MERCEDES SUCCEEDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 15, 19 January 1931, Page 9

MERCEDES SUCCEEDS.

LONG ENDURANCE SWIM.

43 HOURS IN THE WATER

ANOTHER CONQUEST PANNED.

By swimming until 12.35 a.m. on Sunday, Miss Mercedes Gleitze, English endurance swimmer, broke her recent world's record swim at Wellington in the Auckland Tepid Baths by half an hour, having remained in the water for 43 hours. She had begun the attempt to break her own record at 5.35 on Friday morning. On the eve of her success the accommodation in the building was taxed to the limit, and when the 43 hours were up the crowd cheered her heartily.

After the swim Mr. J. B. Paters on, chairman of the Parks Committee of the City Council, congratulated Miss Gleitze on her performance, and on behalf of the citizens of Auckland presented her with a greenstone tiki and earrings. The tiki he placed around her neck.

Miss Gleitze was lifted from the water on to a stretcher from a floating position on her back, and was finally taken to her place of residence in a St. John Ambulance van.

Throughout the day the swimmer was remarkably fresh, and she averaged about 34 strokes to the minute. A bout of sleepiness attacked her at 10 p.m., but with the aid of stimulants this was beaten off, and at the conclusion she was swimming strongly. It is estimated that she did about 50 miles during the whole of her swim. The total attendance was about 4000 for the two days and nights. In an interview Miss Gleitze said that she was feeling no ill-effects, and that the swim had been one of the very easiest she had ever undertaken.

On Saturday afternoon and night the IZR broadcasting station reported the progress of Miss Gleitze during her swim, and near midnight "Uncle Tom," of the station, went down to the baths and organised community singing, -which had the effect of driving all drowsiness from the swimmer's brain. Miss Gleitze had grown tired of the mechanical music, which nevertheless had served its purpose well.