Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-09-09
SIX SEASIDE GIANTS.
THE HEROIC LIFE-SAVERS OF
COMFY ISLAND.
Restoring Half Drowned People TO Life
How the Life Line is Used
Magnificent Specimens OF
Manhood.

II is with the life-savers OF Coney
Island particularly those around tho
new AID old iron piers that this
article deals. There are six OF them.
all magnificent specimens OF muscular
manhood Every one OF them is a
giant in strength and endurance.
They are easily distingrishable in
a big crowd OF bathers by the i'm
mense muscle on their shoulders
arms and legs. They are in aud out
OF the water from a m. until 10 at
night They wear nothing but bath
ing suits from one end OF the summer
to the other and as a result they are
all tanned dark copper color brown.
When the New York Journal man
started to make the rounds OF the life
savers at the Island the first one he
met with was William johnson. who
watches the bathers at Balme's pa
Wilton.
johnson has been a life-saver at
the Island since 1879. and is the veter-
an of the place. He is Virginian by
birth and has the figure OF q Roman
gladiator OF old. He is SO perfectly
proportional that in winter time he
makes an easy living by posing for
artists and submitting to having
plaster casts made Of himself He is
but thirty years of age is five feet
eight inches III height and weighs
100 pounds.
johnson is a great believer in the
efficiency OF the life-saver and said
that even If a bather was caught with
cramp one hundred yards out from
shore the experienced life saver
would reach him in time TO save his
life.
johnson explained that at times the
surf is too high TO effect rescue with
boat even When he uses u metallic
unsuitable boat In this emergency
a different and almost as speedy way
Is used. A long life line is attached
to big reel, which. In turn. is fixed
in long bar of iron. This reel is
carried knee deep into the water and
the point OF the iron bar sunk into the
sand.
At the end of the life rope is = strap
which lastens about the rescuer's
body Quickly buckling this on the
rescuer with ring buoy thrust out
ahead of him with his right hand
swims TO the drowning man. using
the let over hand stroke. When the
drowning man is reached the life
buoy is thrown over his head and
then the man on shore pulls both the
rescuer and rescued in.
The liie-saver5 have practical plan
for bringing back the breath TO a man
just pulled out of the water They do
not resort to any OF the scientific
plans described in books.
The first thing they do is to shake
the water out OF the man. johnson
has caught hold of the man by the
waist and with face downward is lift.
ing MIN up aud down with jerky
motion TINS takes mo t OF the
water out II he cannot breathe
when this is over he is laid on his
back and his tongue pulled well out
OF the mouth. To keep tho tongue
out is very important thing. Usual
ly it is tied out by passing rope err
the tongue and lower lip and bringing
il under the chin and then around the
neck.
II the case is a particularly bad one
the tine TO do this is not wasted. The
tongue is pulled out and big pin is
run through it. The pin rests against
the lips holding out the tongue.
When this has been done the arms are
worked back over the head and for.
ward to the chest This produces
respiration.
All the life savers arc experienced
men in reviving persons who have
been under water for any length of
time They get good pay for their
work. the average salary being $50 a
month. with board and lodging and
outfit Then they make a good deal
on the outside. Hardly a day passes
that some OF the many bathers do
not get into trouble o. more or less
serious kind. and the ever ready life
saver Is always rewarded for his SER
vices.