{"id":378241,"date":"2019-07-04T04:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-04T11:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=378241"},"modified":"2019-07-03T14:21:09","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T21:21:09","slug":"swimming-world-presents-aquatic-history-elite-swimmer-teddy-cann-saves-the-uss-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-aquatic-history-elite-swimmer-teddy-cann-saves-the-uss-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents “Aquatic History: Elite Swimmer Teddy Cann Saves the USS May”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teddy Cann Saves the USS May<\/span><\/h1>\n

By Bruce Wigo<\/span><\/p>\n

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany.
\nBefore the month was out, Tedford \u201cTeddy\u201d Cann and his older brother, Harold, made headlines in New York when they answered the first call by Uncle Sam for volunteers and enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves.<\/p>\n

This was big news because almost every schoolboy and sporting enthusiast in New York knew of the famous Cann family.<\/p>\n

Teddy also swam for the New York Athletic Club for Coach Matt Mann, who later became famous at the University of Michigan. In April of 1916, Teddy had shocked the world when he upset the great Hawaiian, Duke Pao Kahanamoku, in the furlong to win the national title in Honolulu Harbor. Shortly before enlisting, Teddy beat Duke again in New York and also won the 100 and 200 yard freestyle national championship titles in Chicago.<\/p>\n

EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM<\/span>
\nOn Nov. 5, 1917, Teddy was serving as a seaman onboard the USS May, a submarine \u201cchaser\u201d patrolling the waters between Bermuda and the Azores on the lookout for German submarines.<\/p>\n

The ship had been rolling heavily in the waves almost since leaving port before the cause was discovered around 7:30 a.m. A forward hold was found to be flooded to a depth of about four feet, making a total depth of water from the bilge compartment at the keel to eight feet. The bilge pumps had failed, so hand bilges were started, hand bucket lines were formed and other attempts to control the water level were tried to keep the boat from sinking.<\/p>\n

By their superhuman efforts, the ship\u2019s company was fighting the sea to a draw, preventing a serious increase in the water level. However, the water kept pouring in through an unknown leak.<\/p>\n

At this point, Teddy Cann volunteered to dive into the bilge compartment from another hold to locate the cause of the leak.<\/p>\n

Through the hatchway he entered, seamen gave him what feeble light they could from oil lanterns. They even tried to encourage him every time he came up for air. But the big job was for Cann alone.<\/p>\n

Down in the forward part of the bilge, Cann kept diving and searching until he finally found the leak. Water was entering through a pipe connected to the sea. This connection was for a sea valve, and the cover was broken. Cann realized that he would have to plug the hold to stop the intake of the seawater that was coming in like a gushing fountain…<\/p>\n

To read more about how Teddy Cann’s athletic skills saved the USS May,
\ncheck out the full July 2019 issue of Swimming World Magazine<\/em>, available now!<\/p>\n

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