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ecord-breaking swim.

Victoria citizens waded ante the surf to greet Marilyn Bell at the end of her r

ia

‘Your fa We are

4 40,009
Bal ash

“tay last

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ari) Week,

| tari

Vater oral entered the
& clean wy. ington side

an ight mile conditions

in

“swim

Y
e inten sh

‘ e had r
28 sw Nationa eached

1 boundar
y and
SURE strongly at 58-
v minute.

th, Mile,
Na Watey ee our, making
The harde, Sppy and swim-

Cg : Was t 3
Plain mee this. poi
Chantin: Ellice Gavi ei that
& courca Py eo, Was

"ep her course
tide change at
Marilyn step-
Up to 62 per

roi
ting Was

tough. Race

Tough mist
the wind.
» ho ¥ Sth her
’ atter what
“Sa pull me out of

“At 5
POU sy, D.
Re Victoria wat eight miles
Now Mk bee "a AY and
i test?
i : -
St. rates ¢ Which carried
; . : ancou-
P.m. she -was

;

proud of you and happy
blooming and to Canada’s as one of ie wor
: Words from Victoria City Council truly.

ople who thronged the beach to welcome m
after she had conquered the Strait of Juan de Fuca sout

By ERNIE KNOTT

in cheerful spirits and well
past Race Rocks.

Captain Cavin told her that
she had made it through the
roughest water. The veteran
tugboat skipper had outguess-
ed the fickle tides and wind
that had defeated 60 or more
swimmers, turning the two
efernents to Marilyn’s advan-
tage.

Gus Ryder read Marilyn a
telegram from her clubmate
Cliff Lumsden, who had con-
quered. the strait from north
to south earlier in the week.

CLIFF LUMSDEN
“Bo, Butch, Go!

that you have
ld’s outstanding swimmers.
described the feelings of some
arathon: swimmer Marilyn

VICTORIA, .B.C.
added further laurels to
These

h-to-north Thurs-

It read: “Go Butch, Go. The

Chief.”

All day long Victoria citi-
vens sat glued to their radios,
hopes lifting with each broad-
cast that Marilyn, a fine young
representative of Canadian
vouth, would come through.

At 6 p.m. people swarmed to
the beach. The flotilla of ac-
companying boats was now
clearly visible and cars and
people were converging at the
shore. Soon the streams of
people became a flood and by
% p.m, the shoreline was jam-
mea for a full three quarters
of a mile with excited and

hopeful people.

Marilyn was caught in a
difficult stretch of water
About a mile offshore and the
wind behind her was piling
up three-foot waves. Passing
freighters’ slowed down, the
passenger ferries leaned hard
over as crowds lined the rail,
uirliners altered their courses
to salute, and jets zoomed
overhead, dipping their wings.

Captain Cavin altered course
a little-and soon Marilyn was
heading rapidly for the shore,
it up by large bonfires and
jined with cheering people. At
this point Gus Ryder wrote on

his blackboard, “You can beat
Thomas” and Captain Cavin
hauled about his tug and sig-
nalled, “You are on your own.”

The tumult was deafening
— car horns blared, people
sereamed, the fireboat sent up
streams of water and many
people began wading out into
the surf. As Marilyn touched
bottom a few feet from shore
people plunged in to greet her,
fully clothed, shouting con-
gratulations and snapping pic-
tures.

Marilyn stood up, a little
dazed by it all, and tired from
her last sprint. Then she wav-
ed her hand and smiled her
famous smile.

August 31, 1956 —

Wvaarliyn hits her nead

Marilyn Bell sets Strait record

to listen toe cneers,

The time was 10 hours 39
rninutes, more than half an
hour under the record time
set by Bert Thomas last year.

Marilyn! Mari-
the crowd roared.

“Marilyn !
lyn !”

Truly it was one of the
greatest demonstrations of
Canadian patriotism and pride
that Victoria had ever experi-
enced — something that the
49,000 people who made up
the crowd will never forget.

Victoria City Council in a
special session decided to erect
a monument at the spot where
Marilyn landed and to ask the
government to change the
name of Ross Bay to Marilyn
Bell Bay.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 15

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