CHANNEL SWIMMING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 20, 8 September 1911, Page 6

CHANNEL SWIMMING.

FIXE ATTEMPT BY WOLFFE In view of the fact that Burgess lias succeeded in swimming the English Channel, the following account of an attempt by Jabez Wolfe, who has made a number of endeavours to accomplish the feat, should bo of interest:— Wolffe made another attempt to swim across the Channel on July 27th, but was driven back by the ebb tide when within 800 yards of the English coast. He left the water shortly before midnight after having swum nearly 03 miles. The swim was one of the most remarkable of any of the unsuccessful attempts to swim across the Channel. The cause of Wolffe’s failure was the fact that, soon after the start from Sangatte at 8.40 in the morning a fresh south-easterly breeze sprang up, which greatly handicapped the swimmer for six or seven hours. This had the result of extending his swim into four tides and making a successful finish almost impossible. It was just about two hours •towards the end of the flood tide when Wolffe entered the water at Sangatte, the sea being at iho abnormally high temperature of GCdeg. or 67deg. He swam with his usual left overarm stroke, which he maintained throughout the whole of his long swim, and outdistanced all the other swimmers who took spells with him from time to time. The pilot set a course to the Varne Buby, which lies about seven or eight miles from the English coast. In the ordinary course of events this point should have been reached about seven hours after the start; instead of which Wolffe did not arrive at the petition until past seven o’clock in the evening, having been over ten hours accomplishing this section of the swim. When beyond the shelter of Capo Grisnez Wolffe felt the effects of the adverse winds more strongly. His progress was both slow and difficult, and it became even more so when the rough water of a shoal from the Varne ißank was encountered.

From the time the wind dropped and for the rest of the journey the sea became a flat calm, but the difficulties of the early stages of the swim had taken the swimmer quite out of his course. The ebb tide had carried Wolffe ‘lurcher west than he had anticipated, but there was good rehson to hope his powerful stroke—never varying from 22 to 2-1 to the minute—would enable him to reach 'the English coast before the succeeding ebb tide came through. Wolffe was now swimming on the flood or east running tide and gradually drew near and nearer the land. \At the end of the flood tide he was well beyond St. Margaret’s Bay between the South Goodwin Lightship and the shore, and showed no signs of diminishing strength. He approached so near to the coast that the tug was compelled to drop anchor and only the two small boats accompanied him. The distance from the shore was then computed to be about 1000 metres, but the ebb tide set it. For about 200 yards Wolffe was able to make headway towards the shore and then the offsetting tide began driving him back into the Channel. A consultation was then held with the result that Wolffe very reluctantly left the water and climbed up the ship’s ladder unaided. Fie was quite warm and showed very little signs of fatigue. Ho stated that ho hoped to make another attempt the next neap tide.

At the meeting of the executive committee of the A. and P. Association last night there were present: Messrs. Dingle (in the chair;, Kirkwood, Healy, Porritt, Masters, Morison, and Sangster. It was decided to order fifty Bft. posts for the erection of a fence behind the grandstand to give the caterer more privacy. It was reported that the -schedule committee was progressing well with its work. Mr. Morison gave notice to move that the competition for milk and butterfat bo one merely for butter-fat. The annual ball under the auspices of the Stratford Tennis Club was held at the Town Hall last night. About Seventy couples • were present, and dancing was kept up vigorously until about two o’clock this . morning. The supper provided was a credit to the ladies’ committee. Messrs. Douglas and Wood efficiently carried out the duties of M.C.’s, and the general arrangements reflected credit on the secretary, Mr. T. Wilson. The monthly meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was held in the Primitive Methodist Schoolroom on Wednesday. Miss McNeish, of Cambridge, organiser for tiie union, gave an interesting address, urging upon the members the necessity of doing their best for the “Women’s Crusade.” In this movement lies the great opportunity in bringing about the greatest reform of this age; and making thousands of people s lives the world oyer pure, sweet, and wholesome, by striking out the top line in both ballot papers, and doing all in one’s power to get others to do the same, at the coming election for No-License and Dominion prohibition.. Mesdames Mackay and McAllister were appointed visitors to tiie hospital and flower mission for the month.