MISS BECKWITH'S SWIMMING FEAT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4562, 3 November 1875, Page 3

MISS BECKWITH'S SWIMMING FEAT.

tFrom the London Daily Telegraph, Sept. -)■ Another great feat in the art of natation .was accomplished yesterday, when Hiss Agnes Alice, the youthful daughter of the weiiknown Professor Beckwith, of the Lambeth Baths, swam from London Bridge to the Koyal Hospital at Greenwich, in little more than an hour. The heroine of yesterday is the youngest of the- professor's family, haying been born on the 14th August, IS6I, so that she has but very recently celebrated her fourteenth birthday; nevertheless, she has for years given illustrations of ornamental swimming at most of our watering-places and inland towns where there are baths suitable for such a purpose. Her feat of yesterday, considering her youth and the difficulties by which surrounded, was perfectly marvellous, ana elicited, as it deserved, unbounded applause from thousands who witnessed the finish. Following so closely after the gallant act of Captain Webb, the announcement that a young lady—a mere child, in fact —intended to show that pluck and an ability to endure immersion were not altogether confined to the male sex, created immense excitement, and all along the course there was little short of an ovation.

Miss Beckwith was taught to swiin at the age of three, and when she had attained that of seven, she took part in a series of entertainments at the Lambeth Baths, where she astonished the spectators by the ease and grace with which she demonstrated many novelties in the art. Swimming like a duck or a dog, floating on the water, diving, turning somersaults through hoops, and going through a variety of other acrobatic performances, she proved herself to be a veritable mermaid ; the water, in fact, seemed to be her home. At Brill's Baths, Brighton, at the Nassau, West-ward-Ho, Plymouth, at the Crystal Palace, at Stafford, "Worcester, and at numbers of other places Miss Beckwith has exhibited her nata- - tory powers, and has demonstrated the peculiarities of the mode adopted by her family for saving life, whilst she has given private lessons in the art of swimming to many ladies of the upper classes. A swim of five miles in the Thames was therefore considered from the first an act which she could easily accomplish, and so it has proved. The only difficulty which was felt was the low temperature of the water, for Miss Beckwith, unlike Captain Webb, is not blessed with a skin that is impervious to cold, and cramp it was feared might prevent her from accomplishing her task.

