New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-19


Though the summer has only fairly begun,
the papers have already been called upon TO
chronicle an unusually large number Of drown
ing accidents Many Of those casualties, in
deed, cannot properly be described a. acct
dcnts; for they arc the result Of an almost
incredible rashncss on the part of the victims
or their companions. We suppose il is hardly
possible 70 reform the fool who fnds fun in
rock ing boat in which there are timid pa>Scn-
gcr.. Something more severe than homiy
is needed to penetrate his consciousness. Nor
is there much use in employing moral slIasOn
on the arc-braincd person who thinks he shows
his courage and manhood by veniuring out in
the suIf beyond the lifc-linc>. Only the APP
plication Of physical force can keep such per-
sons from stalking their lives on an act Of sense
less bravado.
But there are other cases Of drowning. which
may properly be called accidental, but which
nevertheless might be avoided by the exercise
of greater care and thoughifuncss. The sad
death Of Father McKcnna and Young woman
in the North River the other day while he was
heroicllly trying 10 save her is a ease in point.
She was in boat which he was rowing; and
when they arrived at the dock she stood up
and attempted to pass him in order TO land on
the float. Her heel caught in one If the seats
and she fell overheard. The brave young
priest attempted 10 rescue her. but. in her
frenzy Of fear, she caught hold Of him, and rs
result they were both drowned The lessons
TO be drawn from this catastrophe are taught
by many similar ones that are chroniclcd every
summer. People in a boat should take no
chaucnS bnwovor siiOhf al tho ynuno ,,n,, n
not stood up and walked in the boat she and
her companion would be alive to-day. One
would suppose that all intelligent people would
realize the danger Of such an action did we
not know that intelligent people are all the
time guilty Of it. The natural habitat Of
human beings is the land and when they
venture on the wafer common prudence de-
mands that they shall have an intelligent and
lively apprCc iation of The many Possibilities Of
danger against which they should guard. The
incident also strongly emphasizes the iInpor-
tancc Of knowing how f. swim. The ability 10
swim is especially valuable TO a woman, be-
cause she is naturally more hell leSs in the water
than man. Yet, strangely enough a laig"
| proportion OF the women who are i'll the habit
Of bathing, sdIing or rowing never think it
necessary to learn t, swim. Women are gen
orally supposed to be timid. But in constantly
venturing on an element in which they would
be absolutely helpless in case of accident they
show an absence Of timility which good iudg-
mcnt cannot commend. In these days. when
women are devoiing >, much time to physical
excrciS', instruction in swimming Ough. 10 be
an integral pait OF their ply steal education
and for their sake, no less than his own a man
sh0nld hesitate before he invites on boat an,
women who arc not adopts in this useful ant.
Or course, we are aware that good swimmers
often get drowned, sometimes. aS already in
dictated, through their own criminal fJlv and
sometimes through some contingency that no
one could forcsec. Here again, however. there
is need of word Of warning Ofientmes the
greatest danger 70 Il good swimmer lies in his
knowledge that he is good swimmer. lie