The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-20
George Meehan Of Boston First
to Reach Goal in z Hours
and 10 Minutes.
RICHARDS AND DUNN NEXT
Charles Durburow Last Man In
After Being Swept Back
Right at Start.


one from Philadelphia, OF field Of thirty
starters reached Sandy Hook yesterday In
the frs, competitive marathon swim ever
held over the course. Scores OF swim
mers have attempted the feat within the
last forty years. Up 20 Yesterday two
were able to make the distance from the
Battery to the Jersey outpost. George r.
Meehan. % years old. the winner swan
the distance In hours rs minutes, an
hour faster than the amateur record and
| six hours faster than the professional time
made by Commodore Al Brown OF the
| American Life Saving Scciety-the first
man TO succeed
The swim Is gruellng. covering in it's
zigzag course close to twenty-five miles.
although as crow flies it is eighteen and
a half miles II a competent oarsman
were 20 row a skff with such speed he
would he well nieh exhausted when he
reached his destination The feat ia re-
ma-kahle and without parallel. The con
| ditions were favorable to the swimmers
a strong wind that whipped the waves
into whitecaps blowing them toward the
! Hook against A tide in the last mile Of the
struggle. But all OF the aid nature could
provide cannot dctract from the stamina
SHOWN by the competitors
Samuel Richards whose record made
last year was enshrouded In a Veil Of
doubt because he claimed TO have reached
/ his goal in one tide. vindicated himself
Yesterday by finishing second 10 his COL
league from the city Of culture. Al
/ though an hour behind the winner Rich
ards waded his way through the last Of
the titanic rollers in splendid condition.
| Less than seven Yards behind him was
| Walter Dunn, another Postorian. Tho
officials were almost staggered by the
possibility of dead heat for second place
| Richards won because the point on the
beach where he landed projected out q
trifc further than that where Dunn
reached Land
Experts said for years that the swim
could never he accomplished on one tide
because no man created could swim fast
enough to get down there before tho
current turned back toward New York
As the tide runs four miles an hour and a
man can swim, hut two miles an hour
aisasinst 1t did look impossible. This group
accomplished the impossible. IL the Inathe-
mates of the experts arc TO be credited
The swimmers werc not all young men
There was little Eddie Snyder. who con-
fessed 10 10 years OF age. and Fred H.
James, writer OF moving picture
scenarios, who denies he IL over so. Jarnes
fooled old Father Time for twenty miles
yesterday was his first trial nj the Ions
distance classic He was In second place
"a milo from the goal when blindness
| caused by the splashing OF the salt water
! in his eyes, robbed him of the glory that
rightly belongs with such rare courage
J Eddie Snyder was refused admitfance into
tho race by the Amateur Athletic Asso
0 citation because OF his extreme youth
. Tears were of no avail so TO show iii,
] ! OH al nat tbaN ,h.. 4, ba.
. were talking about this slip OF a lad divec
= OF with the others and swan down I,
U the Narrows, n distance OF ten miles
Eddie IL a Brooklyn boy and has recor,
of swim from Coney Island TO Brooklyn
Bridge.
While sessickuess overlook two-third
Of the officials on the Ave launches q
3 route TO the Hook something equal
. dreaded by swimmers dashed the hope
OF many 81 the hopeful ones This wa
= cramps. No less than ton of the starter
, were forced to withdraw because OF mus
d Gle contraction Raymond j. Boyle c
y Pttsburg one OF the favorites, was lead
II ing for seven miles when he was nj
fected with cramps IN the calves OF hi
less. He swan 'or three miles NOR,
but tho agony was 70 intense that h
was forced to quit for fear OF drowning.
= George ". Essoborn. a former Hig
School of Commerce swimmer from th
city, was perhaps the worst victim of Fat
. He was seized with a cramp near IN
o Narrows, but Kicked il out after an hou
i Of hard lighting. lie suddenly had AZ
s other attack, this time In the stomach
@ when two miles from tho goal. He wa
3 seen 10 sink and his attendants pulle
the boat alongside just az he came ul
v Between gasps he said he would swiI
until he got rid OF II, but one OF h
attendants touched him and he was di.
. qualified.
The first exhibition Of courage was di,
q played by Charles Durborow, holder {
Americas long distance swimming chan
pionship. The Philadelphia bank cler
was carried back to Brooklyn Bridge b
an undercurrent right at the start of n
race. Many others who were caught in III
swirl lost heart, but not so with Du
- borrow. He battled until he overcame
At the Narrows he caught UP with II
field. BY remarkable sprint lastir
., several miles he managed 10 get in Il
. cove near Sandy Hook before the nc
p. swept him up tho Jersey coast ar
st finished, the last of the four TO reach Ian
2; in hours - minutes,
- Al the hour when Broadways TAM
dancers were preparing to disrobe for b,
these hardy swimmers were preparir
70 themselves for the ordeal Of their lv
and for the trophies and prizes donat