Cold Open

It’s the early hours of the morning on August 25th, 1875.

A small sailing boat struggles through the choppy waters off the coast of Northern France. As vicious waves slam against the creaking hull, the spray-soaked men on deck stare anxiously to starboard, searching for a tiny speck in the dark water.

They’re looking for 27-year-old Captain Matthew Webb, man attempting to become the first person to swim across the English Channel. 

One of those on board is a journalist from London. He’s been sent by his newspaper to report on Captain Webb’s foolhardy endeavor, and he fully expects to be sailing back to England with the corpse of a drowned man on board. His suspicions are seemingly confirmed as the boat’s crew fails to locate any sign of the swimmer. But then somebody cries out: “There he is! I see him.”

The journalist squints overboard – and miraculously, there is Captain Webb, his brawny arms pounding the waves like a prizefighter in the ring.

But as the escort boat pulls closer, Captain Webb cries out in pain.

Assuming he’s suffering from a cramp, the men in the boat get ready to pull him from the water. But Webb explains to them it’s not a cramp – he’s been stung by a jellyfish and his arm has gone completely numb.

The men in the boat urge him to come aboard, to give up and try again another day. But Captain Webb shakes his head and insists that all he needs is a swig of brandy.

So, the journalist leaps into action. He rummages in the supply box and pulls out the brandy. He leans overboard and pours a stiff measure directly into the swimmer’s open mouth. Captain Webb grins and smacks his lips. Then, he turns and continues swimming in the direction of France, leaving an amazed audience in his wake.

Captain Matthew Webb’s attempt to become the first person to swim across the English Channel has captured the imagination of the British public. Hundreds of spectators flocked to see him off from the beach at Dover, and many more will gather to welcome him ashore in France. His achievement will come to embody the spirit of the Victorian age, which valued pluck and courage above all else. It will also turn Captain Webb into a celebrity. But his story will prove to be one of tragedy as well as triumph.

As his fame diminishes, Captain Webb will try to reclaim his former glory by attempting to swim across the notoriously dangerous Whirlpool Rapids at the foot of Niagara Falls – a reckless stunt that will claim Captain Webb’s life, just eight years after completing his daring swim across the English Channel on August 25th, 1875.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is August 25th, 1875: Captain Matthew Webb Swims the English Channel.

Act One: Birth of a Stuntman

It’s April 1873; two years before Matthew Webb will make his historic swim.

A British merchant steamship slices through the mid-Atlantic. As the vessel lurches across undulating waves, junior officer Matthew Webb pulls on his cigarette and gazes out toward the horizon. It’s early morning, and Matthew is taking the final shift of the night watch.

At 25 years old, Matthew has spent his entire adult life at sea. In the early years, he loved the excitement of leaving port and arriving, weeks later, in a completely foreign land. But lately, he’s been finding the job monotonous and dull. When he was a child, Matthew always imagined that his life would be full of adventure, wealth, and acclaim. But those fantasies never came true. And without any formal education or training, he fears he may be stuck as a merchant seaman forever.

As he dwells on his limited career options, Matthew hears a muffled splash followed by a terrified cry for help. He peers overboard. And there, struggling to keep his head above water, is one of Matthew’s crewmates. He must have slipped while unfurling the mainsail.

Matthew doesn’t pause to think. He mutters a quick prayer, then dives headfirst into the waves. The shock of the cold water takes his breath away at first. But Matthew is a strong swimmer. He beats his way to the surface and looks around for the drowning sailor. By now, a group of crewmen have gathered on deck to witness the drama unfolding below and Matthew fills his lungs with air, then dives beneath the surface, searching the roiling waves for his shipmate. But it is too late. The unfortunate sailor has already been swallowed up by the depths.

Matthew swims back to his ship and collapses on deck, shivering and gasping for breath. His shipmates clap him on the back and throw a blanket around his shoulders. They commend him for his bravery – even if he couldn’t save the life of the drowned sailor.

When his steamship docks in Liverpool, word of Matthew’s heroics makes its way into the newspapers. And soon, the story catches the attention of the entire nation. A few weeks later, Matthew is invited to a ceremony by the Royal Humane Society, where he is presented with the Stanhope Medal, an award handed out for the year’s most commendable act of bravery. Matthew thirstily drinks in the applause.

