, heading for the middle
of Ambrose Channel. Soon after passing
Continued on third page. fourth column.