Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-05
LESSONS IN SWIMMING.
The Human Body Made to Float or
the Water.

There is a very unanimous desire on
the part of the general public to learn
TO swim, and everybody, male and fe-
male, should be able to do so; but there
is remarkably large number of peo-
pie. born and raised on rivers or lakes,
who can't swim u stroke" and who
sink like lead if they attempt to raise
their feet from the bed O{ the river or
floor of the bathing compartments.
They SIMPLY lack the nerve and conf
denCe To try TO swim, and instead Of
trying by following rules and instruc-
tions, they remain in shallow water,
and when they do strike out do so with
first one foot and then the other touch
ing bottom. The only way these peo-
pie learn TO swim is by being cast, ac-
: cidcutul'y OF purpOsely, into ten feet of
water Then IL Is swim or die, and If
they have ever heard the secret of
swimming il suddenly comes back to
them, or if they haven't their horse
sense dictates what they should do TO
be saved.
One of the most amusing things in
the world is the young man just learn
ing to swim. The boy, or even the girl,
is not SO bad. The young man wades
out INTO the water up 10 about his
waist, and then he hesitates. General
" there are enough small boys around
who enjoy the sport to splash water all
over him, so that he has cold chills run
ming up and down his back, though the
water may be warm, and he begins TO
think about going out. II he las any
one To make suggestions he IS likely TO
get tub or keg or I plank under his
chest, and paddle around on that, but
always in water where he couldn't
drown unless he laid down in It with a
weight on his chest. If his friend
knows anything about the principles of
. swimming, and wants 10 take the
. trouble, OF if he las teacher, lie viii
take him on his knee and give him the
motion and confidence. This is = very
/ easy matter, not so hard for the teacher
As it looks. lie first holds himself in
shallow water, either by placing his
| hands on bottom or by catching some
I thing IN front of him or overhead, and
I shows the learner the motion OF the
| legs, and then the arms. lie then
shows him how to breathe, drawing in
i short, sudden breath and holding il
for u few seconds, may lie for a minute,
and then another, the recovery being 50
quick that but one arm stroke in the
water has been lost in the reiilling of
the lungs. This is the first lesson, and
Il very good one.
The teacher then takes the young
man, or young woman, If she desires 10
lie taught in that way, on his knee.
lie is braced in the water, his bended
kLee far enough beneath the surface TO
allow the body of the young swimmer
also 10 be covered. Thus IN position,
the teacher grasps the young swimmers |
wrists and shows him the firm move !
ment, rapidly and rs earnestly rs if he |
was really swimming. Then he drops |
the arm and graspS the legs, moving |
them IN the proper manner, Just as lie |
did the arms. by the time this Is re- |
peated few timeS-ofteu a single repe- |
tItlon Is necessary young man loses |
his nervousness and SuStainS himself IN |
the water, and really swims without |
knowing IT, tine teacher lowering his |
knee SO that he does not support the |
body, and releasing his hold on ths |
limbs, SO that the swimmer does not re- |
celve any assistance, though he i'm |
agines he does. When he linds he has
been fooled, and that he has in reality |
been swimming, he finds himself in the |
possession of a growing confidence, and |
from that on strikes out like veteran,
and If he has any skill SOON becomes
master of all the strokes, dives, treads,
floats, etc, and does everything that an
older swimmer can do.
The lady beginner can take her first
lesson IN this way If she desires, and re-
ally 1t would be much better for her to
do so. Attired in 4 neat fitting Jersey
costume, every part of the body conver-
ed, except the jersey may be cut in the
prevailing decOllete style, she need
have no feeling of delicacy. II she has
she can go on the belt. This Is a wide
belt, of stiff material, coming around
the chest or under the arms, to the
back, where 1t is caught by rings and
hooks TO ropes running away up over
head, over pulley which runs along a
track, and is controlled by an attendant
on the walk above the level of the
water. This attendant lets out more
rope or takes it in as may be necessary.
the swimmer regulating this as she de-
SIreS- She can Swim along the sides of
the tank, or out into the cente-, Just as
she chooses. These belts are used in
water ten to twelve feet deep, and the
beginner who selects them must make
up her mind to deep water II she de-
clnes the knee and takes up the belt.
There can be no touching the bottom
there, though she's safe from even get
ting her head under water.
Frequently lessons IN floating are
given before the ambitious youngster Is
introduced to the mysteries of SWIM
ming Experts claim that n person
who cannot swim at all can be taught
TO hoat IN five minutes. illustrating
this, he fills his lungs with air before
you know II, the action of the mouth
and throat being so sudden, and placing
his hands on his knees, bent In the
water SO that the cap Is above the sur
face, or even with IL, he drifts in the
water as peacefully rs IL sleeping in a
swing y great many long distance
swimmers do this rs a means of resting
themselves. In fact, it is the only way
OF resting where the swimmer cannot
30 out OF the water. This act is In
tended to show the uninitiated how
easy IL is TO float on the water.
After the swimmer has secured con-
hdence and learned to keep his hands
and feet OF of the ground, or river bed,
at the same time, he begins to study
the strokes. First is the breast stroke,
with the hands out straight, but not to- |
gether, working like wings. Next |
comes the gentlemanis stroke, in which |
the arms are stretched full length above !
the head, the hands palm to palm. |
Then comes the overland one, the side. |
straight out, fiat, and the other over |
and back, and then the fiat, over with
one hand and then with the other |
while the first is returning. Then |
there Is the spring breast, one hand at |
a time, downward and back. The |
ladies' stroke is the easiest of all, 1t be- |
ing breast one, with the hands above /
the water. Then there is sculling on /
the back, which is done by twisting the |
wrist, Hat, in the water, at or below the /
side These strokes may be increased |
IN number almost without limit, but I
they all have for their foundation, one
way or another, the movements of sim /
pie swimming. These are, first, to !
draw the legs up, with hands out, sec
ond, to kick out with the feet, draw
ing the hands in, and third, to assume
the original position of the limbs.
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