SWIMMING THE CHANNEL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2114, 21 October 1890, Page 3

SWIMMING THE CHANNEL.

On Monday afternoon, August 18th (says the St. James’ Gazette), amid great excitment on shore, Davis Dalton the American back-swimmer, accomplished his long-projected swim from France to England, landing on the Folkestone beach from Boulogne at 3.28, about 1000 yards on the West aide of the New Victoria Pier. At the landing-stage Dalton, being exhausted, dropped down in a faint. He had been seen for a long * time before he touched laud, and a large number of boats gathered round him, while thousands of people congregated on the beach and on the Leas. Dalton was accompained by Captain Henry Dunn (who acted as his pilot on the lugger lifeboat Ocean King), Henry Dunn (who attended him in a small punt the whole distance across), and a reporter, The swim is the longest that has ever been accomplished in the Channel. The distance traversed by Dalton, allowing for the drift of the tides, was sixty miles at least. He - covered it in two ebbs and two floods, being in the water altogether twenty? three hours twenty-eight minutes. Dalton was conveyed in a fainting condition from the shore to the bathing establishment, where he was speedily put to bed. Two medical men were in attendance, but for some time his condition was rather critical. Dunn, who accompanied Dalton, is to make an affidavit before a magistrate that Dalton swam the whole distance, except the last tew miles, on bis back.

Mr F. B. Hulke, M.E.C.5.,L.R.C,P., Mr E. M. Fletcher, M.A., Mr C. G. Stirling 1 , B.A„ and Mr H, G. Pulling, 8.A., all of Oxford, writing to the Times from the yacht Argo state that they left Boulogne Pier ahortly before the Ocean King and watched that boat until dark. They never saw anyone jump off the latter nor swim alongside of her. They were at one time within 200 yards of the Ocean King.