Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-06-14
Dainty Divers.
New Y nrk Journal.

/
New York Journal
The swimming season practically
opens on Decoration Day, but already
the fashionable uptown natatoriums
are crowded during the morning and
early afternoon with swimmers and
learners. Most young ladies know how
to swim SIS well as to play the piano,
and those who do not are ashamed to
| acknowledge the fact, and endeavor to
learn as speedily as possible. The del
icate and langUid young lady, who
tainted on every occasion, and half
starved herself 80 as 70 have a waist
she might span with her hands, has
passed into oblivion. Now it is the
fashion to be sunburnt, to row, to swim,
to ride, to play tennis and archery and
to develop all the muscle one possibly
can.
Prof. Gebbhardts swimming school,
in East Forty-ffth street, is perhaps
the most popular in the city. The
hours for ladies arc from 10 until
o'clock, and at that time there are gen.
orally half dozen carriages in line
waiting for their fair owners to get
through their diving and swimming.
The tank is large and deep enough for
diving, and the several little dressing
rooms are ranged in a square about it.
The cost of Que lesson is about 81, but
81 three months ticket can be pur>
chased for much less.
Girls who use paint and powder take.
care to rub it all off before they go
into the water, that is, if thay have any
common sense. The best kind of d
bathing suit is of serge, made with
trousers and waist all IN one, the troug-
ers coming to the knee A short skirt
fastens about the waist by q broad belt,
clasped firmly, but not tightly, and the
sleeves are very short so as not to i'm
pede the motion OF the arm. Dark
stockings are worn by many, although
| the beginner must have bare feet to get
the motion more quickly. The profess
| or has g strap which he fastens about
the body underneath the arms, he
holding the long end and thus keeping
| the would be swimmer suspended like
q frog, with arms and legs knocking
frantically about for tbs right motion.
The great trouble to girl in bathing or
swimming is her hair. If it be at all
long or heavy it is sure to be bother
some. The oil-skin caps are generally
worn, but they are not much help,
especially to girl who dives or floats
But girls who possess pretty hair enjoy
the opportunity Of wearing 1t down, and
at seaside resort they go about half
the day with a towel hanging down
their back and the hair over it. A
favorite dive with New York girls is
what they call the MONKEY dive. !"
They get on board Or raft and sink
one end until they can just tumble into
the water. They like to try all manner
of curious diving and floating, such as
diving backwards, mining on the
back, swimming with one foot and one
arm only, three or four swimming in
one row with hands clasped and so on.
It is a curious fact that women can
float more easily than men. There are
very few expert men swimmers that
can float well, if at all. Their feet seem
! to be too heavy; whereas, 8 woman. if
she only has faith, can float forever.
The free swimming bath for girls, in
charge Of the expert swimmer, Miss
Bennett, who has several times swan
across the East River, is godsend to
the hundreds of poor girls who cannot
afford to pay for lessons, and DR.. Halls
Battery Bath Is frequented greatly by
Brooklyn ladies who like dip IN the
salt water without having to travel to
Coney Island, and then take it before
/, 900 spectators.
Some very pretty bathing suits are
made OF dark blue serge, with q scarlet
neckerchief knottea about the neck,
bows of scarlet ribbon On each sleeve.
| The hair is twisted in a scarlet handker-
chief and bows of ribbon are placed on
the knee. Another bathing suit lately
seen was of darkest crimson. trimmed
with old geld braid; and some fashiona-