New Britain herald., 1925-07-21
(BY ART CARLSON


 one of the biggest sportive events on the summer program, from an individuaIistic point of view, at least, will be the attempt of Mics Gertrude Ederle, Americas crack mermaid, to swim the dangerous English Channel.
 Miss Ederle expects 10 make the effort, that has ended in failure for nearly every one ever having tried the feat, the latter part of this month or early in August.
 World wide interest is being aroused over this l7-yeur-oId girls titanic task. And her efforts to achieve something that no woman has yet accomplished will be watched closely by the universe in general and in natatorial circles in particular.
 One of Toughest Tasks
 Attempting to swim the English Channel is a mountainous job. It's onc of the toughest on the entire athletic curriculum. It's indeed, real task for men stout of heart and strong of limb, let alone d mere slip Of a lass endcayoring 10 turn the trick.
 only five men have ever succeeded in negotiating tho c0-mile stretch between the shores of England and France. Three were Americans Capt. Matthew Webb, Charles 10th and Henry Sullivan. Webb was the first, according to reports. He got across in 1875.
 An Englishman named William Burgess was next. in 1911. And in the summer of 1923 followed the Argentinian, Enrique Traboschi, 10th and Sullivan in that order. Tiraboschi made the record time, Is hours, 35 minutes.
 Three women have been unsuc- ccesful. Mrs, I. von Tsacescu of Austria hung up the premier per formance. She was in the water 10 hours. She was reported to have covered slightly more than half the course.
 Annette knlerman, Australia S sensation of l. years ago, swan for six hours until forced to give up owing to sea-sickness. And Miss Lily Smith of England lasted five hours,
 She Has Mechanical Equipment
 Miss Ederle's chances in the tricky waters of the channel are problema- tical of course, Many believe she'll i accomplish the feat others think | failure awaits her.
 Frankly, she has the mechanical equipment to get across. She has the courage, the determination, the confidence. But whether or not she possesses the stamina, the en- durance required on such an exact- ing journey is something else again.
 The treacherous tide, the changing currents, the ice cold water-all these factors must be taken into consideration, too. Any one of them may prove her undong.
 In her swim from the Battery in New York to Sandy Hook, she showed she must be reckoned with strongly. She negotiated the dis. lance in seven hours, II minutes cutting seven minutes off the best cutting seven minutes off the best course which is slightly short of the stretch from Dover to Calais across the channel.
 Must Give Her Credit
 But her American effort cannot b. compared with the channel attempt For the rise and fall Of the tide owe, there is four times greater vitl f1ercer currents 10 correspond. Tn, water is considerably colder. Ant there is a nasty chop almost con tinuously.
 The magnitude of the effort ca, best be realized when it is mcntione, that some of the worlds greates long distance men swimmers hay been unable to successfully battl the various obstacles encountered i , the span of water between the tw , coasts.
 Time and again they have bee
 taken out of their course when onI q short time from the French shor and have had 10 give up the attemp
 Gertrude Ederle may fail in he efforts. She may be unequal 10 feat never before attempted by s [ American water nymph. Rr whether she is or not due cred $ must be given her for sttemptin , one of the toughest tasks in spor , tive performances.
 r Shes at least game and courage
 ons enough to try And that , of l,iy,c