TO SWIM THE CHANNEL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10045, 16 May 1910, Page 4

TO SWIM THE CHANNEL.

To swim the English Channel is an aquatic feat that has been attempted at various times by different firstclass swimmers. Should a New Zealand swimmer accomplish such a performance there is no doubt that his success would be extremely popular in tnis country. Two New Zealanders at the present time are bent upon the task. According to a Press Association telegram from' 1 Auckland, an aspirant for the honours of the English Channel "swim—H. Hoey, of Whangarei—will leave Auckland for Sydney, en route to England by the steamer Wimmera to-day. He has a fine record, having represented New Zealand in Australasian events. He is a man of fine physique, being 6ft 3in tall,and about 16st in weight, and is an all-round athlete. He will place himself under the direction of Burgess on arrival in England. Another aspirant has already left. New Zealand, Wattie Dunn, a half-caste Maori. Fie was the sole survivor at the wreck of the schooner May off Kaipara in 1902. He owed his life on that occasion tohis splendid swimming powers. Dunn was a successful competitor at the Auckland swimming sportß some years ago. Hoey expects to make his attempt in August. Success, of course, depends upon a number ol elements being present in the struggle, but it may be safely said that it is useless for any swim- ] mer to hope to gain Channel huno.urs unless possessed cf wonderful lungs (

and heart; in fact, it has been said that the heart has to be much stronger than the normal, if not actually a good deal larger than the average size as well. The famous Captain Webb, who swam the Channel, had a most remarkable heart, both for size and strength—hence the surprising manner in which his system resisted ihe effect of exposure on the long and hard swim.