The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-29
IN LIEU OF SURF BATHING
Summer.W Weather FrOlics in q SWIM
ming School Out on the Placid Canal.
A Quiet Place Where Only the Select Are Ad-
mitted to Enjoy the InvigOrating Exercise
That Diving and Strokes Afford.

west 10 the Insane Hospital IL would give an
elite tone that such an addition only can furnish.
As it is, the present conditions make the city
what il is. the largest railroad inland city of the
continent Thus there is one phase or summer
life especially that Indisnspolitans who remain
at home are prevented from enjoying, and that
is surf bathing. Men. women and children alike
indulge in this exhilirA;ing sport. and In no
other way is the art OF swimming better taught
or easier learned. However. there exists q GER
tain bathing place on the West Side, obscured
By surrounding buildings. that is as cool and re-
freshine as could be expected in a dusty city.
Here, with the famous canal for a lake, the nearest
approach 20 surf bathingsthat the stay -at.homs
people can boast Of invites all within its entic-
ing vicinity to come and taste and see- 1t is not
q swimming school, nor is 1t q beach. Simply q
stretch of water q hundred feet long. fifty feet
wide. and of varying depths, according to the
abilities of the bathers. Above the surface are
trapeze rings, spripg-boards and platforms. In
shor, it is a swimming gymnasium.
A Journal reporter passing By this much fire.
quented spot, one day during this last week,
read the battered sign, walk H." and con-
cluded to follow its dictate. This happened to
be mems day." as sex is recognized tln this
| Hoosier summer resort. Men and boys Of all
sizes. AGES, and build were diving and swimmine
in svery conceivable fashion, furnishing an in
t~eresting scene for a half hours stay. The cos
TUNES wore were the usual trunk" that gives
ease and freedom TO the body while in the water.
leaving the limbs perfectly u~nincumbered. The
frst thing . visitor does 10 to get himself a
coop Here he is furnished with ''trunk, >
- 49, ala and
prepares for Q swim, which lasts from fifteen
minutes 20 An hour or more. Here may
be seen every kind Of swimming, as TO
skill. that one can imagine. The long,
easy strokes OF some p~raeticed artisan
as he swims, now on his back. now on his side.
and again slowly dropping completely out OK
sight. resppears in graceful attitude, mark him
at once as one to be depended upon in case OF
an accidental capsize of some excursion boat.
Here comes q young fellow who has just caught
the stroke ard who. in his frantic endeavor TO
! hold il. pants himself out OF breath. Swimming
for such a man becomes reduced to the next
thing to manual labor. The baby pen" 10 an
| interesting feature of the establishment. being
situated very conveniently 10 shallow water and
surrounded by q picket fence to preventive drift
ing out OF the fiedRlings beyond their dspth. Their
| sports are interesting to look upon. for IN Their
genuine frolicksome natures they fpd only suf-
fcient courage TO indulge in a little harmless
wading. Here that timicity, so customary TO
| the inexperienced on first entering q stream OF
water. is gradually overcome, and in reasonable
time the youngsters are deemed sufficiently well
trained to venture out with their Drawer as
socrates, and are graduated with high honors.
But here the trials of the young swimmer begin.
HIS safety only depends upon his ability to hold
on to some kindly projecting board or rope. aud
in bis struggling efforts to keep his head above
water. he is made the butt of all jokes to which
. crowd OF bathers give license. bis first ex-
periences are similar TO those OF the 'hazed'
young man in q college dormitory, aud as a
starter he is treated 10 a dose Of the '~shivers,'
as the local dialect OF tho place puts It. This
consists in his being covered with q spray of
cold water, thrown from o score OF
hands, as he prepares to enter
the stream, and before the normal
animal heat OF his body has become accustomed
to the lower temperature. The sensation pro-
duced is familiar to those who have suddenly
dived into a running stream on a hot July day.
1t is attended with an opening gasp for breath.
a sudden painful shIver thence the namel and q
prolonged chattoring Of the teeth. Trifling as
this description may appear In prin {, it is one
not to be envied when reduced to a practical
fact. But this administration of the "shivers'
to the newly initiated is bat the beginning OF
his tribulations. He is numerically showed into
the water when least expecting it, and he Is fire.
quently tripped as he runs along the slippery
wooden gangway that runs the entire length of
the Enclosure. and rolled srto thirty feet OF
water to scramble out as best he can.
The most p~racticed swimmers have every
imaginable device for amusement Divingis one
of the must popular feats to which they resort,
and il is encouraged by the plentiful. distribu.
ton Of spripg boards, rope ladders and elevated
platforms. Although the space 10 too confined
for any under-current swimming OF any great
duration, yet some very commendable and in
deed skillful attempts are made. High ABOVE
inviting swing. from which the bather. after
considerable momentum is acquired. casts him.
self, lesping high into the air and descending Ia
. perpendicular line TO the water. Occasionally
one 10 TO be seen Who has misiudged his dis
lance and, jumping too hard, has lost his bal
ance and descends 10 q horizontal attitude. strik-
Ing the water with a fat sound. Such q fall is
one Of the most dangerous that a swimmer can
receive. The modes of entering the water are
peculiar. They are as varied as are the swim.
sudden dive. In which the bathsr walks
to the end OF some projecting
spring board. waits until he catches the upward
swing and then jumps, diving TO any depth be
may desire. Again, the less venturesome adopt
q more cautious plan. and frst accustom them-
selves to the sudden cold by splsshiug their
bodies, at first very scautily and gradually with
moro until they are ready 10 make
the initial dive. Then there is another way of
getting into deep water that is popular. Ii con-
sists in descending step by step by means of a
stairway that runs TO q depth OF twenty feet or
more. The ankles are covered with water, and
the swimmer stops TO sbiver. One more step
and with another SILVER the water plays around
the knees. And SO on until the body 10 sub
merged, ana q little push sends him out into the
middle or the stream.
On two days of the week this little resort ia
thrown open to the ladies, and at such times q
large number Of fair swimmers indulge in the
refreshing sport. Don't push me so hard"
screamed out Ia q weak voice, was the remark
that the reporter heard on one of the days sci
apart for ladies, when permitted TO enter the
Enclosure. In the water and on the seats were
scattered twenty seven ladies and misses, OF al
ages, decked out in fancy colored bathing suits.
The ladies' remarked the proprietor. 'are
harder to teach than are the men, because they
are not so brave. However, after they can
once be inGuced TO enter the water, / believe the
task is easier. They have a natural grace and
ease OF body that makes IL easier for them and
gives them an immense advantage over their
more clumsy brothers"
DO they object to male visitors on their dsyF
was asked.
There is no reason why they should. They
all wear suits, and they do not make objections
TO visitors. The sights one sees in immodest
costumes, however, are nothing compared 70
those We observe daily on our Eastern beaches.
But the ladies prefer 10 he alone here. IL you
wish, since you are here on business, / can III
troduce you TO some of them"
The reporter consented. and was accordingly
marched out into a group Of ladies'. Their cos,
times were or many varieties. Il snort kilt
skirt, falling to the knees Ard meeting a long
pair OF close fitting rubber stockings. was
the most frequent seen. Some adopted the
sailor suit OF a blouse and trousers, while one or
two wore no covering upon their limbs but a
short rubber boot gathered a. the
knee. Nothing imnodest can be