After a while, though, the excitement dies down. And Matthew is forced to sign up for another steamship crossing as ordinary life resumes. But though he is soon promoted to captain – a role that comes with greater prestige and a higher salary – Matthew struggles to re-adjust to ordinary oceangoing life. He has tasted fame – and he wants more.

One day, while on shore leave in England, Matthew learns that someone recently tried to swim across the English Channel – a feat that has never been accomplished. Sensing an opportunity to achieve more fame and glory, Matthew decides to give up his job as a sea captain and dedicate himself to breaking this record.

Over the course of the next two years, he trains rigorously. Matthew hires a swimming coach, who puts him through his paces at the Lambeth Baths in London and then in the murky waters of the river Thames. With his short, muscular physique, Matthew is a natural athlete and a gifted swimmer. And by the summer of 1875, he believes he’s ready to attempt the seemingly impossible.

On the morning of August 12th, Matthew stands at the end of the pier in Dover, Southern England, staring out at the mist-shrouded horizon. It’s just over twenty miles from here to Calais in Northern France, a stretch of the Channel known for strong rip currents and low temperatures. Matthew knows the odds are stacked against him. But backing out now is not an option. He glances back at the spectators and reporters gathered to wave him off, then he plunges into the water.

Matthew makes good progress throughout the morning. He swims breaststroke since the generally faster front crawl has yet to be popularized, and after approximately seven hours, the hazy outline of the French coastline looms into view. Matthew’s heart soars at the sight.

But just when he’s within reach of the finish line, storm clouds gather overhead. And moments later, the heavens open up. Savage winds drive tumbling waves across the surface of the Channel, and Matthew knows that to carry on in these conditions would be suicide. He flags down one of the escort boats and crawls on board, coughing and spluttering. His attempt to make history has failed.

But Matthew will not give up. Only two weeks later, he will try again. In front of a crowd of cheering supporters, he will dive into the waters of the English Channel once more, and this time, he won’t stop swimming until he reaches France – and writes himself into the history books.

Act Two: Dover to Calais

It’s August 24th, 1875, twelve days after Captain Matthew Webb’s first attempt to swim across the English Channel.

Matthew stands at the end of the pier in Dover, preparing for his second attempt to make history. His body is slathered in porpoise grease to defend against the cold, and three escort boats bob in the calm water, loaded with emergency rations of beef tea, cod liver oil, and brandy. Matthew listens to the cheering crowd gathered on the beach and savors the moment, relishing his newfound fame. But he knows how quickly that fame will turn to ridicule if he fails for a second time. He’s determined not to let that happen.

After diving into the waves, Matthew begins swimming in a straight line in the direction of Calais. It’s a clear sunny day, but as he swims into the afternoon, a stiff sea breeze develops, pushing white-capped breakers across the surface of the Channel. As waves crash over him, Matthew struggles on, his determination unfaltering.

But exhaustion sets in as the sun starts to go down. Escort boats are on hand to replenish his energy with a gulp of beef tea and a spoonful of cod liver oil. Revitalized, Matthew powers on through the night. He’s ahead of schedule, more than three-quarters of the way to France, and that's when things start to go wrong.

By now, it’s the middle of the night and the silvery fog hangs over the water’s surface. Matthew is just thinking about how beautiful the sea looks in the moonlight when a sharp pain shoots through his right shoulder. He cries out and scans the water. A few seconds later, he spots a jellyfish – drifting just beneath the waves.

Matthew swims on, but he’s already feeling the effects of the sting. His arm is growing numb, making it hard to continue swimming forward. He stops and treads water as he searches the surrounding darkness for the escort boat. But it’s nowhere to be seen. Matthew shouts for help, and eventually, the boat looms through the mist. 

When it pulls up alongside him, the men on board assume the swimmer has a cramp. When he tells them what really happened, they urge him to come aboard for treatment. But Matthew has come too far to back out now. He barks at the men to give him a swig of brandy, and with the sweet, strong alcohol coursing through his veins, he turns back to the open sea, the feeling gradually returning to his arm.  

But as the night wears on, it becomes clear that the jellyfish was not the last obstacle that he would face. With dawn approaching, Matthew feels himself being dragged off course by a powerful westerly wind. He fights against the current but knows that if he struggles too much, he’ll wear himself out. Instead, Matthew lets the wind carry him off course then when the breeze drops, he swims back in the direction of Calais.

