The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-11-16
TREAplNc WATER.
Something that Anybody Can Do witha
out ANY Previous Practice.

The easiest way that man, woman,
or child can assume in water is to
float perpendicularly. says HGrper's
Young People. Any person, without
any previous practice, can tread water,
and so keep afloat for long time. He
should keep his hands below the sur
face of the water, his lungs inflated,
and his feet moving up and down as
in walking. Let the "man overheard"
throw up his hands and arms out of
the water, let him raise an outcry
whereby the air is expelled from the
lungs, and he will sink to the bottom.
The trouble is that nine people out of
ten lose their presence of mind when
they are in water out of their depth for
the first time. If, instead of struggling
and fioundering about. they would do
little walking there would not be
the slightest danger of drowning right
away.
Anyone can tread water in the first
attempt. No preliminary teaching
is necessary. Treading water is
simply walking into the water out of
ones depth, with or without the aid
of ones hands. The operation is not
unlike running upstairs, and, if any
thing easier. Truly any man, any
woman, any child who can walk up
stairs can walk in the water, and
remember, on the first attempt, with
out any previous instructions or prac-
tice.
Hence l say that persons really
ignorant of the art of swimming are
perfectly safe in water out of their
depth. Very often you hear people
exclaim: "Ughi if this boat was to
upset I'd drown, of course, / can't
swim you know"
Yes, but you can tread water. Most
of US attach wrong significance to
the word swim" Why should we
mean one thing when a man swims
and another or different thing when a
dog swims? The dog cannot swim"
as a man swims, but any man can
swim "dog fashion" instantly and for
the first time. The animal has no
advantage in any way in water over
man, and yet the man browns while
the animal "swims." The dog, the
horse, the cow, and even the cat all
take to the water, and are able to
walk as they do when out of water.
Throw dog into the stream at once
he begins to walk, just as he does on
dry land. Why should a man, woman,
or child act differently under like
circumstances?
It seems strange that people have to
be told to do what the animals do in
stinctively and instantly. Mans ignor-
ance of so simple thing as treading
wateris remarkable;it is without reason
or excuse. There is popular notion
that in some way the dog and the
animals have an advantage over man
in water. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The advantage lies
with man, who is provided with a
paddle-formed hand, and knows
| enough to float when tired-something
the animal rarely or never does. Next
to treading water, floating on the
back is the easiest thing to do in water.
This consist in lying fiat on the back,
| head thrown well back, the lungs in
| fiated, the limbs extended but flexible,
| the arms held close to the ears, the
hands over the head. The majority OF
/ people able to sustain themselves in
the water prefer to float in horizontal
position rather than in perpendicular
manner. Both positions are much
better, in fact much safer, than the
attitude that we assume in swimming.
l have found it so. One day in a
rough surf | was nearly strang1ed
with sudden swallow of water, and
had not been able to float the result
/ might have been disastrous.