A SWIMMING MATCH.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 155, 2 December 1874, Page 3

A SWIMMING MATCH.

THE THREE-MILE SWIM FOR 1000 DOLLARS AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF AMERICA. The three-mile swimming match at Long Branch for the championship of America was won, as the telegraph briefly stated, by the English swimmer Johnson, The following particulars of the race are given in the New York Times : The start was made at 4:24:20, both plunging simultaneously off a steam launch, and Trautz coming lip ahead. Trautz was now swimming at the rate of twenty-eight strokes and Johnson twentythree per minute. Ten minutes out they were both swimming at the rate of thirty strokes per minute, Trautz still leading. Twenty minutes out, Trautz was leading by twenty feet, swimming forty-eight strokes to Johnson's thirty-four. At five o'clock Johnson pulled up even, swimming thirty strokes; at 5=20 he was leading, still maintaining thirty strokes to Trautz's fifty-four ; at 5:27 Trautz spurted up to sixty-nine, and Johnson fell slightly into the rear, but at a safe distance. All this time the row-boats and sail-boats were hovering round, quite obstructing the view of the spectators on shore. The swimmers were now getting near to the goal, and not a few were ready to bet on Trautz, but just then Johnson put on a spurt, and, passing his opponent, gained some thirty or thirtyfive yards. The simile of a racehorse passing another, and leaving him as if he were standing still, hardly realizes the suddenness with which Johnson went to the front —now under the water, and now over it, he pushed forward with tremendous force. His action in this kind of swimming has been described as hand-over-hand, but it is not so in reality, as he never reaches forward with his left hand. His action is as if he reached forward with his right hand, caught something which was a fixture in the water and drew himself up to and over it, repeating the operation with marvellous strength and rapidity. He reached the gaol at 5:34:50, followed by Trautz at 5:36:10, the time of the winner being one hour, ten minutes and thirty seconds. Both victor and vanquished were cordially greeted. The match, as already understood, was for lOOOdol. a side and a cup valued at 500dol. Col. J. M. Bennett, of Philadelphia, and John E. Hoftmires, of New York, acted as referees. The judges were We L. Mclntire and James Smith. The stakeholder, Chas. Leland, and the starter, R. Samuels. The victor had to go through something like an ovation at the Ocean Hotel, and later in the evening was serenaded by a band of musicians.