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WEBB, MATTHEW (1848-1883)

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 455 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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WEBB, See also:MATTHEW (1848-1883) , See also:English swimmer, generally known as " See also:Captain Webb," was See also:born at Dawley in See also:Shropshire on the 18th of See also:January 1848, the son of a See also:doctor. While still a boy he saved one of his See also:brothers from drowning in the See also:Severn, and, while serving on See also:board the training See also:ship in the See also:Mersey, he again distinguished himself by saving a drowning comrade. He served his See also:apprenticeship in the See also:East See also:India and See also:China See also:trade, shipped as second See also:mate for several owners, and in 1874, was awarded the first See also:Stanhope See also:gold See also:medal by the Royal Humane Society for an See also:attempt to See also:save a See also:seaman who had fallen over-board from the See also:Cunard steamship " See also:Russia." In 1875 Captain Webb abandoned a See also:sea-faring See also:life and became a professional swimmer. On the 3rd of See also:July he swam from Blackwall See also:Pier to See also:Gravesend, a distance of 20 m., in 4 See also:hours, a See also:record which remained unbeaten until 1899. In the same See also:year, after one unsuccessful attempt, he swam the English Channel, on the 24th of See also:August, from See also:Dover to See also:Calais in 21; hours. For the next few years Webb gave performances of diving and See also:swimming at the Royal See also:Aquarium in See also:London and elsewhere. See also:Crossing to See also:America, he attempted, on the 24th' of July 1883, to swim the rapids and whirlpool below See also:Niagara Falls. In this attempt he lost his life.

End of Article: WEBB, MATTHEW (1848-1883)

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