In his second attempt to swim across the English Channel, which was started yesterday morning, James Mearns, of Aberdeen, the Scottish champion long-distance swimmer, had the bad fortune to be caught in half a gale of wind about two hours after starting. On his first attempt, a fortnight ago, Mearns narrowly missed achieving his object, in a fine swim of fourteen hours. The heavy seas set up by the strong wind yesterday caused the captain of the tug, after Mearns had covered eight miles in three hours and ten minutes, to advise the abandonment of the attempt, as it would be madness to continue it in such conditions. That this advice was right was proved by the Strong gale which sprang up in the Channel a few hours later. Among those who accompanied Mearns on his swim were Councillors Duncan and Leith, of the Aberdeen Town Council, and Mr. F. Brew and Mr. G. Henry, captain and secretary respectively of the Aberdeen Swimming Club, to which Mearns belongs. An exciting adventure befell a boatload of the party who were attempting to find a place for the swimmer to start from. In the darkness, soon after two o’clock yesterday morning, the boat struck a rock and narrowly escaped capsizing. At length the effort to get the boat ashore was given up, and Mearns was greased in the boat and had to swim ashore before he could make his start: Manchester Guardian 24 August 1908