WHEN HE MADE THE SWIM FROM LOWELL TO LAWRENCE 

    Henry F. Sullivan of Lowell was the first American to swim the English Channel.  He did the performance a week ago and while the Argentinian followed a week later and bridged the channel in a short time thanSullivan did, Sullivan still remains the only American to succeed in the swim.

    Sullivan's first swim of importance was August 23, 1911 when he swam from Lowell to Lawrence.  He was 19 years old at the time.  He dove off the Central bridge in Lowell at 7:30 and was accompanied in his swim by John Conlon, William Mahan and Thomas Durgin.  

    Sullivan made the swim in 5 hours 44 minutes.  

    He was at Elsmere at 8:15, McMannonn's at 8:35 Varnum's at 9, Pine Island at 10:27, Ivy Island at 10:45, Glen Forest at 12, Pumping station at 12:41 and came out of the water at the rear of Riverside Park at 1:14.

    When he left the water, he was taken in charge of Jimmy Murphy, the groundskeeper, who worked over  him and gave him a good rub down.  Sullivan seemed none the worse for  his swim.

    It was the longest he had attempted to that time and he had never tried the salt water, but he announced at the time that he would attempt the Boston Light swim before the summer finished.  From then on Sullivan has been a prominent figure in swimming circles.

    Conlon who was with him on his Lowell to Lawrence swim, was with him on the English Channel swim.  He  has remained with him through all these years and they have been like brothers to each other.

Lawrence Eagle Tribune August 14 1923 

This was transcribed by MET January 2006