Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-03
KEEP FROM DROWNING.
a Few Practical Precepts-To Walk OIL
Float in the Water.

Float in the Water.
To keep from drowning it is not
necessary to know how to swim. This
may seem at first rather strong as
sertion, but much depends on the
meaning that is attached to the word
-tswim." A man may be able to
thread water" yet he may not know
how to swim. When a man swims it
means one thing, when a dog swims it
means another and somewhat differ
emit thing. In the main the difference
Is one Of pOsitiOn-Of standing up
right or of sprawling in the water. OF
course the dog cannot swim as the man
can and does, but man may swim on
the first trial as a dog Swims, if he
will only do as a dog does.
In what follows the object is to
show how drowning may, under ordi-
nary circumstances, be prevented even
in the case Of persons wholly ignorant
Of what is called the art Of swimming.
In the first place, it is perfectly ma
tural for every human being to float.
With the lungs inflated and the body
below the water, one can not possibly
sink. There is no easier method of
keeping aaOat than by simply treading
water. The operation is just like
running up stairs and about as diff
fcult. 1t is perfectly natural for ami
mails to swim Throw a dog into
the water, and at once he begins to
walk the same as when out Of water.
Why should man, woman or child do
differently under like circumstances?
asks the New York Advertiser Clear
ly there Is no good reason why any
human being who cannot swim should
make few helpless struggles raise
an cutlery, throw up his hands and
sink out of sight
The trouble is that nine persons out
of ten lose their presence of mind
when for the first time in water beyond
their depth. If, instead of stru2 Cling,
people would do mo-. j thinking, fewer
would drown. Oddly enough, peo-
pie have to be told to do just what the
animal does instinctively in the water.
The dog, the horse, the deer and even
the cat tread or walk the water at first
attempt. Man ignorance of so sim
pie thing as treading water is a little
remarkable. 1t is nonsense to say
that animals have any advantage in
the water over men. On the cont AIRY,
man has the advantage of paddle
formed hands, and of being able to
rest himself when tired by floating, q
thing which the animals never do.
The man who cannot swim must fol-
hn Of
should go on all tours. He must strike
alternately with hand and foot. exactly
as the dog does one. two; one. two.
All human beings can walk in the
water without any preliminary prac-
tice if they will simply keep cool head
ed. In order, then, to keep from
drowning it is necessary only to tread
or walk the water
The most simple way to preserve
life if out of your depth is to float
which consists simply in lying fiat on
your back This is easily accom-
plished by keeping the lungs inflated,
the head thrown we'll back, the limbs
extended, but flexible, the arms placed
close to tho ears with hands over
head. The majority of the people
prefer to float on the back rather than
TO stand upright Yet any man, wo-
man or child who can walk on dry
land can also walk in the water with
safety.
1t is surprising how long animals
and human beings are capable of sus-
tanning themselves in water. In one
well authenticated instance a dog swan
ashore with q letter in his mouth at
the Cape of Good Hope, while the crew
of the ship to which the dog belonged
all persisted. The sailors need not
have been lost had they treaded water
as the dog did Although unable to
rest by the way animals swim immense
distances. Last year a dog was
washed overheard during a gale off
Cape Hatteras, and yet made his way
safely to shore. Only week or two
ago some cattle were swept from a
vessel during storm off the Maine
coast and more than half of them
were saved.
If you cannot swim aud should fall
overheard don't scream. but try to
''climb upstairs with hands and feet