ENGLISH CHANNEL SWIM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

ENGLISH CHANNEL SWIM.

HOLBEIN'S GREAT FEAT.

Mr Montagu Holbein started on Wednesday. August 27, on his third attempt to emulate Captain Webb in swimming the English Channel. He entered tho water at 20 minutes past 3 in the afternoon under the most favourable weather conditions. When he plunged into the sea from tho rocks at Cape Grisnez, amid the cheering of the large party of friends* the sea was calm with a light air from, south to west.

Holbein left Dover in the morning in the tug Lady Vita (Captain W. Sharp). Before leaving the steamer he was . besmeared an over with a specially-prepar-ed grease and put a mask over his face. With a chorus of good wishes from hia friends on the boat and amid the cheering of the spectators assembled on the French coast, Holbein started on his great swim, using his famous back stroke. Ho went away at a good pace, working like a machine, and making about 20 strokes to the minute regularly. His power of propelling himself through the water is remarkable. When he entered the water the ebb, or westward, tide had still an hour to run. It carried him away to the westward, and enabled him to get a long way to sea before the flood tide set in and commenced carrying him to the eastward in the direction of Calais. When last seen from the shore he was about four miles out, and apparently had avoided the drift which on his last attempt proved so detrimental to his progress i_t the early part of his swim .by carrying him back towards Calais. Holbein steered the north-west course which tqis laid down for him by Captain Dam, of the Dover-Calais mail packet service When he started the temperature of the water was G3dee- but it was rather lower towards mid-Channel. Two powerful acetylene lamps were used throughout^ the night to follow and guide the swimmer. The Calais mail packet on arriving at Dover in the evening reported passing Holbein" swimming well, and he was subsequently reported about a third of tho way across, swimming on the flood tide. A quarter of "an hour after midnight ho was half way across the Channel,

Besides the harbour tug Lady Vita Holbein was followed by two boats. One was a large man-of-war cutter, an enormous, roomy rowing boat used by the divers on the Dover National Ptarbour Works, and capable of standing any amount of sea. He was also accompanied by a' small boat which had an, elevated disc arrangement by which the course could be indicated to the swimmer. The party accompanying Holbein included Dr. Murphy, and Mr Prank Shorland and Mr Nix, Brixton Ramblers Cycling dab, two of his old cycling opponents. ■

On Thursday morning at 3 o'clock Holbein was sighted by Captain Hanwick. commander of the cross-Channel mail packet Lord Warden, on her way from Calais to Dover. An eager look-out was kept on the steamer, and the large lamjS-f of Holbein's tug and the little group ol boats were distinctly seen: The passengers showed the greatest interests, and all came on deck to -watch the swimmer. The steamer then gave a tootle with b__c siren, which was responded to &y the tug. Holbein then appeared to be makingsteady progress. At that time the eastern or flood tide j£as just setting in. A* 7.45 Holbein was only Aye miles from-tHe English shore, and had a splendid prospect of successf ully finishing bis swimHe had been plugging away *n' i4& xt ri t* a steady scroke of 19 and 20 going regularly as clockwork. - cQ&si _ was sighted about 10 tbe shore. ' guard only about a mile ttom He was Progresjtt*^ & aceonI _ Holbein made a _*J tid _ pTOV . plish his tasfc w« Jn exuausted ed too strong I was vrimln condition, and Doyer paJra<Ja garters o_» water by g^. be Waf. Swimming Club, hav^

STJ; in the water exactly X hours J* i«...p- Holbein, however, terminated SI _w?m at the point where Capt. Webb commenced, and, therefore, it may be claimed that he has accoßiplished tha caannel swim, in a sense.