This zigzagging route adds several hours to the journey. And by morning, Matthew is completely drained. The wind has separated him from the escort boats too, and every time another wave breaks over his head, he doesn’t know if he’ll have the energy to resurface. He can see the coastline ahead of him – a flash of green bobbing in and out of view. It can’t be more than a few hundred yards away, but Matthew is pushing the limits of his endurance. And he doesn’t think he’ll make it. 

But then a rowboat comes skipping over the water. The Frenchmen on board assure Matthew that he’s only two hundred and fifty yards away from the beach. They position their boat alongside him to break the force of the waves. And with the sound of the sailors’ encouragement in his ears, Matthew takes advantage of the tide and swims to shore. 

Only a few moments later, Matthew's feet touch solid ground. He stands and staggers forward, collapsing several times in the shallows, before heaving himself upright and tottering unsteadily onto the sandy beach. The reception is immediate and overwhelming. Curious locals have turned up in the hundreds to welcome Matthew to France – and to congratulate him on becoming the first person to swim the English Channel.

Back in England, Matthew is instantly a celebrity. He goes on to win several national swimming competitions and even writes a bestselling book entitled The Art of Swimming. Soon, his name becomes so recognizable that companies pay him to endorse their products, with matchboxes and dinner sets emblazoned with the face of Captain Matthew Webb.

As the years pass though, the excitement around his achievement will die down. The fickle Victorian public will find new heroes to admire, and Matthew’s face will vanish from consumer products. But as someone who has aspired to fame and wealth his whole life, Matthew is not going to give it up without a fight. In 1883, he will attempt to launch himself back into the public eye by performing an even bolder stunt than before – one that will either cement his legacy as the greatest swimmer of the Victorian Age – or leave his wife a widow.

Act Three: Nothing Great is Easy

It’s July 24th, 1883; eight years after Captain Matthew Webb swam across the English Channel.

Matthew stands astride a small boat moored near the banks of the Niagara River in New York. The Englishman strokes his blonde mustache as he looks down into the churning white water and reflects on what he is about to attempt. He knows it’s crazy, maybe even suicidal – but it’s his last chance to reclaim his former celebrity.

At the age of thirty-five, Matthew has lost some of the vigor of his twenties. His eyes have a desperate wildness about them, and his strong, muscular physique has grown slack and paunchy. But despite his appearance, Matthew has more experience now than he had before he swam the Channel. He briefly established himself as one of England’s best swimmers. And even though his moment in the spotlight didn’t last long, he feels certain that he has the talent to get it back.

Today, Matthew is attempting to swim across Whirlpool Rapids – a treacherous stretch of the Niagara River that has become a popular tourist attraction. Nobody has successfully pulled off this ambitious feat. But in spite of this, Matthew has struggled to generate much publicity for the stunt. He turns to look up at the bridge that spans the width of the gorge – and is disappointed by the turnout. He only hopes that among the handful of spectators is a reporter from a major newspaper.

Matthew turns back to the river. He lifts his arms high above his head and performs a theatrical dive, plunging headfirst into the rapids. The current immediately grabs hold of him and pulls him along at breakneck speed. Matthew gasps for air as his body bounces over boulders and tumbles down small waterfalls. He flails his arms, desperate to keep his head above water; anxious to prove that, contrary to popular belief, Captain Matthew Webb is still the greatest swimmer of the age.

But as the river thunders through the gorge, he feels the fight leaving his body. Every bone-crunching impact with a boulder knocks a little more life out of him. His head plunges beneath the surface – and he catches one final glimpse of the canyon walls and blue sky above him before the water closes in and he sinks beneath the rapids.

In the end, Captain Matthew Webb will never recover the fame he enjoyed earlier in his life. His drowned body will be recovered from the river and buried at Oakwood Cemetery near Niagara Falls. But though his life ended abruptly, his legacy will linger on. In 1909, his older brother will unveil a memorial in Matthew’s hometown in England, bearing the inscription: “Nothing great is easy” – a fitting epitaph to the short, trail-blazing life of a man who made history when he swam across the English Channel on August 25th, 1875.

Outro

Next on History Daily. August 28th, 1955. When visiting family in Mississippi, Black teenager Emmett Till is brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman, shocking the nation and galvanizing its growing civil rights movement.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammed Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Joe Viner.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.