THE CHANNEL SWIM. AN AMERICAN YARN: The "wonderful feat" of Sam Mahoney, USA, who according to a Boston paper succeeded in swimming the English Channel in September last, proves to be little more than a "wonderful" effort of imagination, says the Boulogne correspondent of the "Evening News". In the Boston journal, which gave a page headline to Sam Mahoney's stealthy swim, a certificate was quoted from the master and crew of the French tug Sophie, which was said to have accompanied the modest swimmer during his exploit. Here is the tug master's version of the mysterious performance - "Mahoney and two others," he says "hired my tug on September 12. The boat left Boulogne Harbour at 6 am. After greasing Mahoney made several swims lasting about an hour each. Several photographs were taken of the 'swim' and another showed the 'send off' by spectators in a small boat flying the Stars and Stripes. "Mahoney was unable to battle with the six knot current and he eventually returned to Boulogne on the Sophie. "The tug boat," added the captain "was never more than four miles fiom the French coast". The Sydney Morning Herald Fri 25 Dec 1908