Isacescu, Countess Walpurga von - 05/09/1900

Description

Start 7.30am, finish 6.00pm. Started from Calais Casino. Had 2 eggs and glass of port before starting - fed on lump sugar and tea a la Russe with lemon via a feeding bottle. Heavy mist and strong waves caused her to stop. Grease - rubbed all over with pork fat

Swimmer(s)

Isacescu, Walpurga von

Date

05/09/1900

Duration of swim

10:30 hours

Pilot

M. Levavasseur

Pilot boat

Jeanette, steam tug

Notes

An Austrian Countess the first woman to swim the Channel. From the San Francisco Examiner. She made her start from Calais with a tug as support boat. Rubbed down with pork fat. Started 6 am. Fed on cold beef tea and anchovy toast and later small pieces of rare beef. Didn't land but was taken on board the tug in the surf off Shakespeare Cliff. The Gastonia Gazette, North Carolina 29 Nov 1900

Success/failure

Failed

Direction(s)

France-England