A Dive from London Bridge.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3368, 23 November 1889, Page 2

A Dive from London Bridge.

About live minutes to three on the afternoon of September 27 a young lady and lier brother might have been seen meditatively gazing from Hie parapet of London Bridge on the west side into the depths below. The pair wore so innocent of mischief in dress Jk or manner that no passenger seemed * in any way to suspect anything unusual. A boat containing tho lady's other brother -Professor Finney, tta welllmown swimmer-and twoft'ienjß then began dodging about in a suspicious way. At a given signal from those in tho boat, when one of tho gentlemen entered tho water a procautionary measure, the mysterious young lady on the .sidewalk quickly divested herself of cloak and bat, and leaping lightly down to tho ledge, stood posed for a momont, in the costume worn by burlesquo princes in their own country, Thon,6traight as an arrow, down she went into the dirty water some 45 feet below, only to remain under for about two eeconde. Thoso in the boat promptly took her on board.aud she was duly lauded and hurried off to a hostelry in the neighbourhood of the Old Swan Pior. Thither a party of pressmen speedily tracked her, guided by tho wet footprints on the stones, and as soon as slio was dressed Marie Finney had to submit to a sort of composite interview. She will be eighteen nuxt January,and is as comely a damsel as one would wish to sec, She lias dived a distanco of 54 fcel,off Llandudno Pior. "1 i!R no fear to-day,"sbe answered simply,"lfcj only thought of getting in neatly, and™ it didn't scorn to take any timo." The temporature of tho water was stated to be about 560, and in view of two statements made—first, the trite reflection that "this is an age of advertisement;" and the second, by another of tho young lady's friends, that" she and her brother ' open' at tho Washington Music Hall shortly," it is not difficult to imagine why this rather perilous feat was undertaken. Jt certainly proved a harmless exhibition, but there aro doubtless some who will question the expediency of |it.