Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-08-25
LEARN TO SWIM.

Mr. Paul Boyton's feat of crossing
the English Channel by the aid of q
life-preserving dress, tends to prove the
value Of knowledge of how to swim
almost as much as it does the efficacy
of the invention tested. While the
dress afforded buoyancy to his person,
the wearer, through his expertness as
a swimmer, knew just how to use his
members 80 as to aid in his propulsion,
with the least expenditure of power.
The season is now at hand when the
water becomes sufficiently warm to
allow Of bathing at almost any hour Of
the day, and hence the present is an
excellent time, for those who contem-
plate acquiring this necessary part Of
the knowledge of selfprotection, to
begin.
The manner Of swimming proper is
as follows: Supposing the bather to
be in the water, he throws himself
forward on his stomach, bis whole
body being only just covered and no
more his hands are broughtup under
the chin, knucklos upward and with
he first fingers touching each other
the whole palm is slightly contracted
so as to form concave surface, and
the fingers are pressed closely together.
The legs are drawn up as short and as
near the body as possible; the breath
is fully inhaled; then the stroke is
made; the hands and feet are both
darted forth to their fullest stretch at
the same moment the former are still
kept close to each other, and the balls
of the toes are made TO touch, in which
position they remain unmovcd till the
whole stroke is finished. The hands,
fully extended, are then separated and
moved round, each describing part OF
a circle till they are opposite the
shoulders, and then the stroke is
of most consequence the exhalitioh OF
the breath begins with the stroke, and
is slowly continued as long as the
striking lasts indeed, the quantity Of
of breath determines how long the
stroke will be- for it is taken only once
at every stroke 1t is very measuredly
given out by good swimmer, and all
the time he is breathing forth he
brings his hands round, making the
lungs and the hands work and cease
%GGring %GGs ggsstGP stGrssthhsr shhs rapTaA TaAc xsgs sgs ias
stretched ont rigidly, with the heels
quite close to the water surface; thus
a fiat position is secured, which greatly
conduces to speed.
The hands are only slightly propul-
sive their chief use is to act as cut
water, clearing the way for the body,
but much more to prolong the impetus
given by the legs, and to exc it out 10
the utmost. The breath acts as a
float to the whole, and cannot be too
carefully husbanded and proportioncd
TO the long sweep of the arms. A
swimming stroke resembles that of an
oar in its perfection; for it is quick
forward, evenly pulled out, and the
recovery for a new stroke is rapid and
on these two things, namely, lying
truly horizontal just under the surface
Of the water, and proper treatment Of
the breath the art Of swimming de-
ponds.
In entering the water head foremost,
or taking header" as it is called,
the water should be struck by the
forehead bone, just below the hair
the hands having first clovcn the water.
The angle which the body should form
with the water should be less than
half a right angle, or from thirty-five
to forty degrees. Then recovery up
ward is rapid, and the appearance Of
the whole is graceful. Adopts have
brought this branch of the art to such
perfection that they can jump into less
than two feet of water without touch
ing the bottom.
In fresh water strong swimmer
will move fully five feet and q half at
every stroke without great exertion.
How many strokes he will make in a
minute must depend on his breathing
twenty-five or twenty-six
would probably be the average, This
will give fifty-eight yards per minute,
or Just two miles an hour; and we
should think, to accomplish that pace
without distress would be fair criteri-
an of n good swimmer At racing
pace the strokes ere much more rapid,
exceeding fifty per minute; and the
highest speed that seems attainablc is
thus eighty-eight yards, or exactly
three miles an hour. Copdn'S Paper.