Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-28

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next obstacle can be arranged In the
dashed together. The swimmers should
be instructed to dive under these. II
you have two or three polo teams or
| ganized a capital obstacle is
formed by anchoring four or five
of these barrels in line and re-
curing the swimmers to scramble
| over them. The turning buoy should be
anchored 200 yards from the shore. and
the competitors take the obstacles in the
| order they come after turning the buoy ,
| the finish of course to take place on the
| sand from the starring line. Another
very amusing incident is the tub race.
Each competitor supplies himself with
| an ordinary wash-tub. These are ar
ranged alongside of bathing float, on
| which all the competitors stand. At the
! given signal each competitor steps into
his tub, sits down in it, and the only
means of propulsion is his hands. With
| these he paddles himself to the winning
! post. II you have never practiced this
amusement you will find it almost impos-
eible to sit in your tub and make any
progress. and the ludicruous attempts to
get into the tub after once you have fall
len out of it will cause endless amuse-
ment to the spectators.
DIVING FOR EGGS AND sAUCERS.
This amusement should be practiced in
six to ten feet of water where there is
good, clear sandy bottom. Common
| white saucers and the ordinary china
eggs are thrown into the water within
given circumference, and from the float
each diver attempts to secure and bring
to the surface as many of the saucers or
eggs as he can succeed in picking up.
In order to arrive at any success at this
amusement 1t is necessary to know how
to regulate your breathing. Just before
you intend to plunge make three or four
rapid eXhalations and follow by deep
drawn inspiration, taking into your lungs
as much air as you possibly can hold.
Plunge in head first and get to the bot
tom as soon as possible. Do not enter
the water with your eyes open, but open
them Immediately you are immersed.
While under the water let the air out of
your lungs as slowly as you possibly can.
Pick up the saucers with your right and
hold them underneath the arm of the
left; when you have got as many as your
breath will allow, in order to shoot
rapidly up to the surface give q sharp
kick with both feet on the bottom;
as soon as you arrive with your head
above the surface throw yourself IN a
floating position on your back and ac-
cumulate your saucers in a pile on your
chest. You will find this the easiest way
to carry them safely to the float, l have
often known boys who have just picked
up ten or a dozen saucers to lose half of
them while carrying them to the float,
because they could not hold them while
swimming on the chest. No boy should
q cd of
one time of bathing. 1t is good plan
to stuff your ears with little cotton be-
fore practicing diving. In a eircumfer-
ence of fifty feet at depth of eight, the
best record l have seen made was a COL
lection of fifteen out of twenty saucers
thrown down, but the man was so ex-
hausted when he came to the surface that
he could not hold his head above the
water, and had to be dragged to the
float by his friends, firmly clutchiDg his
saucers with both hands to his breast.
1t Is hardly necessary to say that one re-
quires bright day and very smooth
water for the thorough enjoyment of this
exercise.
LEAP FROG
can be played jus: as well in the water as
on land but the manner of practicing it
is a little different. You require good
deep water. in the first place. Six or
seven of you stand treadIng water ten
PAGES behind each other. The last man
swims to the one in front of him and
places his hands on his shoulders, forcing
him beneath the water and jumping over
his head. This he continues TO do until
he has sent them all in turn under him,
when he himself takes his position and is
sent under by ali of those behind him.
FINN nd "a in
pushing the ones that give you the back
under the water with your hands, but
as you send him beneath the surface
quickly raise your own feet, putting one |
on each of his shoulders, and give him a |
smart push downward, jumping yourself |
as high out of the water as you can. 1 |
have seen lots of boys very expert at |
this, aud would send their companions to |
the bottom at a depth of twenty feet. |
Remember that if you don't want to get |
your head and nose full of water, |
directly you feel the jumper seize your |
shoulders, seize your own nose with your
left hand and let yourself go easily when
he pushes you, rather than attempt to
resist his shove.
THE WATER TOBoGGAN.
This amusement of course entails the
of a regular slide built after
the same pattern as the snow slides for
winter tobogganing. The toboggans in
which you take your seat are made very
much after the pattern of the boats hung
on circular swings, only they are fiatter
bottomed and longer amidships. When
started the toboggan charges swiftly
down the smooth, wet planks of the
slide, and striking the water at an
angle, the impetus given the boat causes
it to skip several large bounds along the
surface Of the water before it finally
stops. The fun consists in holding your
self into the toboggan while it is taking
these giant skips. Care should be taken
that all the occupants are expert swim
mers, for nine times out of ten your ride
ends in capsize. When you are pitched
into the water seize the boat il you like,
but under no considerations catch hold
Of companion.
SEA SERPENT.
The swimming serpent is formed by
any number of boys standing one behind
the other, each holding the hips Of the
one in front of him. In this manner
they strike out simultaneously with the
egs only, the leader swimming in q
.ortuous serpeut-like line With n