Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-30
GIRLS IN THE RIVER.
Under the Eye Of a Teacher, They
Paddle and Swim and Dive.
ONE ROAD TO HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Big Bath Tubs in the Ohio, the Potomss
and the Mississippi.
SOCIAL BATHERs AT THE CAPITAL
rwR1rrzx FOR THE D1srATcH.I

ahead of US; Cincinnati is ahead Of us; but
the Pittsburg girls began last year, and now
that they have learned the stroke, this sea-
son will see them go right ahead, and before
next fall we will outswim and out-divs
every other inland city"
He emphasized his remarks by tapping
the palm OF his left hand with the fore
finger of his right, and a nod of his head
which said plainly our girls are no slouch
when they get started. 1t was yesterday
afternoon. The place was one of the SWIM
ming schools on the river front. Imagine
long hall, the floor of which had been cut
away in the center. the sides smoothly
boarded up and the ends cut out so as to adj
NIT the free passage Of the river throughout
the halls entire length, forming big bath
tub full of running water.
Flying rings, trapezes, and sliding boards
extend out over the water wherever they
can find space, and q hundred dressing
rooms like the staterooms opening in
steamboats, cabin are ranged upon either
side OF the basin. Thirty or 40 boys in q
complete state of undress were splashing
about, swinging from the rings like
monkeys, sliding down the boards into the
water with a shock which sent the spray
flying, and all the time shouting and laugh
ing with the uproar which characterizes
none other than the human animal at play.
NEW THING HERE.
'In st. Louis" continued the gentleman
who knew, and who was telling THE Dis
PATCH all about it, SIN st. Louis they
have had these bath houses on the Missis-
sippi open to ladies for years. Last year
was the first year in which the idea was put
into practice in Pjttsburg, and the success
was such that anticipate that ladies' days
which will be on the mornings of each
Tuesday and Friday-will be the busiest daTs
of the week. Cincinnati has several classes
of hundred who have learned to swim in
the Ohio, and who take their dips regular
ly twice week, and in exclusive Washing
ton the exercise has reached the proportions
of a tad.
Prof. Odlum, who killed himself by q
jump from Brooklyn bridge few years ago,
had a swimming school in Washington,
which was patronized by the younger men,
bers OF President Garfeld's family, among
others, and believe he had the honor
there of introducing something new into
Western society, namely, bathing parties.
st. Louis followed in the lead Of Washing
ton and introduced them, and Cincinnati
had one or two, but the idea strikes me as
being a little too daring just yet for local
conservative ideas. Certain evenings in the
week were set aside for bathers of both
sexes, gentlemen and ladies being in the
water together, as at the near shore-the
stipulation being that all the parties were
to be known, through reference, to the Pro-
fessor, and that each gentleman was to be
accompanied by one lady, all entering the
water at the same time and remaining in it.
No lounging about the promenades and
criticising the bathers was allowed.
IT WILL ALL COME.
'But that will all come in due time. Use
accustoms to everything. Just now the
girls are averse even to having a bathing
master in the water with them, and on their
days the teachers and assistants are ladies.
But it is mere prejudice. They are all
clothed from neck to knee in a
Blue flannel costume, consisting of . blouse
waist and shirt and pair Of Turkish
Scan lady learn to swim in a season?''
ayes. Many of them learn to swim in
two lessons; the average is three. Why, it
is as easy as walking. After the beginner
has gotten over her nervousness and really
gives her mind to the master she can learn
in ten minutes. The system pursued with
ladies is identical with that going on with
the boy in the basin now."
The boy was not altogether lovely.
Nature had made up for a deficiency Of adj
pose tissue with job lot of illy-assorted
bones which did not seem to hinge at the
joints; but all the same the boy meant to be
D swimmer and obeyed instructions with
llacrity.
He put himself face downward upon the
water, with his chest supported by the mas
ter's hand, his head held we'll up; then after
placing his left hand beneath his right, both
parallel with the surface of the water and
about an inch below it, he carried his hands
away from each other as far as his shoulders
would permit, bringing them both to their
original position ith what is known as the
ailor's stroke, at the same time Industrious
v pushing the water behind him with his
eet frog fashion.
HIS MISTAKE.
At times the supporting hand would Be
,artly Withdrawn. and invariably when
hat was done the boy would cease his regu-
ar stroke as soon as he felt himself sinking
md wildly clutch at the water, with the re-
ult that the center OF gravity waG displaced
md his head would have been submerged
lad not the teachers supporting hand in
exposed. The system pursued in teaching
he soldiers in the Prussian army TO swim is
n vogue in some of the schools for girls as
yell as boys, lower down the Ohio. A short
otton rope is fastened to belt and the belt
irded about the waist of the beginner.
The end of the rope is secured TO pole,
nd with the pole in his hands the teacher
7alks to the edge of the basin. The pupil
Tades into the water waist deep, and then
{ the word lies chest downward, the rope
olding him upon the surface securely and
nugly. At the word "one," he brings his
ands around before his head with the
ands together; s'two," the hands are drawn
n to the chest and the feet drawn up;
three" and the hands are rapidly straight
ned out, while the feet kick backward.
'hese three simple motions gone through
nth number of times, so that the beginner
an time them and make them come to-
ether, soon make him a swimmer, and
fter time the rope is slackened more or
.ss, until finally rope and pole are dis
ensed with altogether.
HOW TO BE HEALTHY.
The hygienic influences of plunge bath
q the river are probably more beneficial to
ne system of the average girl than those
xerted by any other form Of exercise, when
ne bath is taken in congenial company, is
OF prolonged beyond a reasonable limit
nd is followed by plenty of rubbing with
rough towel. just now the temperature
+ the river is such that the first contact
18th the water makes the blood vessels Of
ne skin contract and subsequently, relax
18th an increased flow of blood into their
double action is increased
Y the friction until good amount Of
lood is fixed in the skin, as may be readily
zen by the glow following the bath. Thus
ongestion of the internal organs isantagon-
.ed by an increased action OF the skin, and