THE CHANNEL SWIM.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1923, Page 4

THE CHANNEL SWIM.

SELL IVAN’S SUCCESS. LONDON, August 8. Henry Sullivan, the third limn—out of innumerable triers—to achieve the Channel stt ini from England to France, ) succeeded in doing so only oil ibis his fifth attempt. This year he did reach the French coast, alter being in the water 27 hours -15 minutes, endurance- in itself record making. Tais swimming contest, which lor many years was an August haul; holiday and "silly season” feature for the newspapers did not attract so much puhliriiv as it formerly did. For one thing since j 875, when Captain A\ ebb first swam across, many other records of endurance have been made—Aictie and Antarctic discovery, the Boss Smith flight to Australia, to mention outstanding achievements of the crowded half-century since then—to overshadow it. Sullivan left Dover at 5.22 p.m. on Sunday and reached Calais at !).7 p.m., liming swum approximately fifty-six miles to achieve the crossing, which is only twenty-one miles in a direct line. The last mile and a half, swum under terribly adverse conditions, occupied a few minutes under live hours. At- ins average- speed of two miles an hour lie would have covered ten miles in the Iwt tie against the swift coastal currents. Y 7. T. Burgess, the last man to swim the l iiannel. in 1011. covered nearly sixiy miles, but was iu (lie water only 22 hours .‘55 minutes. Captain Matthew AVchb eros.-.i-d in 1875 in 21:! hours. ’Sullivan himself told the story in tlie e words ; “The whole crowd that wer ( . on the trip tried to ovei v possible way to make things bright and

cheery light t lirouglii-ul the whole time, f don't think there v, as a man that, had a wink of sleep the whole tune. Everybody was thoroughly

awake, and every minute there was something going on. i -imply set my jaws and stuck to it. 1 meant to do it if il was humanly possible, and all those on the boats were doing their best to keep me elk cry. They wore giving quite u concert for ino-t of the t up. 'I he Dover swimmers wanted to come in with me for company. but aid 1 thoroughly appreciated their good sportsmanship. I told them it would bleak m.v stroke. It is too big a job to take any chances with. I like to swim naturally. If I feel 1 want to

ea-e up I can ease up. if not I keep going ahead. I sometimes mil into cold streams and then I j ut speed on to keep up my circulation. The water on the French side was colder than on the English side, which I have never lon.nd in my oilier swims in the Cnanuel. 1 expe'-j it was the north-west wind that had churned up the sea.” A correspondent who accompanied Sullivan, writes that the effort, ox-

tending over 2(i hours 50 minutes, rs officially timed by the watches of the pilot and the .‘■kipper, was a marvellous lent- of endurance and determination. .The log- and Hie hearings taken during the first- twelve hours of the swim showed very good progress. The end of the twelve hours, when the hearing was taken, showed the swimmer’s position to he eight miles from the French coast. The big white cliffs stood out very clearly, and were a most cheering sight to Sullivan. He swims such a buoyant breast-stroke that lie never has to use goggles, being breast high out of (lie sen. In the brilliant sunshine of Monday lie wore a cap with n jealr to keep the sun out of his eyes. Calais piers looked very close shortly after nine o’clock in the morning, and •Sullivan put on speed, increasing his stroke from thirty-four to thirty-six to the minute in an effort to swim in across the title, which was hearing him way it) the westward, but it was no use, he had to drop hack to thirtyfour good, strong strokes to the minute, when Sullivan became dour instead of his usual genial self. At 9.7 lie stood up. with the sea only about up to his waist, and started to lurch towards the sands. Thinking he was going to fall, a seaman jumped overboard from a boat and waded towards him up to his waist in water, lmt Sullivan shouted: ‘T don’t want any help. I will finish it myself." And amid cheers lie staggered on to dry land. The French crowd gave him a rousing welcome, and tried to tarry him. but Sullivan preferred to walk—a good thing for his aclmriers. for he was smothered with grease. For the information of New Zealand's practised swimmers, it should he added that Sullivan only had food once in all this, nearly twenty-eight-hour ordeal. But more remarkable still is the fact that at the Casino on arrival. j.is first demand was for an icecream. Afterwards lie had a plate of soup, after which lie lay down for a couple- of hours.