SWIMMING THE GOLDEN GATE.

Grey River Argus, 26 September 1911, Page 7

SWIMMING THE GOLDEN GATE.

SAN -FRANCISCO, Aug. /3. Famed Golden Gate^ the narrow Iju'- rou,ghi strip c.f water giving entrance to ifhe Bay of San Francisco, lias bean crossed by a woman swimmer. Miss Hazel Bess's Laugcnour, an- eighteen-year-old icollogc .girl, of Berkeley, Cal., was the first woman to porfonm --this- .feat-pa ifea-t that heretpfore has proved more .than but a few -of- the very strongest male swimmers could .accomplish. How'Jver, the day .following Miss .Laugicnour's achievomca*, three other women, finding the circumstances unusually favourable, capped the- college girl's performance by swimming, the Golden Gate in beWcr time -ihan that by her. The Golden Gate is a mile and a-quarter wide. The ocean tide * -ts through it at a tear'.n-g . «i/e, and 1 'l:e stra.i. 1 ' is full of eddirs and swirls and undertows. To swim .from . fhore to shore is a • dangerous feat fir.tne boldest lover cf the water. r.nd '•' i:s oaiiy at the of the fido thait it is feas'fblc to .attempt it. Very ftw men have swum.Mie strait. I-M-ie Cavi.ll, the Australian swimmer, was the first to achieve tha-ii distinction, fl.nd at 'the time, more than thr(/: \e:nT. J.-TO', it '■'was- hailed .as a feat ■indeed. Since then'- Walter Pomw.lv, a wellknown -San Fra.nci.sco fumimcr, repeated . undertaking. • The fir-.t woman to try :o 'i v.in\ the Golden Gkrtc was /Mrs Tcv'.c Dcsch. She, ■ howevet, misjudged the proper moment of starting, and. being caught in the .rushing tide, was compelled to clamber -aboard a boat- which accompanied her. This was more than -a week iag-o. Then a race for women was arrain.g-o:l for last ' Sunday. Miss Lamigenour, however, stole a march on the .other competitors' "by setting horsel.f the task on Saturday mornn.g. and thus won the distinction of be-i-n,i? the -first 'ivoman to -'.vim the Golden. Gate./. She was in the w;>'cr 1 hour 28 minute*. Miss Nellie Scrraidt who won 'bhe- Stunday -race,- m-vde 'ho gcpcl Mmn ofj;42min^ ;T*\ro j-*'? Anffcies 1 . schoolffffjs",' Nita'' ' :r icY lyba Schoffiel j d,,..sisicTS J nepßier -<f whem had ever seen the Golden G r.-> '■^ Ifore, both successfully neßot'aiod tho swim, thei ; 'i- rpjspoctjfv!^ timcis being littte -slower, than -.that of Miss Schmiclt : . . . . ._. : •!, .....