New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-23
GIRL SWIMMERS
NO MATCH FOR
A RACING TIDE
Forced to Give Up After a
Plucky Battle of More
than One Hour.
BY L. DE q. HANDLEY.

The Brighton Beach Bath fve-mile
swim for women, which promised to be
the greatest test OF its kind ever held
in this country. proved a sad dissp-
pointment yesterday.
A mistake was made in calculating
the char ge Of tide. and tho contestants
were started against a four-mile cur
rent. which no human being could hope
20 stem.
For one hour and fifteen minutes
ten plucky girls battled gamely, but at
the end Of that period they had lost
ground instead OF gaining, so the ref
cree, realizing that IL would be impos-
sibls 10 complete the course, wisely
decided TO call of the race.
IL was no easy matter, however, 20
persuade the girl swimmers 20 abandon
the contest Apparently not the least
affected by the hard work done, all
were anxious to continue TO q finish
and let the last one TO give In be the
winner. One by one they had to be
almost dragged from the water.
The New York girls included Martha
flagstaff, last years winner; Mary
Williamson, Dora Hyatt, Lucy Free
man. Olga Rothgeiser, Sophie Freitag.
Claire Galligan and Rita Greenfield.
Philadelphia was represented by two
little girls Of twelve and fourteen
years, respectively-Bertha Pesrlstetn
and Helen Rubican.
Motor launches carried the contest
ants from Brighton Beach TO Point
Breeze. Rockaway, and there the start
was made at 3:05 o'clock. The girls
waded out into wsist-deep water and
then dived forward at the signal
For a few minutes all that could be
seen was a patch OF white foam
churned up by thrashing arms and
legs. But presently the field spread
out, each swimmer picked up her pilot
ing rowboat and every one settled down
TO q steady grind.
IL was a remarkable sight, and IL may
be wondered if ten more able long -dis-
lance swimmers Of the sex were ever
gathered together. With the exception
Of Miss Williamson, the former cham
pion of England, who used the side
stroke, every one of the girls displayed
the trudgeon or trudgeon crawl.
Two groups were soon formed. One,
consisting of Claire Galligan, Lucy
Freeman and Dora Hyatt, headed out
from shore; the other, made up of the
rest of the contestants, held fairly
close to the beach, and profited by es-
Gaping the full force OF the opposing
tide.
Miss Galligan led the outer group,
Miss Rubican the inner.
For a while little Roadway was
made, but as the current increased in
strength the weaker swimmers began
to fall back, then even the strongest
failed TO stem the rushing tide.
The referee finally came to his de-
cision and stopped the race.
At the time Miss Freeman had pressed
her way into the lead, followed a few
feet behind by Miss Galligan. and Miss
Rubican was third. about fifty yards
behind. The others were trailing In
close formation. Hardly 100 yards
separated the first and last, and this
indicates clearly what a splendid race
might have been witnessed had favor
able conditions obtained.
In past years the course was covered
in less than one and half hours.
II was matter of general comment
that not one of the girls showed signs
of undue fatigue on boarding the COM
mittee boat after the long and hard
fight against wind and tide.
The swim will be run off on Satur-
day afternoon, at 3 o'clock, in Sleeps
head Bay Inlet