Search swimsCurrently displaying: 4 results You've searched for:Surname: "M" xYear: "1908" x Field to search All fieldsSuccessful swim numberSuccessful swimmer numberSwim ranking (England-France)Swim ranking (France-England) Search term Filter by Direction England-France (3)France-England (1)Filter by Nationality Scotland (3)USA (1) Sort by: OldestNewestSwimmerSuccessful swim numberSuccessful swimmer number Mearns, James - 08/08/1908Description Started South Foreland. Removed from water exhaustedSwimmer(s) Mearns, JamesDate 08/08/1908Duration of swim 14:00Pilot Captain BirchfieldPilot boat Sea Wolfe steam yachtTrainer Billy KellingleyNotes TRYING TO SWIM CHANNEL Dover, Aug. 10. In an attempt to swim the English Channel, James Mearns, the Scottish chnmpion, nearly lost his life. Leaving the English coast Saturday night, he was within three miles of France, after being in the water fourteen hours. Mearns was persistent and he labored unti he became so exhausted that one of his attendants (Billy Kellingley) aboard a tug had to jump in the water fully dressed and support the swimmer until he could be rescued: Lethbridge Daily Herald, Canada, Aug 10 1908Success/failure Failed (725)Direction(s) England-France (657)Mearns, James - 23/08/1908Description Heavy winds and strong seas. Abandoned after 8 milesSwimmer(s) Mearns, JamesDate 23/08/1908Duration of swim 03:10Notes 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 Success/failure Failed (725)Direction(s) England-France (657)Mearns, James - 07/09/1908Description Abandoned at 2.06 am after 14 miles. Started Shakespeare Cliff 8.25 pm. Pilot boat Gnat tug, trainers and pacemakers, Jack Weidman and Professor BiberoSwimmer(s) Mearns, JamesDate 07/09/1908Duration of swim 06:20Pilot boat Gnat tugTrainer Jack Weidman and Professor BiberoNotes Shakespeare Beach (Admiralty Pier)Success/failure Failed (725)Direction(s) England-France (657)Mahoney, Samuel - 11/09/1908Description Probable scamSwimmer(s) Mahoney, SamuelDate 11/09/1908Duration of swim 19:55Pilot boat Sophie of BoulogneTrainer Henry HamblinNotes 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 1908Success/failure Failed (725)Direction(s) France-England (736)