Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-13
Unconquerable Channel
Waterloo of Swimmers
Many Try It-Few Do 1t

new 1OTk, sept. LINE failure
of Henry Sullivan of Lowell Mass,
to swim the English channel on his
fourth attempt, recalls the efforts Of
swimmers from all corners of the
world to accomplish the feat.
Only twice in history has the rest
less stretch of water given way to
the efforts OF aquatic stars. In 1875
Captain Matthew Webb, an English
man, crossed from Dover to Calais in
q hours, 35 minutes. He was
favored by light wind and a COM
paratively calm sea, actually SWIM
ming about 80 miles.
The distance across the channel at
the narrowest point, Dover to Cape
Girls NeZ a French headland in the
Pas de Calais, is about 90 miles but
swimmers are compelled to zig gag
in combating the waves and tides.
The second successful attempt to
cross the channel was made on Sept.
'6. 1911, by William T. Burgess. an
Englishman by birth, but natural =
lied Frenchman. Fifteen times
previously he had attempted to make
the perilous swim. On the sixteenth
he swan from South Foreland,
Dover, to lie Chatelet, a little village
two miles east of Cape Girls Nez, in
90 hours. S5 minutes. He covered
about 60 miles
Burgess feat was considered even
more wonderful than that of Captain
Webb, in that he met with the most
adverse conditions. In mid channel
he was stung severely by jelly-fish
and became i'll and was ready to
abandon the swim. When but a
short distance off the French coast
he met the ebbing tides and battled
for three hours before reaching slack
water.
Two other men said to have ac-
complished the feat could not prove
their claims Captain Davis Dalton
of New York, declared he swan the
channel in August, 1890, covering GO
miles in % hours. 80 minutes. He
claimed to have swan the entire dis
lance on his back. and to have been
so blinded by salt water that his
sight was impaired for months after
ward.
Sam Mahoney of Revere Beach,
Mass. asserted that he swan from
Sangatee, France. to South Foreland,
in September, 1908, but this was not
proved.
Jabez Wolfe the veteran English
swimmer, has made 81 unsuccessful
iattempts to cross and is planning
another. In September. 1908, he ar
rived within sight of the Calais pier
but became i'll and was taken from
the water He had been in the water
IS hours.
In August of 1908. James Mearns,
the Scottish swimming champion,
nearly lost his life in the swim. He
was i'll and drowning when rescued
by friends in mid channel.
Montagu Holbein of England, tried
seven times to cross. In 1903 he ar
rived within mile of Dover after
swimming % hours. 81 minutes, Civ
ing up because Of exhaustion.
Annette Kellerman, a native born
Australian, called the worlds great
est woman swimmer. made several
attempts without success. She now
is citizen of the United States.
Rose Pitonof of Boston, went TO
England in 1912 with the avowed
purpose of conquering the channel
waves but never found conditions
favorable and returned to America.
Many others of lesser note have
tried and failed. Sullivan has de-
clared he will make another try in
September. Omer Perrault of Can
ada and Tiraboschi, the Italian swim
mer, are training for the event.