Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-13
A TALK ON SWIMMING.
WHAT AN EXPERT SAYS OF LEARN
ING THE ART.
Methods OF Practice for Beginners-T1se
Best Place in which to LeaFn-Some
Things . Swimmer Should Know-Un
dressing In the Water.

Best Place in which to LeaFn-Some
Things . Swimmer Should Knew-Un
dressing In the Water.
Volumes have bean written on lsarning to
swim and upon feats Of agility in the water,
but what tho average swimmer wants to
know il how to mako tbs most advantage
Gus use Of his strength when lie Is in tbs
water. To swim a. . mere source OF amuse-
ment is one thing, but to reduce 1t to .
science is another. Swimming does not
differ from other athletic exercises; it can
be made . science, and it ought to be. In
order to get some points on this matter .
person in search Of information recently
called upoa a young man who has had
twenty Year, experience - . water rat y
WELL" said this young man, how 70
learn to swim Il certainly problem with
some people, who have tried for years with
cut succeeding. It h quite true that some
people can never learn to swim, but the
fault il in themselves, not in the art don't
think Il Impossible to recommend any method
Of learning for general use Some men can
learn one way and some another. don't
believe in the use Of corks under the chin
nor Of cork jacketA A man ID not swim
ming when he has them on, and the moment
they are taken of be realizes the fact that
be was not swimming before and promptly
goes under. Man is naturally buoyant II
you viii lie down gently in the waite. or
your back, throw out your chest and put
your arms fat against your sides, allowing
your head to be immersed all except your
mouth and nose, you will find that you will
float until your feet sink and bring your
body to perpendicular. That will require
some little time, for the body viii sink very
slowly. This shows thu it needs very little
to keep q man afoet
THE BEST PLACE TO LEARN.
II Think q shallow and swift stream Is the
best place to learn TO swim That's where
learned The shallowness gives the learner
confidence and the swift current bears him
along He will quickly be able to swim two
or three strokes and will make SO much
Roadway with them that he will have faith
in his ability to do more. knew one fel-
low who learned to swim in q curious way.
He began by swimming with his head down
and his face in the water For a long time
he could not lift his head without sinking.
But it was because he had no faith in him.
self and Immediately Oh raising his head
lost his stroke. l believe the best way for
most people to learn to swim is to 60 into
shallow water with a friend. Let that
friend hold up the learners chin while the
latter strikes out After while the friend
can support the learner with one finger, and
then little by Ittl. he can diminish the
amount Of support till he renders no aid ut
all OF course that can only be done with
. person who is not afraid to go under wa
ter. A person who Is afraid Of the water
can't learn to swim.
sTha oil. fashinuad nverhapd sfrota 10
played out The lest stroke for speed is the
side stroke. Turn on your side-you must
decide for yourself which side suits you best,
though you should learn 10 swim ON either
side Put your head straight out in front,
just keeping your nose out Of water. II you
are on your left side stretch your left hand
palm downward, as far ahead of you as you
can, and then drive it at arms length down
wErd and backward tall it passes tho psrpen-
dicular. Then draw it up close to your side
and send it forward for the next stroke
The other hand should be thrown forward
just in front of your face. Immerse the
hand, palm backward, and arm to the elbow,
and throw it vigorously back till the arm is
extended at full length. Then raise it clear
out Of the water and lring it forward for
the next stroke The arms should alternate
in movement; that is, while the upper arm
10 going forward the under should be going
backward, and vice versa The best way
10 use tie feet in this stroke is matter Of
opinion. find can get more power by
drawing my heels up backward toward my
thighs and then, with the upper surface OF
the foo. and shins turned backward, kicking
out hard
THINGS A SWIMMER SHOULD KNOW.
"You should by al means learn to swim
on your back and to float You can swim
on your back, using your arms like oars
and keeping your fest still, or drawing your
feet up under you and kicking out, or using
both. The advantage Of using the legs or
the arms alone is that you &c; rest for the
unemployed limbs Some persons never
learn TO float, and l am inclined to think
that it is impossible for some persons to do
So If you find your feet have q tendency
to sink spread them wide apart and extend
your arms forward along the water over
your head That will bring the center Of
balance further forward and tend to keep
your feet up II your feet f.oat easily and
your bead does not, put your arms close to
your sides and Keep your feet together.
Most people who have difficulty in floating
find the trouble with their feet An occa-
sional gentle paddle with them will keep
aAAcAAA oAoos a. ss<Sy oAo" a scAAaCAAey W "
Gown
"As one OF the objects of swimming is to
enable a man to preserve his life in the
water, you should by all means learn to I'M
dress while swimming. 1t is the most
difficult thing to do in the water, but every
good swimmer can accomplish it with
practice First learn to swim, either on
your back or on your breast, with one hand
and one foot-the left foot and right hand
or right foot and left hand Then put on
an old suit of clothes and an old pair Of
shoes and jump into water not over your
head As soon as you coma to the sur
face strike out with one foot and one
hand With the unemployed hand take the
shoe of the unemployed foot You must
keep them under water, of course. II you
try to lift them into the air their unsup-
ported weight will send you under. Repeat
tho operation with the other hand and foot
Always get your shoes of first You will
End that when they get full Of water that
they will tug at you like two pitiless de
mons trying to take you down You will
have to decide for yourself whether you will
remove your shoes while swimming on your
breast or on your back Experience alone
viii show you which way is easiest for you
AFTER your Shoes are of, swim on your
back with your feet and get your coat and
vest on. Your head may 60 under occasion
ally while you are performing these opera
tions, but don't mind that Don't get fur
ried but keep right ON swimming. When
you have your shoes and coat and vest off
you will be comparatively free A good
swimmer can keep anoat long time with
shirt and trousers On Take OF your cuffs
and collar, Of covssa 1t 3 next to impossi-
bic to get your trousers of without drown
ing yourself The best thing to do il to roll
them up to your kaesA You can do that
while swimming with one hand and one
foot Don't imagine that you are going to
lave en- easy time doing all thiA II takes
patience, GOODNESS, and nerve TO accomplish
Il, but whsn it IS dons you can swim long
time and make good headway."-NewY York
NmA
Getting Down To Proper Weight.
College students enter into their athletic |
contests with an enthusiasm that 10 refresh |
Ing, and "Featherweight." tells an interest |
ing story about the preparation Of the |
studentx At their games the |
Juniors won the uS-of-war, and thereby |
hangs . tale. When the four men who WEIR |
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