IN THE CHANNEL ON A MATTRESS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 268, 12 November 1877, Page 4

IN THE CHANNEL ON A MATTRESS.

An interesting trial of a new.lifesaving apparatus has just been made ia the English Channel. The chief points of this so-called mattress, contrived by Captain Webb, the Channel swimmer, are ite extreme simplicity and cheapness. It consists of a plain woodeu case, 6ffc 6in long, and 2ft 6in wide, the bottom of which is curved from end to end, but the sides ate cut straight, being 6ft 6ia long, and nearly a foot wide. These sides, the bottom being curved, form a double keel, one on each side of tbe niattrass; Over the sides is securely stretched aud fastened a piece of siroug waterproof cauvas. This wooden case, with its canvas top, is, of course, exceedingly light and buoyant, and forma a very comfortable berth or mattress on board ship, and weighing, as it does, about 501ba, could be easily thrown overboard in case of emergency, and would serve as a lifeaaving rait. Soon after 12 o'clock in the afternoon, Captain Webb, accompanied by his boatman and a friend, left Ramsgate in a small sailiog boat. Originally it had been Captain Webb's intention to start from Ramagate, and to attempt to paddle in the new liferaft the whole way to Dover. The tide, however, was extremely weak, and as a considerable crowd of persons had collected on Bamsgate Pier, under the impression that some .new torpedo experiments were about to take place, it was decided to make the first experiment in the open sea With a fair wind he soon got out to sea, and on reaching off Deal, five or six miles from shore, the hollow berth was thrown overboard for the first time. Captain Webb, in ordinary dress, took his seat on the canvas top in a small posl of salt water, paddle in hand. The sea was far too rough to be pleasant, which added to the ioterest created in the novel excursion of Captain Webb. The "mattress" rose and fell with the waves with great buoyancy and apparent stability, and in a perfectly horizontal position. The difficulty that had been feared in Webb keeping his seat on the sida of a large wave, did not arise; aad by means of the double paddle, similar to those used in ordinary caooea, Webb kept his seat without

endue effort, and made way steadily in the direction of Dover ait the rate of tbree miles an hour. He arrived ag (he pier - head shortly after four o'clock, having occupied nearly four hours in his trip. The "mattress" draws only two or three inches of .water, forms a comfortable berth, and can be made by any ordinary carpenter at a cost of about 30s. So confident does Captain Webb feel in (he sea going properties of his little craft that he intends going shortly from Dover to Boulogne unaccompanied by escort of any kind.