SWIMMING.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1927, Page 4

SWIMMING.

FT? PATH PRESS OX MoLFLLAX CLAIM. (Australian & X.Z. Cable Association.) PARTS, Oct. 12. The,French newspapers arc adopting an extraordinary attitude regarding the woman, Mona Mcl.ellan’s Channel swim. Tlie woman, who in private life is l»r Dorothy Logan, of Harley Street, landed at Folkestone, claiming that she had swum the Channel in 11 hours 20 minutes, a record for a woman, heating Miss Ederle’s time by throe hours 19 minutes, and that she had left Cape Gris Nez at 7.10 at night, and arrived at Folkestone at 8.02 next morning. The newspapers here have almost unanimously come to the conclusion that it is a fake. This is based on the testimony of the members of the Signal Post at Cape Gris Nez, Franco, who declare that no swimmer could have left the Coast during the afternoon or evening, because the water was too cold.

Some papers insinuate that the majority of the Channel swimmers hang to an escorting boat for a great part of the journey. The only authentic crossing is that of the Frenchman, Michel, who had a legal official boat. The McLellnn incident has caused the British newspapers to publish statements from the semaphore keeper at Oape Gjis Nez, and also from the lighthouse keeper, to the effect that they saw the lights of a boat, together with a dark form in the water, as well as the discovery on the beach of grease tins, the contents of which are used to protect the body against cold. It is also pointed out that there were three disinterested people prominent in Channel crossings in the accompanying boat, including Captain Adams, B.N.