The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-14
To-day's Sport
 Parade
By HENRY McLEMORE Limited Press Stan Correspontlcrl

New York, May 14--tUP)-Al- though the water is colder and deeper than ever, the sharks hum grier and less choosey than in years past. and the price of pull motors up two shililngs. our Eng fish channel operative cables to- day that no less than two dozen swimmers are expected to don their axle grease overcoats for q shot at the treachorous 21.mile strip in July.
 Such . large entry list indicates That the long suffering channel is in for its worst thrashing since 1926. That was the year, you will remember, when everybody but Madame Schumann,- Heink and Charles Evans Hughes made at least one attempt to save boat fare between England and France, and the craze for staying in water as long as possible reached 2 new
 spurred by the feats of the chan nel swimmers substantial citizens who previously had scorned more than a glassful of water except on Saturday night began shooting for the record of tho Robert E. Lee between St Louis and New orleans. Those that couldn't reach the Mis- sishippi spent their time floating around in hotel pools for days and weeks, md churning around near- by islands like so many dizzy tuh- boats. Anybody who couldn't stay Afoat for at least two weeks was considered a sissy. and made to eat at tho second table.
 About the only ono to gain from this H0ofy fad was Gertrude Ederle, the butchers daughter, and the first woman to cross the channel under her own power. And Gertie's gain was powerful short-lived. Boiled down to It's essential oils 1t consisted mainly of n lot of noise. n mess of ncwspapqer clippings. a speaking acquaintance with Dudley Yield Malone, 14 pounds of con- fetti which sho managed to sal wage from her scalp after the Broadway parade, and permanent impairment of her hearing.
 To.day Gertie is an obscure swimming teacher, showing younE- stcrs how to do the crawl while doting mothers stand on tho side lines and shout: "Kick Charlie! That's right. Now swim over this way 50 mama can aeo her little man."
 What this years crop of chan nel swimmers can gain from . crossing, with the exception of n lovely set of cramps and n touch of bronchitis, is beyond this depart- ment. Their only chance of getting any money is pumping Into q sunk on treasure ship on tho way across. And they'll be lucky to get in tho newspapers. even with q six lino biurb back In the section where they give off recipes and household hints.
 Crossing the channel has been going on for 50 long and has been accomplished by SO many folks, 1t has ceased to Dc news, you could still smell the smoke of musketry around Gettysburg when Captain Matthew Webb first turned tho trick, wasn't there to wltncHs Webb's passage, but reports have it that he used stroke not unlike cross between q windmill m q moderate gale and q centipede In a hurry. Ills suit iB said to have later been used as the "big top in Hagcnback'B circus.
 Since Wcbb's time crossings have been made by rom Burgoss. Henry Sullivan, Sebastian Tirhbocchi, E' II. Temmc, Mrs Ivy CHI, Miss Hlldn Sharpe and doken others. The facW that these names mean Just about as much as that of Willard fnilkweck, is proof enough that channel swimming ranks below fiagpole sitting as n means Of en- graving one's name on posterity's tablets.