Gertrude Ederle sponsored by a newspaper, the "Baltimore Post", which tried to create a rivalry between her and Ederle in the weeks spent training off the French coast. In addition to Cannon, several other swimmers, including two other American women – Clarabelle Barrett and Amelia Gade Corson – were training in England with the goal of becoming the first woman to swim the Channel. Barrett and Cannon were unsuccessful but three weeks after Ederle's feat, Corson crossed in a time that was 50 minutes slower than Ederle. For her second attempt at the Channel, Ederle had an entourage aboard the tug (the
Carlo Ederle Carlo Ederle Major Carlo Ederle was born in Verona, Italy in 1892. He attended the R. Ginnasio Liceo "Scipione Maffei" and received his diploma at the age of 17. He registered at the Engineer School at the University of Padua and was awarded the degree of Engineer "ad honorem" November 12, 1910. At Turin Military Academy, he graduated first of 200 artillery second lieutenants. Appointed to the rank of lieutenant in 1913, Ederle was assigned to the 8th Field Artillery. In April 1915, he was promoted to captain, and appointed commanding officer at the Artillery Training Center at Ciriè (Province