Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-16
EASIEsTwAY THE SIMPLEST
Inc Once Masculine Accomplishment
Now Shared by the Other Sex.
HOW THE ENGLIsHMAN swIMs,
Some Of tho wonderfui Feat. Performed
by Finney ana other Aquauo
Athletes

iul bloom. Almost every day tho cable
nrlnEa news Of some swimming record being
nroken and at least once month. amid
'he ether news ehronieled. new swlmmers
name appears. As little Alice In her voyage
TO wonderland, asks; "Now. what s the
reason OF that9"
AZ THIS season Of the year the pr,lsh ialou
euner from temperature even colder than
that Of our Atlantic coast We have o.,
100000 OF people. large proportion OF
whom live On cur eoasia England has a
bare so00oO0o, and set there Is not an
American born swimmer worthy 10 be
elaisod at any swimming distance with the
Eug,l4hmen.
American athletes. In all branches o. sport
nu' swimming, are among the best In the
world Why are we 30 backward In the
healihlcst sport OF the entire gamut? Here
Is the explanation Of James Flnney cham
plon swimmer in all the world. I'm Eng
land" he said, I'VE have in every city one
Two and sometimes ak big baths. that are
kept opeu all winter through. the water In
them kept at a uniform temperature. and
every Incentive is made by the proprieIoN
and corporations. or cities nat control them
to stimulate swimming. Every week there
are races. contests or exhibitions Of or
namcntal swimming, and accommodations are
| provided for spectators, Americans bathe
| "a a duty-ln Great Britain It is both a duty
and a pleasure. Since have been In the
1 United States on this trip have failed
to and a single swimming bath open to tho
general public In winter. think that
answers the question as TO why England
produces SO many natatorial eSperta aud
the United States. with It's magnificent
waters, SO fow."
Mr.. FInney. whose given name Is 'ames
and whose title Ia. Of course. Professor,
had great deal more to say on the sub
joct. Information fairly oozed from him.
Ho literally thinks OF nothing but water
and the way to master the element The
swimmer. who is nne example OF the
medlum-slzed, well built Englshman. was
born IN Stockport Cheshire County, Eng
land, trlhe over thirty-two years ago,
Stockport Ia not a seaport, but OF South
port In Lancashire. a few miles distant.
taste for swimming contests had arisen.
and Finney while boy Of 10. used TO make
the Journey daily to swim. II was not long
before the boy gave evidence Of bis coming
swimming proves. and at ~ ycars he won
a good race from lot Of other boys. From
that day until now he has devoted his en-
tire time to perfeeting himself In his art.
Naturally the Englishman thnks swimming
IL tho grandeat exercise any man. woman
or child can take. He says there Is no
other exaFclse known that viii 80 well DO.
| velop tho body dramatically ON the sub.
feet OF training Finney talked eloquentiy
81 believe in plenty Of preparation for
match" said he. MANY man has
gone into a race after hurried prop and
broken down in the race Ny idea "a that
long ,tRlning gives every weak apo,
chance TO show up, and then when that
weak spot comes out, be can 10 to work aud
| nx Il Up. That ~ my theory o. long train
/ ing. For instance. when J start training
| for a match. the very first thing ! DO
| "a 10 take good dose OF some purgailyo.
/ A swimmer in a match against champions
needs TO be as VOL trained as a pug.list
or any other athlete Then live abstc-
mlously. go 10 bed early. sleep as long az
/ / feel need II. aud take slow but regular
1 exercise at the distance ! intend to swim.
I lncreagiug my speed az the umn gees on
| A. to diet ! believe m plenty OF plain
| food. Abstaining from paStries, but general
! ~ eating whatever agreca with mp. Tho
1rst thing a swimmer should do Is to and
/ out what diet agrees with him, ana what
docs not. aud then follow H. Those are
nlmplQ rules Of training, and viii do Tor
I the young swimmer.
In awimming three strokes are In general
/ uur The arsf, the most common method
OF swimming on the chest This stroke Ia
! used hy professionals exclusively fnr long
! distance aVimg such as Captain Webh's ok
plot when iie swan acf0sn the Englllh
Channel or Beckwi,h In his slN-dsy swim
IL is tho sluwesf Of strokes. but the least
tlrluE. common error Of YOUNG swimmers
in using The chest stroke ls 10 Htrlkc olt
with both legs and arms at lhe same time
LIE, them learn 10 alternate legs and arma
and 70 insplre when drawing their legg Up
Tor the stroke and respiru when kicking
out when they Will double their speed and
irobio their staying power. Perhaps the
most elegant style Of swimming " that
known as the aldo stroke, Il Is more speedy
than tho ebert rroke. but not 30 rapid al
the "oyerhanl." IL "a seldom ulci W
matches, though, because It 10 TOO tirlng Tor
long distance and not fast enough for
sprlnta. II has 10 b. acquired. however. az
a sep toward the overland sWlmmofs
generally IN using this sfoho lie on the
Fight side. but ! lie on the left hlde. ] DO
il ibis way; Lying with my body on the
left side | draw nay knees up, separating
tho legs throwing the LOFT backward and
the right forward, then bring them together
with A Ftroug toml-clrenlar awecp The
right arm al the same tlmo makes stroke
from the chin down 10 tho hip, Then fol-
lows the left arm brought strongly doHs-
Ward. thls arm going forward as the lega
come together The overland now used
by every fast swimmer In The world. 10
lllea ne side stroke with the exception
the right arm Instead o. hsing brought
Harvard under the water leaves tho water
Al the hlpk and brought over the bead jast
above the surface, the nnFers entering the
wafer Just before the arm Is sutiehed oul
Al nun length This stroke IA the moa, rapid
tn6Wn. ali OF the fastest timca on record
IN dlsAnees or ron hundred yards to
Two miles having hsen IVAN in this style
aAny good PLAN sNiumer can pick Up a
puniber 81 pretty foats. such as aOmrrfsults
water pslo, diving revolving. waltzlug. iosi.
inr ard Swimming Ike a p9rpolae IN no
lime. Some o. my feais, such a. picking uf
-oins WITH my mouth under water with ny
hsnds ted behind ny back. sleeping uncrf
Waier. drinking aud eating. are more dlhi.
rnit. The con feat requires more endurance
man anything I attempr Once picked up
rlnety-fwa haii-penny pieoea Win my mouth
fronl the bottom Of the tank. The staying
upder water il no. nearly 50 difieuit.
some u Finnsy'a feats 10 this line border
an Inc marvellous. IN fun costume be swan
10 leoi uadsr water Ia nlackpool. whlch
has stood rs a record cycr sincs. HIS record
~ remaining undnF water without rising
~ 4 minutes 2qis ssc3aia. Flnoey also holdF {
~ record Of twelve hours swimming. ISL I
r,lies Fluney says tho medipia-aix Hen
= ~ .ts hrss- ~. INNER AL he SissHR-
.,s.ssl.- Tor the ktatepenl ihsf the tnedism; /
80 4,,u .f.f Al eQualItr u acti9n II fsl.. 7