CAPTAIN PAUL BOYNTON IN THE THAMES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 108, 22 May 1875, Page 7

CAPTAIN PAUL BOYNTON IN THE THAMES.

The London ' Telegraph ' of the 7th of February gives the following account of the appearance of Captain Paul Boynton, the noted IrishAmerican swimmer, in the river Thames :—: — " A novel and apparently dangerous experiment was tried last Saturday in the Thames by Captain Paul Boynton, and the crowds of people which thronged the bridges on Saturday were thoroughly astonished at Ms daring. It was originally intended that Captain Boynton should swim from Wapping Old Stairs to Putney and back, but the hour at which the start was made precluded the possibility of carrying out the design. There was a very large crowd at Wapping Old Stairs at half-past one o'clock, and Mr. Boynton was there, accompanied by his brother' and several Americanl gentlemen. The apparatus was viewed with much interest, and it may at once be described as a complete costume, made chieflyjof india rubber. It is in two pieces, which, at the waist, are united.' The pantaloons include covering for the feet, with strong soles, these being drawn over the wearer's ordinary dress, and kept in position by strong suspenders passed over the shoulders and buckled to the inside of. the waist. A steel-ridged hoop fits round the waist, and furnishes a water-tight joint to the upper portion of the dress drawn down to meet it. The upper garment is at once a jacket and a head-piece, with gloves for the hands. At the waist the elastic material is strained tightly over the hoop of the pantaloons, so as to exclude the water and keep in the air. When Captain Boynton had adjusted his costume, he introduced by means of tubes, air into the different chambers, which are between the outer and inner skin of the dress ; and at 2 o'clock he cooly walked down the ' old stairs,' and was immediately in the ■water, the depth being then about 15 feet, high tide being marked down for 3.20 p.m. He maintained an erect position, the waist-belt being the water-line, and lighted a cigar before the final arrangements for starting were made. Suddenly assuming an horizontal position, Captain Boynton lay upon the water with the buoyancy of a cork, his chest and legs being well above the tide. Tho buoyant powers of the apparatus were made manifest the moment Mr. Boynton got away from the steps, and cleared the numerous small boats by which he was surrounded. He was in the centre of the river in. a couple of minutes, with the flag of the United States flying from a staff affixed to one of his boots. A double-bladed paddle of wood forms the means of propulsion, and the speed at which, the floater went was, under all the circumstances — the wind being against him — considerable. It should be stated that the apparatus was but half inflated, and that when fully distended if would be able to sustain the weight of a man far heavier than Mr. Boynton, who is strong, muscular, and «yi no light weight. Away he went, while thousands of people looked ' on with amazement at the extraordinary progress which the captain made in the teeth of a strong south-westerly breeze. London Bridge presented an appearance seldom witnessed. It was literally covered with people, who cheered again and again as Captain Boynton made straight for tho centre arch, and blew his horn in recognition of the greeting. After a while Mr. Boynton's brother passed some rockets to tho captain, and these he began to fire off, lighting the fuse with his cigar, as he passed rappidly under the Cannon-street railway bridge. Captain Boynton refreshed himself with a glass of champagne between Southwark and Blackfriars Bridges, and 'shelled' the people on the parapets with his rockets. Again he held in either hand a sort of rocket torch, which sent up colored stars from time to time, and during this period he exhibited not the least sign of physical exhaustion. The Victoria Embankment was thronged with people, and the captain received a hearty ovation as he went ashore for a few minutes at the Temple Stairs, where he was welcomed and congratulated. Subsequently, when amid loud clieering, the captain ' shot' the middle arch of Westminster Bridge, it was ten minutes past three o'clock. From the Victoria Embankment the crowds rushed across Westminster Bridge and lined the Albert Embankment as far as the eastern side of Vauxhall Bridge, when it was deemed advisable, as the tide was now on the ebb and the evening was falling, to end the run up the river. Paddling back to Lambeth Pier, Captain Boynton and party went ashore, in his amphibious dress, and was speedily surrounded by an immense crowd. The captain was soon in the river again, and with a good flowing ebb-tide ran rapidly back to the East-end cheered by thousands of people. The exhibitionwas a thorough success.