Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-05
EXPECTS WORLD RECORD.
Trainer Hopes to Put Swimmer
Across Channel i'm 1112 Hours.
BY THOMAS WILLIAM RIRGESS

Second man TO swim English Channel and
Gertrude Ederle s 1926 trainer.
By Cable to The Star
CAPE Girls NEZ, France. July s.
If Gertrude Ederle Swims the English
Channel on her first attempt of this
season. the second attempt of her
career, she may reach the English
shore at Dover or somewhere to the
northeast of Dover in - or 10 hours,
and thus will complete the distance
through these tricky tides and cur
rents in about three quarters of the
time required by Enrico Tiraboschi,
the record holder among men. Tira-
boschi's time was IS hours 80 minutes.
Mind YOU. l do not expect Gertrude
to cross the channel on her first at
tempt Of this season. She has tried
the channel only once. / tried it 80
times before / succeeded in duplcat-
ing the achievement of Matthew
Webb, who became to be popularity
known as Capt. Webb because he was
a sailor, although he never was a cap
tain.
No woman has ever crossed the
channel under her own power. and
[ do not think that 1t is mere pride in
my own sex, which prompts me to
say that the second attempt is too
y.
One can only hope for fair weather
and good luck in meeting the tides.
Hopes for Early Victory.
Of course, Gertrude hopes to swim
across and be done with the channel
on her first effort this year. and /
hope to put her on the beach near
Dover on that swim. But if she should
make u or 10 hour swim and fail,
that trial will count as very valuable
preparation in hardening her against
the cold and educating her in the man.
ners of the channel water. And on
her second effort of the season she
probably would get there in 1112
hours. In making this estimate, l am
following my chart of the tides and I
am comparing her speed, strength and
skill with the known speed and direc-
ton of the tides.
It would take me into deep COM
plications of technical language to
explain how l expect her to cut
across this tide or that one at a GER
tain diagonal degree and to put her
self in certain positions to catch the
changes of the tides. Let 1t suffice
to say that I regard Gertrude as one
of the fastest swimmers that ever
lived, for long distances, and that
a schedule that no man, no matter
how strong or how impervious to ia
tigue and cold. has ever been able to
maintain.
Can Stand Lots of Work.
Gertrude can stand lots of work.
Her trainer, l.. De b. Handley,
the coach of the New York Women's
Swimming Association, an amateur
organization of which she was a
member until the time last Winter
when she turned professional, has
written her a letter advising her to
ease up in her physical training. be-
cause she Is naturally fine young
specimen of athletic girlhood and al
ways in fine shape. Mr.. Handley
trained Miss Ederle for about five
years, as an amateur. and he is in
a better position than / to Judge
these matters, but 1 can only go on
what I personally know of her. and
think that before her first attempt
she should swim at least half way
across the channel, as a test, regard
less Of how long it takes her. After
that I will put her in the water for
a serious attempt. If she succeeds
she should break the record by men,
but If she should fail the effort
would be invaluable as training.
Gertrude appears to be rather
placid or uninspired. but 1 know
enough about this young woman to
realize the strength of her ambition
to swim the channel, and I am con-
WINGED that If pilot her within sight
of the Dover shore in seven and one
half hours, as I hope to do on her
next attempt. she will be heartened
by the sight of her goal and will go
on with her fast stroke to finish as
the first woman to swim the English
Channel and the record holder for
both sexes.
Copyright. 1929