SWIMMING THE CHANNEL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13909, 12 March 1909, Page 8

SWIMMING THE CHANNEL.

SA^I MAHONEY'S ASSERTION.

Confident of his powers of opduraiice to swim, tho English Channel again, Sam Mahoney, the American swimmer, of Revere Beach, Massachusetts, lias just announced for the edification of the sceptical sporting public that has pomi*ti"iily refused to credit his lat>t summers swimming feat from Sangatte, France, to South Foreland, England, that next summer ho will repeat his performanqe of last September, ' ' and you may be sure there will bo no lack of reputable witnesses to vouch for my next swim," adds Mahoney. In discussing his last yearte swim, Mahouey thus describes the performance: " 1 arrived at Sangatte a month and a half befdre September 11, the date upon which I began my swim across the Channel. In the interim preceding that day Mr. Hamblin, my trainer, and myself had spent the greater part of the time studying the winds, currents, and the most feasible course to be pursued in swimming the distance, which, straight across, is about twenty-one miles. As a matter of fact, when I felt the ground under my feet at South Foreland, after- Baring been in the water for twenty hours, I had covered a total distance" of fortyone miles, and I am fred to admit that I was thoroughly played out: "I started at nine o'clock in the morning of September 11. The inside of my bathing suit was 'lined with a thick coating of prepared grease, so that the suit acted as a sort of blanket, and kept water from my chest, back, and abdomen, and kept the heat in. From our tests during ,tn» month- • and-a-half's wait, we Ijad found that the temperature of the water in the Channel varied from 58 deg. to 70 deg., an average which is several degreed higher than that to which I had groHvn. accustomed at Revere Beach. My body had been rubbed with olive oil, and over .this had "been applied a thickcoating of grease, so that when I jumped into the water I looked quite different from the ordinary swimmer about to- take a duck. "Near, at hand, wheta .1 slipped off the* float with an American flag wrapped round my waist, was the French tug Sophie and a row 'boat, the latter fitted with a compass, fieldglass, two thefmomfetess (one for taking the temperature of the water, and a clinical thermometer), a watch, water, and food, consisting of olive oil, grape juice, and dugar. "When I started the tide, had three hours to flood. . The water registered' 68 deg., ;fene sky was overcast, the wind very light, the sea perfectly smooth. I used the side-stroke, on<* hand over. The tide runs east northeast of Sangatte, and slacks up an hqur before high water. For an hour and three-quarters, in order to make -as much progress north by. east a^ possible, I headed north-west by north. 10.45 the tide eased up, and T "changed my course about two points more towards the north, in order fco make a point north by east of San* gatte. Very 'shortly afterwards 1 the sun came out and shone for two hours, during which time I continued in a north by westerly course until the tide turned, when I changed my course and began- swimming west by south. Hitherto I had been getting into posi % tion for' the real battle. I Now for' seventeen* and a half miles I swain steadily towards the north-east V arne buoy. I knew that if I won this lap and escaped the shore current around Cape I would have a, good position on the next tide to orossthe Goodwin Sands current. During this ra.ee towards the Varne buoy it began to rain, an ev-ent which Helped wonderfully to freshen me up. The temperature 1 of the water at this time was 5$ deg., the coldest of tt*e day. At five o'clock the Varne buoy was in sight. I felt sur6 of making: it before the flood tide commenced. At half-past five this happened. I turnea at oiice, and ihade for the nearest point in the Goodwin SariSs current, which was north-west-, from my position. , "Just .here I found that the overhand stroke was ielling on my endurance, so I changed to the breast stroke. I confess that at this point in the swim I felfe about ' all .in,' A thunder shower had come up, and it was pouring in torrents, and had it not bee/i . for tliv encouragement of those accbm- 4 , panyifc*? me, I think that I should have quit, i As it was, I' took a little grapo ■juice and olive oil, and a big drink of water, , and 1 * then started for shore! straight across the tide. " However, I soon discovered thai if to accomplish my task I must turn ami swim with the tidp. Theroforo,! headed for South Goodwin light,with South Foreland light dead ahead. Now I was trying for a point between South j Goodwin light and the s.hore>. whence it would- have been impossible to fail. I missed the east of the light by half a mile. , It was dark and raining at eight o'clock. I kept on swimming, swimming, swimming towards what I felt was the goal of, '' my -efforts, but it was not until after the tide. 'had begun to swing about th&t I felt 1 was making headway again towards these great cliffs. "At eleven o'clock I ate more sugar and drank a little olive oil and some water. A Jittle later I resumed my side stroke. My line oi direction was now wes'c, 'although I swarnf north, as the tido was getting very strong. At thrjße o'clock. in tho morning tight began to dawn* the cliffs began to loom ' up noaror- and* nearer, the stars went out in the sky. I was swimming hard. t had lost the effective use of my loga, bpt k«pt at work with mv arm?. -At 4.30 I was a quarter of a mile from the shore, and could jiear tho- shouting of the party on the tugboat encouraging, me on. I felt tlion that I had won, and with One lons^ final spurt with ray arms I finally felt the sloping beach under my numbod feet, and a' moment later I crawled ashore, amid the cheers of my friends." You cannot hear the great operatic stars, but the great composers of music may be your /daily .companions. All you want is a piano — a eood piano. Inferior pianos are an irritation.. The Dresden IPiano Coippany stocks only good pianos, selected with special regard to New Zealand climate and conditions. The Dresden Company is absolutely straight in its dealings. That is principle. You enn buy a piano on. such easy terms that yon will scarcely feel that you are paying for it. Mr M. J. Brookes is manager for the North Island. Local ■ representatives. - Messrs E. Griffiths and Co. 6

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