Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-08-04
Learning TO Swim.


EVERY boy should learn to swim. It Is
both pleasant and a healtbful sport;
and in these days when so many travel
over sea OF ocean, or are carried from one
place to another along our coasts, or up
and down our rivers, not a few sometimes
suddenly find themselves in the water,
when life depends upon reaching a bale
Of cotton, or plank, or something else
1t is estimated that from fifty to a hum
dred persons annually lose their lives in
the United States alone for lack of know
ing how to swim. Boys should. learn
when they are young, and this Is the way
to begin:
A boy who cannot swim should never
go into the water without the consent of
his parents. They always know what is
best. Neither should he go except in
company with some swimmer; and, most
important of all, he should never venture
in where the water is beyond his depth,
or where there may be a deep hole either
above or below the place, that he may be
carried into before he. is aware of it..
The best time to go IN is in the morn
ing.
= Suppose the boy undressed, his clothes
neatly laid away, on the bank of the river
or pond, and he Just ready to go In. Now
standing where you are, jump in where
the water is a foot or a foot and half
deep. 1t viii seem, cold at first, but it is
altogether better than to wade in, because
wading in drives the blood upward to the
head, which is liable to work serious in
Jury. After You are wet all over, then wade
quickly in till you stand with the water
up to your waist, then give spring to-
ward the shore, at the same time striking
out with your hands sideways TO your
body and kicking with all your might.
Z The first time trying you win sink to
the bottom, and If your feet are notunder
you, your head will go under water but
you must, scramble up quickly and go
back and try again. The next time, per-
haps, you viii go several feet without
touching the bottom-your first success
in learning to swim Keep repeating this,
always wading in and then striking out
for the shore.
OF course, all this viii weary you and
put you out of breath, SO you should not
stay in over fifteen minutes at the long
est. 1t is very important to remember
this. If you stay IN longer and get tired
and cold, you will be uncomfortable the
remainder of the day; besides, If you
continue the practice of staying in the
water too long for any length of time,
your health win be permanently injured.
When YOU come out of the water, wipe
your body until it Is thoroughly dry, and
when dressed, commence active exercise
at once. .g acaf l-tr
After you have learned 80 thatyou can
wade out rod or more from the shore
and then swim TO 1t, you can try swim
ming down stream II You are IN q river,
or alongside the shore If you are in
pond; but you should always remember
that you win get tired in q few minutes;
and should you ftlose your wind" as the
boys say, when you are in deep water,
YOU win be in great danger of drowning.
When you have learned 70 swim, then
you can learn TO hoat. Go In where the
water is up to your arms, aud where It
grows more shallow instead of deeper as
Won 90 down the stream. Then stand
with your face; Up tho river, and gently
fall over backward, with your hands at the
same time crossed under the small of your
back giving good spring with your feet
that will send your body up TO the top OF
the water. u You win go under in q second,
but hold your breath and keep your mouth
shut till you spring up as your feet touch
the bottom, and then. try it again. The
next time you win do better, and with
constant practice you will soon have such
confidence and such, skill that when you
are tired swimming, you can turn over,
Cross your arms under your back, and
with little else than your nose out Of
water, float until you are rested and ready
to swim. tsrts. H.+ ef-.g
bered. Never. venture into deep water
until you have learned to swim soelL, and
never then unless it is necessary. There
Is as much fun In swimming where the
water is four feet deep as where 1t is ten,
and far more safety. Never stay in after
you are cold or chilly, OF after you are
tired. And last, twice day Is enough Tor
the warmest weather, and the most favor
able circumstances once day when 1t is
cold. or you live q considerable distance
from the water Hearth and Home.