, 1891-08-08

- SSHD2A hSNs
port OF their position they adduce what is
a well known fact-thRt three of every four
persons drowned at the bathing resorts
each summer were particularly at home in
the water.
Here Is the other side OF the question;
New York newspapers recorded the deaths
by drowning of sixteen pleasure seekers on
Sunday. July IL The slightest knowledge
of swimming would nave savel at least 4
dozen OF these lives.
l spoke to Gustave Sundstrom, the in
structor in swimming for the New York
Athletic club, on this subject a few days
ago. Sundstrom believes that a knowledge
of swimming IL a necessity. He is himself
probably the best swimmer in America
Gus, as he is everywhere known, has on
different occasions saved thirty-lve per
sons from drowning. Naturally the drown
Ing OF Frederick Brokaw, the Princeton
athlete, in his vain endeavor to save the
life of a young woman in the surf at Elbe-
ron, N. j., on June "a, am up in our con
versation- Young Brokaw," said Gus,
made two great mistakes, A man should
throw of his shoes when he goes into the
the water, even II he has to keep on his
collar and coat. 1t may take a little more
time, but the difference is more than made
up in a swim OF even fifty yards. 1t is inn
possible when wearing shoes to get the
feet in a position in which the resistance
offered to the water is not almost the same
on the recover as or the stroke itself. Now
Brokaw had his shoes on. His other mis-
a ke was in swimming directly TO the girl
Will she still had strength to struggle in
stes of waiting until she was so far gone
tina he would be unable to get n grip on
hin.
Gus also gave me an object lesson In life
saving. The subject was myself We
plunged into the big swimming tank in
the New York Athletic clubhouse. NOW
catch hold of me-" Gus cried. ! grabbed at
him Before ! knew what had happened
he had dived under me. caught hold OF my
legs and turned me around so that my
back WAS toward him Then. holding me
at arms length by my back hair, he lay
on his back and began TO tow me toward
the lsdder Struggle az | would, | was un-
able to catch hold of him. IF ! thought
you had any chance OF reaching me-" he
remarked, I'D fx you in this way" and
he illustrated by yanking my head under
water and holding 1t there until was
nearly choked and unable to move.
This is not the way Sundstrom usually
goes about life saving, though. 1t would
be taking too many chances, He waits
until the victim is too nearly drowned to
struggle longer and then brings him in.
This he did with a New York cigar manu-
f~acturer Mt South Beach, Staten Island,
Sunday, June 90, 1890. The man had gone
far beyond the breakers, when he was
seized with cramps. Gus threw of his
coat and CATERS, swan out, and when the
man was nearly unconscious brought him
in. Then he had to resuscitHte him, as no
one else in the GROVE Of 5000 onlookers
knew how to go about 1t. When the man
finally recovered, his gratitude knew no
bounds. He repaid Gus by sending him
box of really excellent cigars, While Sund
strom was in the water a sneak thief stole
the gold watch and chain from his waist
coat.
Probably Sundstrom's greatest achieve
ment was in 1882, off Montevideo, Uruguay,
when. during a severe storm, he leaped