Special provision for a number of ladies and o-entlemen desirous of witnessing the feat was made, one of the river boats, the Volunteer, having been chartered for the occasion. The company, or rather the excursion party, with Professor Beekwith and his accomplished daughter on hoard, left Westminster Pier soon after 4 o'clock, and, after calling at Waterloo and elsewhere, reached the starting-point at London Bridge at a quarter to 5. On the ■wharves, the piers, the bridge itself, and indeed upon every place on both sides of the river, thousands of persons had congregated ; and as the young lady appeared on the deck of the steamer, clad in a tight bathing costume of rose pink lama, trimmed with white lace, and with her long, flowing, flaxen hair neatly bound by a ribbon, ready to plunge into the waters of the Thames, vociferous cheers, again and again renewed, came from all sides. A small boat conveyed the youthful swimmer and her father and brother into the centre of the stream, and at five minutes to 5 Miss Beekwith commenced her task. She plunged from the bow of the boat with the greatest ease xnA l £anrffroid, and on rising to the surface struck «. ut bravely towards Greenwich. It was abon tan hour and a-half after high water, and the tide was ebbing rapidly. As if to favor the youthful swimmer, the sky became overcast just previously to starting, so that there was no strong sunlight to dazzle her eyes, and very little wind—not even sufficient to raise the tiniest of waves, indeed. Father Thames was considerate in every respect, and a better opportunity, as far as the state of the river or the weather was concerned, for the accomplishment of the feat, could not have been found. No sooner had Miss Beekwith commenced swimming than she was beset with a number of small boats, rowed by watermen and others; and they commenced hemming her in in a manner that seemed absolutely dangerous. Numbers of them were rowed immediately before her, and it was with considerable difficulty that the two police galleys one from Wapping and the other from Waterloo—which escorted the young lady on either side, could keep a clear course for her. Her father and brother, who sat stripped ready for any emergency, preceded her in the small boat, while craft of all kinds, including the steamer Volunteer, followed in the wake. All along the route, on every bit of vantage ground, and up the rigging of the numerous ships in the Pool, were clustered thousands of persons anxious to get a glimpse of the swimmer. The Tower was passed, at six minutes past 5 amidst hearty cheers from the ships and on shore, and so Miss Beekwith proceeded, at times completely hidden from the view of those on the steamer by the scores of boats that crowded round her. Swimming bravely on, and following immediately and at times close to the stern of her father's boat, Miss Beekwith at ten minutes past 5 reached Cherry-garden Pier, and again there broke forth the heartiest of cheers. The small boats increased in number, and so closely did they now press upon her that fears that some direful occurrence would follow began to be entertained. Happily, however, all went on well; and Miss Beekwith, encouraged by her father, apparently paid but little heed to the annoyance. In response to the cheers that continually greeted her from the steamer and the boats, she kissed her hand, and testified in a becoming manner that she was confident of success. At times as many as fifty small boats, including one or more ugly barges, could be counted ahead, and no amount of police interference could prevent many of them from getting in the way._ Miss Beekwith, who was now swimming with the tide on the southern or Kentish side of the river, reached the Globe Wharf, and presently the Horseferry Dock, where a salute was fired from a ship under repairs. Other vessels in this vicinity paid similar compliments, which were acknowledged by the heartiest of hurrahs from her friends. Young Beekwith signalled right," and by half-past five the Canada Wharf on one side and the entrance to the London Docks on the other were passed. The sun now burst forth brightly, and as about half the distance, or two miles and a half, had been accomplished, it was taken as an omen of success. Judging from the features of the youthful aspirant, there was nothing to indicate the slightest fatigue, but rather that she was wanning to her work, and evidently meant to win. For a moment or two there was an inconvenient stoppage, caused by the flotilla of boats getting jammed together, and to add to the difficulty a barge was steered right across her path, on its way towards the Nelson Dock. On emerging from the opposite side of this river nuisance Miss Beekwith was again loudly applauded by the spectators on the steamer, and she responded by a graceful wave of the hand. At 5.40 the Commercial Dock pier was reached, and almost immediately afterwards the Margate boat came up, and though her engines were slackened by order of her captain, she left an ugly swell, from which, had it not been for the protection of the small boats, in this respect moat useful, considerable inconvenience must have been felt by the lady. At about a quarter to six the course was changed from the southern to the northern side of the river, and in a couple of minutes afterwards the docks at Millwall were in line. The trees of Greenwich Park were now distinctly visible, and as Miss Beekwith was careering along there was but little doubt of her success. Three cheers were called for, and then came Millwall Pier, the cattle sheds at Deptford —time, ten minutes to six—Penn's engine works, and ultimately Greenwich. A band on board the Volunteer played "See, the Conquering Hero Comes," and, with much cheering and firing of cannon, Miss Beekwith, in order to show that she was but little distressed by her feat, astonished the spectators by some cleverly-executed tricks with a hoop thrown to her by her brother, which Bhe con-

j tinued until the Royal Hospital was reached, at four minutes past six, when she was lifted out of the water by her father, amidst a scene of the wildest enthusiasm and delight. The time occupied in swimming the distance, which is rather over five miles, was one hour and nine minutes. In the cabin of the steamer Miss Beckwith assumed her ordinary attire, and soon afterwards was taken to the Ship Hotel for refreshment. She asserted that she did not feel in the least degree tired—in fact, she could have swum another five miles with the greatest ease ; and as for the fear that the cold of the water might affect her, she assured. her friends that she felt not the slightest inconvenience from it. but that she was warmer, indeed, when she left the Thames than she was when she entered it. Miss Beckwith, like Captain Webb, adopted the breast stroke all the way, and never at any time attempted to relieve herself by swimming on her side, in which she is not an adept. Although brandy and port wine were provided for her use en voyage, she declined to take either, and therefore performed her task without the slightest stimulant whatever. On Saturday Miss Beckwith swam from Westminster to Blackfriars, and on Monday from Battersea Park to Battersea Bridge, and those are the only eccasions on which she had previously tried her skill in the Thames. After an hour's delay at Greenwich, the Volunteer steamed for London, and at dusk landed its freight, including the youthful champion, apparently none the worse for her venture at Westminster. Apropos of deeds of daring, it is likely that another attempt will be made shortly to swim across the Channel, the aspirant for honor on this occasion being an amateur in training by Professor Beckwith, from whose tuition Captain Webb gained so much.