Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-13
Swims English Channel
Continued from PAGE One)

him into some dry clothes, as though
they were dressing some little infant.
1irabCcchi he'd luck with the tide
Had he been 50 minutes slower in get
ting within the shelter cover between
| the lond admiralty pier and Shake
speare Cliff he surely would have had
the same sad experience which last
year robbed him of accomplishing his
| ambition. That -, he would have got
within thousand words of his sal and
then been carried away from the shore
by an adverse tide. y few minutes be-
fore the tide turned at midday. Tira-
| bocchi had pulled himself inside the
! cove so that the tide could not trouble
! him. He had begun his swim on an ebb
tide which lasted enc hour. and then
, Tor the most part of the night he went
with the food tide. When the waters
rose again in the middle of the morn
ing the swimmer had driftcd into the
plain view of hundreds of persons who
had heard of his approach and gath
cred On the beach to watch him.
At SO minutes past noon Tiraboc-
CHS feet touched earth again for the
first time since he had taken the
water at eight o'clock last night.
because of his speed in crossing
TirabocGhi had to contend with only
three tides While Sullivan had five
to fight. Thus while Sullivans
course is described by the letter
W." plus one additional line. Tira-
bocchis is described by the letter
IN" Tirabocchi made such fast
time that he didn't even grow a beard
in the water as Sullivan did.
Like Sullivan, the Argentine will
receive 1000 pounds for his feat and
also a gold medal from the Channel
Swimming Club. He is likely, how
ever, to be spared Sullivan's expert
ence of going up to London and lis
tening to er-dinner speeches.
Because the channel has been
crossed twice within a week does not
necessarily mean that the feat has
become easy. Three other persons
who started Saturday to do what
Tlrabocchl accomplished today all
had to be lifted out Of the water be-
fore dry land was reached. Two Of
them, Romeo Maciel, an Argentine,
and Sam Richards, Of Boston, have
decided that the channel is too much
intend to make other attempts at the
swim until 1924.
10th who quit early this MORNING
when seemingly within striking dis
stance Of the English coast, is un-
DECIDED whether he viii nave another
so at the task before the autumuul
tldeS set in.
10th was taken from the water
half conscious after he had made d !
plucky effort to reach the goal. He |
swan well until tour O'Clock this /,
morning when a heavy swell devel- |
oped ill the channel. lie complained /
OF the conditions. and kept going, but |
when it was seen tnat ne nad COW
cred only short distance in nearly |
three hours. his pilots were forced to |
take HIM out.
Tirabocchi is the first man in his.
tory to SWIM from the continent of |
Europe to the British Isles. The |
other three VINO conquered the tricky |
channel tides before aim started from |
the English shore and landed in |
France; therefore the Argentine has |
another record besides making the |
fastest time across the famous water !
gap.
Ihe Daily Sketch has offered 1000 |
pounds for another channel swim.
The representative OF the news !
paper aboard the tug which followed |
Ilrabocchl says the Argentine took /
his task lightheartedly, joking, laugh |
ing and even WhlStllng, until SUBJ !
dued by eXertion near the Dover |
shore.
During the night the swimmers
movements We're silhouetted by the |
acetylene lamp that guided him.
Early this morning he drank some
coffee. but took no food except a cube
of sugar occasionally.