New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-22
THE rrRIkS or THE SURr.

Each season." says an old hymn. hath its
own disease. its pcrs every hour when -
quite true. even Ia more direct and practical
sense than the writer may have had In mind.
Not only each season. but each useful occupa-
ton. and each sport. diversion ana pleasure, has
iiS peculiar danger - health and He. Ana
often Fl occurs that the NOR" useful The occupa-
ton. or the more delightful the diversion. In"
greater Is is menace. \ striking example OF
this Is 10 be- seen at the present time. In what
Is very properly one %, the most popular pleas
urcs Of The season. namely. surf bathing. This
l. not only a pleasure. II Is an celebrating
exercise a means Of invigOrllion. recrHiion
and flr requirement Of health and strength.
Yet every summer II IS - b. charged with
dcploraby long list Of Immediate deaths. ana
doubtless with still longer one ~ NOR" or l"SS
serious and lasting bodily nfrinit"s. To these
results the victims are themselves parties IN
most cases through contributory negligence or
Ignorance. or rashncsS. ana through overlooking
the radical distinction that should be observed
between the Atlantic Ocean and u baihiub.
Fathers are often too apt 10 disregard Tor
instance the difference In temperature between
thr air and water especially in the early part
of thc scason Last week the thermometer NJ
some popular resorts on the N"w-Iersey coast
registered at the same moment 81 In the water
and 80 in the air, or perhaps % 10 100 II cX-
posed 10 the sun. In such circumstances nun
drcds. and thousands. went in bathing. Prob
ably most Of them found il refreshing ana NOT
injurious. Yet to many there must be serious
danger Of harm In having half OF the body IN
one element and half In another, with 40 differ
cncc between their temperatures; or having the
whole body alternate between the two. Others
fail 70 bear In mind the really violent nature
Of the exercise they are taking. II Is not IKE
walking or swimming In slll water, TINS
wrestling with the waves. II Is hard work.
and nj the same time il Is so exciting ana
inspiring that one does not realize how much he
IS cxerting himself until he Is in n state of en-
tire exhaustion.
There is always. too. the danger Of undcrtows
and whirlpools against which the strongest
swimmer Is helpless; ana there Is the possibility
of cramps, against which no one Is proof. The
cause of cramps cannot be said 10 have been
satisfactorily determined. il indeed there be
single cause Some attribute them 10 Spasm OF
the cardiac muscle and consequent heart fail
IRE: others 10 vertigo produced by pcfforatlon
Of the ear drum by water pressure; and others
10 vet other sources. Whichever be right. the
resultant catastrophe is frequent and deadly.
The swimmer suddenly cXclaims perhaps
throws ND his hands. and struggles for II mo
mpni and sinks to Il watery grave The most
healthy and robust athlete has no immunity
from this Instant rescue by others Is the only
means Of safety. II IS. therefore, nothing less
than foolharly for swimmers To 20 far out,
alone hundreds of yards from shore One may
do so Il thousand times In safety. But once he
meets with maclsrom. or Is seized by cramps,
his doom IL sealed Rescue nj that range Is I'M
possible
The need Of utmost caution In approaching Il
drowning or frightened companion. the danger
Of deafness from the impact u water against
the ear, or from its Judgment and decomposition
within, and numerous other considerations make
much prudence necessary In this fayoritc pur-
suit. 1t would be useless and undesirable 10
start any general campaign against so pleasant
and profitable an exercise. But the record OF
every past season shows that no warning