New Britain herald., 1926-09-10
CHANNEL RECORD
 AGAIN IS BROKEN
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(Continued from First Page) the seventh man, to swim the chan mel. Two women have accomplished the feat, Miss Gertrude Ederle and 1 Mrs. Bennington Corson (Millie i Gade.)
 | Conditions Very Good. Swimming conditions were cer- tainly good" Michel said, as he viz orously attacked an English break fast of bacon and eggs. When left Gris Neg there was hardly any wind. and the sea was calm. I made up my mind I would win this time. | T used the overarm and breast stroke alternately, but had nasty jar about three o'clock In the morn ] ing when I was suddenly seized with cramp. The pain was excruciat- 1 ing and I wondered whether I would have to give up. but l kept my limbs moving vigorously, and the attack gradually passed.
 Not Very Tired.
 "At dawn, my friends told me that the conditions and position were ex- cellent and that 1t was up to me to succeed. The jagged rocks and slip pery seaweed made wading up the beach difficult, 1t being low tide, but I did not feel very tired when I land ed.
 T am glad to have beaten the Germans time so handsomely. now hold two worlds records, name ly today's swim and the international swimming marathon in Paris Aug l."
 All four of the swimmers who have negotiated the grim stretch of water this year started from Cape Gris- -Nez France. Michel landed in St. Margaret's Bay, midway between ! Dover and Deal.
 Conditions Were Ideal.
 When he took the water last eve- ming sea conditions were favorable and there was good swimming vir- tually all the way to England until the last two miles, when the wind began to stiffen. At the start there vase a fast tide under him, and when the flood tide began it carried l him long way across.
 Started Before Low Tide. | Michel, in addition to breaking the record also upset all precedents in starting. He left the rocks at Gris- Neg an hour before low tide, instead of four hours before high tide. He | believed in starting thus he could accomplish the feat before him in ten hours. The experts hower, doubt ed this.
 Has Tried Before
 Georges Michel, who has brought to France the much coveted honor of a worlds record swim across the | sleeve" as the English channel Is known In his country, several times has essayed the task of mastering the channel but failed. Perhaps his best previous swim was on August when he won the "cross Paris mara thon" on the river Seine. He made the 26 miles, aided by strong cur rent in II hours and 20 minutes.
 Of Gigantic Stature.
 The first Frenchman to swim the channel Is of Hcrculean build and is outclassed in size by channel aspir- ants only by the giant Egyptian Ishak Helmy, who has failed In all his efforts to get from France to the Chalk Cliffs about Dover. Michel has been trying every year since 1922 to make the trip. His last at tempt before today was on Sept. 4. when he was baked by bad weather after being in the water little more than an hour.
 Challenged Mrs. Corson.
 On September 1 Michel issued challenge to all the channel crossers, butto Mrs. Corson in particular, to meet him on his own river-the Seine-in a race.
 There are forty, sixty or 100 kilo- meter courses on the Seine which would satisfy the tastes of the most fastidious," said Michel in his defi He added that the Seine offered a better test for a swimming race than the waters surrounding Manhattan Island, New York.
 The day after Gertrude Ederle re- turned home from her record break ing swim and while she was receiv- ing the plaudits of the people of New York, came the announcement that Ficrkoetter had lowered her mark ny nearly two hours. Today as Mrs. Corson returns to be welcomed by 'he mayor of New York and to be "ceived in a great demonstration by ,lc populace, she learns that another person has invaded the sacred circle of channel swimmers and brought into 1t the distinction of having cross ed the rough waterway between France and England In better time than anybody else.
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