The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-19

port of their position they adduce what is
a well known fact--that 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 10. The slightest knowledge
of swimming would have saved at least
dozen of these lives.
| 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 knowledge
of swimming Is necessity. He is himself
probably the best swimmer in America
Gus, as he is everywhere known, has on
different occasions saved thirty-fve per
sons from drowning. Naturally the drown
ing of Frederick Brokaw, the Princeton
athlete, In his vain endeavor TO save the
life of young woman in the surf at Ebe-
ron, N. j.. on June "a, came up in our con-
versation. Young Brokaw," said Gus,
made two great mistakes A man should
throw off his shoes when he goes into the
the water, even if he has to keep on his
collar and coat. 1t may take little more
up in swim of even fifty yards. 1t is i'm
possible when wearing shoes to get the
feet in position In which the resistance
offered to the water is not almost the same
on the recover as on the stroke itself. Now
Brokaw had his shoes on. His other mis-
take was In swimming directly to the girl
while she still had strength to struggle in
stead of waiting until she was 80 far gone
hot cba ha hi 10 tr, crrir
him"
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. Nov
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 end began to tow me toward
the ladder Struggle as | would, was I'M
able to catch hold of him. "lf l thought
you had any chance of reaching me-" he
remarked, "'d fix you in this way" and
he illustrated by yanking my head under
water and holding it there until | was
nearly choked and unable to move.
Ills ~ uOC Ju6 way ouuusJTOiA
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 New York cigar manu-
facturer at South Beach, Staten Island,
Sunday, June o. 1890 The man had gone
far beyond the breakers, when he was
seized with cramps Gus threw off his
coat and CATERS, swan out, and when the
man was nearly unconscious brought him
in. Then he had to resuscitate him, as no
one else in the crowd OF 5000 onlookers
knew how to go about it. When the man
finally recovered, his gratitude knew no
bounds. He repaid Gus by sending him a
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 1852, off Montevideo, Uruguay,
when curing a severe storm, he leaped