New Britain herald., 1926-08-07
A m e rican Aquatic Star N Negotiates Treacherous Waters in IA Hours, 3l Min utes and Finishes Strong
Walks Ashore Unaided Amid Cheers of Crowds Assembled to Await Her Coming.

Dover, Eng, Aug. P The English channel has been defeated by Gertrude Ederle, the 1s-year- old American girl swimmer.
 Old Neptune, after numerous previous refusals, including Miss Ederle herself. at last has lifted his three-pronged spear and per. mitted a woman to swim across the turbulent waterway dividing Eng land from France.
 Makes Record Speed
 And as if in a most deferential mood, he accorded the former American and Olympic champion such generally favorable conditions that not alone did she succeed fin her task of crossing from France to England, but she accomplished it in shorter time than any Of the five men who were able to make the arduous journey. from 1872 to 1923.
 Starting from Cape Gris Neg, at 7:09 o'clock Friday morning un- der splendid weather and tidal conditions, the New York girl churned the waters of the channel almost continuously with her strong overland stroke and the. crawl kick that brought her fame as an amateur natator. until $40 o'clock Friday evening. | Gets Great Welcome
 Then she touched bottom at | Kingsdown. between Dover and Deal and walked happily ashore under the glare of huge bonHres built along the beach 10 guide her toward the chalk cliffs. and with large crowds of spectators acclaim ing her.
 She had brought ashore with her new record of 14 hours. 31 min- utes for the swim, and was pleased with her achievement. q am a proud woman," she declared That was all she said.
 Was Very Strong at End
 Notwithstanding the long time she had been in the water. Miss | Ederle required no assistance when she landed. Seemingly she was in fine fettle. She even desired to take to the water again and swim out to the tug which had conveyed her across from France. She was ad- vised not to do this, however, and, entering motorboat she was taken out to the tug and started back for France. i Gertrude Ederle Is the sixth per son to swim the channel. The five others were men. Her time of 14 hours. S1 minutes bettered that of any of the male swimmers. Tira- bocchi, the Italian, previously held the record of 16 hours. 2S minutes in covering an estimated distance. as he was carried hither and | thither by the tides, of 27 miles Charles 10th was next with Is hours, 54 minutes in swimming ,s miles. Webb Was First
 Captain Matthew Webb, of Eng land, who in 1875 was the first man to cross the channel. swim ming from Dover Sands. England, to Sangatte, France. was In the water 22 hours and 45 minutes and swan approximately S9 miles. Henry Sullivan. of Lowell. Mass. required 27 hours, 23 minutes in crossing from Dover to Cape Gris Neg. He had to swim 45 miles.
 Thomas W. Burgess. of London, who was Miss Ederle's mentor in her victory over the channel. is the other man who was successful in negotiating the rough and cold waters of the channel. He swan for 22 hours and 35 minutes before he was able to land at Cape Gris Neg from the Dover admiralty pier, and it is estimated he cover ed distance of S5 miles.
 When she took to the water early Friday morning grim deter imitation was written on the face of the American girl to accomplish the task she had set for herself. With her body thickly covered with grease so that she might be able to withstand the chill of the water. Miss Ederle started off '>-e- easy, long swinging
 won for her world
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 ute as she z
 In the first
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 was kicki-
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