The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-06-29
HOW TO DIVE.
Useful Hints for Taking Long
e Swims Under Water.
Easy. II You Know How, Says IN Old
Teacher OF the Art-An Instructive
and Interesting Pastime. but II
Il Very Dangerous, Too.

Gil Roberts is peddler now in the
Northern part of New Jersey. bu' there
was time when Prof. Gilbert Roberts
taught the art of diving. He was him
self an expert and made a good living
By instructing people in the best meth
DDS of holding their breath for long
time under the water sounding its
depths or ranging f.r beneath its sur
face. without assistance.
Il hardly know how to swim at all,
was the startling declaration made to
reporter by Mr.. Roberts as he depos-
tied his pack on a sunny bank where
no wild thyme grows. sat down beside
it, and prepared to satisfy his ques-
toners curiosity regarding the Sc
crets of the deep. But l can dive as
well rs most men. When was boy
] often dived SO far that often found
II hard to swim back to shore. That
was before l learned to 90 under the
water direct from the surface. instead
of jumping from few fee: above it.
and so getting downward motion.
Tou see. when Your lungs are filed
with air you can't sink unless you want
to do so and you can't do it then un-
less somebody who can has shown you
how. When n man has cramp in
deep water. or is too tired to swim
any further. recollection of
this may save his life. Just let
him keep his chest inflated. and though
he be as thin as rail. he must hoat
sufficiently high to enable him to
breathe freely. His danger comes
when he has to renew his breath; but
if he is calm, and the water is in the
same condition. he can do that in less
than half second. He need not quite
empty his lungs. You see. before he
takes in fresh supply Of air. and what
remains of the old stock will prevent
him from sinking like 4 stone. so that
he will have the necessary buoyancy
again lefore his nose is below the wa
ter. OF course. the final thing man
should do before trying to make a long
dive is to take as much air as his lungs
plunge an instant after he has done
this, because the time then wasted
above the water must be deducted
from the period which he would other
wise remain below it. He should al
ways GO in head-first. for the head and
chest will have a tendency to rise. any
how. and if they are too near the sur
face they are apt TO pop up above it
before the motion of the feet and hands
can force them down. With the feet
above the head, however. the diver
his only to use the ordinary motions
of swimming. and he goes readily to-
ward the bottom. Stopping the strokes
for second. however. brings the head
up. and the swimming motion very
quickly carries it to the surface. In
passing horizontally through the water
the head should always be kept bent
lower than the chest. When the diver
wishes to come up he has only to raise
II. and swim on, and he will come at
once to the top.
lin diving directly from the surface
q great deal of practice is required to
enable man to &c: the upper portion
Of his body under water You see.
the chest is inflated with air. and does
not easily sink. and the feet. which are
the chief motive powers. both in div
ing and in swimming. are a: first almost
useless. because even after their own
er succeeds in getting them above his
head they are out of the water. and
however vigorously man may kick
at the air he can't get much Roadway.
The only way to do it is to draw the
feet as close rs possible to the body be-
fore each stroke. so as to get all the
catch obtainab,e upon the water. and
strike strongly with the hands. turning
The palms upward when the back mo-
ton is made. When depth of two or
three feet has been gained the rest is
easy. OF course. diver can sink i'm
medIately by exhaling instead of in
haling the air. but unless he wants to
drown or be compelled to turn his head
and swim at once to the surface there
is not the slightest use in his going un-
der the water with empty lungs Ere
quenters Of plunge baths are familiar
with the remarkable exhibitions made
by novices trying to learn this mode
of diving. They manage. spasmodieal-
~. to get their heads and legs below
the surface and work forward, under
the impression that they have left the
air above them BIZ, they are not
entirely submerged. o. dear. no. And
they wonder what the spectators are
laughing al when they raise their faces
for air. The eyes should be kept a.
ways open VIXEN diving. In salt water
this smarts little at first. but the pu-
pills Soon cease to feel any inconveni-
snee from the submersion. One can