Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-07
ART OF Swimming,
Statistics and Precepts Of the
Mastery of an Element.
EASIEST WAY THE SIMPLEST
The Once Masculine Accomplishment
Now Shared by the Other Sex.
HOW THE .ENGLIsHMAN SwIMs.
Come of the Wonderful Feats Performed
by Finney and Other Aquatic
Athletes.


in nearly every part of the United States, in
England 1t has apparently just burst iuto
full bloom. Almost every day the cable
brings news of some swimming record being
broken and at least once a month, amid
the other news chronicled, new swimmers
name appears. AS little Alice in her voyage
to Wonderland, asks: "Now, what is the
reason Of that2"
At this season Of the year the British Isles
suffer from temperature even colder than
that Of our Atlantic coast. We have Co.,
100000 of people. a large proportion OF
whom live on our coasts. England has
bare 30,O00Oo0, and yet there is not an
American born swimmer worthy to be
classed at any swimming distance with the
Engllshmen.
American athletes, In all branches OF sport
bur swimming. are among the best IN the
world. Why are we so backward In the
healthiest sport of the entire gamut? Here
Is the explanation Of James Finney, cham
pion swimmer in all the world: "In Eng
land" he said, eve have in every city one,
two and sometimes six big baths, that are
kept open all winter through, the water In
them kept at uniform temperature, and
every incentive is made by the proprietors
and corporations, or cities that control them,
to stimulate swimming. Every week therS
are races, contests or exhibitions Of or
namental swimming and accommodations are
provided for spectators. Americans battle
as a duty-in Great Britain 1t is both duty
and a pleasure. Since I have been in the
United States on this trip have failed
to find a single swimming bath open to the
general public in winter l think tnat
answers the question as to why England
produces so many natatorial experts, and
the United States, with Its magnificent
Waters, so few" <
Mr.. Finney whose given name Is James,
and whose title Is, of course, Professor,
had a great deal more to say on the sub
ject. Information fairly oozed from him.
He literally thinks of nothing but water
and the way to master the element. The
swimmer, who is a fine example OF the
medium-sized, well-built Englishman, was
born in Stockport, Cheshire County, Eng
land, a triie over thirty-two years ago.
Stockport is not a seaport, but at South
port, In Lancashire, few miles distant, a
taste for swimming contests had arisen,
and Finney, while boy of 10, used to make
the journey daily to swim. 1t was not long
before the boy gave evidence of his coming
swimming prowess, and at IL years he won
a good race from a lot of other boys. From
that dav until now he has devoted his en-
tire time to perfecting himself in his art.
Naturally the Englishman thinks swimming
is the grandest exercise any man, woman
or child can take. He says there is no
other exercise known that will so we'll de-
velop the body symmetrically. On the SUBJ
ject of training Finney talked eloquently.
"I believe in plenty Of preparation for
a match" said he. MANY a man has
gone into race after a hurried prep and
broken down in the race. My idea is that
long training gives every weak spot
chance to show up. and then when that
weak spot comes out, he can go to work and
fix 1t up. That is my theory of long train
ing For instance, when I start training
for a match, the very first thing I do
is to take good dose Of some purgative.
A swimmer in a match against champions
needs to be as we'll trained as a pugilist,
or any other athlete. Then l live abste-
miously, go to bed early, sleep as long as
feel I need it, and take slow but regular
exercise at the distance I intend to swim,
increasing my speed as the time goes on
As to diet. / believe in plenty of plain
food, abstaining from pastries, but general
ly eating whatever agrees with me. The
first thing swimmer should do Is to find
out what diet agrees with him, and what
does not, and then follow it. Those are
simple rules of training, and will do for
the young swimmer.
"In swimming three strokes are in general
use. The first, the most common method
Of swimming on the chest. This stroke lis
used by professionals exclusively for long
distance swims, such as Captain Webb's ex-
ploit when he swan across the English
Channel or Beckwith in his six-day swim.
It Is the slowest of strokes, but the least
firing. A common error of young swimmers
in using tie chest stroke Is to strike out
with both legs and arms at the same time
Let them learn to alternate legs and arms
and to inspire when drawing their legs up
for the stroke and respire when kicking
out, when they will double their speed and
treble their staying power. Perhaps the
most elegant style Of swimming is that
known as the side stroke. 1t is more speedy
than the chest sroke, but not so rapid as
the overland" 1t is seldom used in
matches, though, because 1t is too firing for
long distance and not fast enough for
sprints. 1t has to be acquired, however, as
a step toward the overland Swimmers
generally In using this stroke lie on the
right side but lie on the left side. I do
it this way: Lying with my body on the
left side I draw my knees up separating
the legs, throwing the left backward and
the right forward. then bring them together
with a strong semi-circular sweep. The
right arm at the same time makes a stroke
from the chin down to the hip. Then fol-
lows the left arm brought strongly down.
ward, this arm going forward as the legs
come together. The overland now used
by every fast swimmer in the world is
like the side stroke with the exception
the right arm instead of being brought
forward under the water leaves the water
at the hips, and brought over the head just
above the surface, the fingers entering the
water just before the arm Is stretched out
at full length. This stroke Is the most rapid
known. all of the fastest times on record
for distances Of from hundred yards to
two miles having been swan In this style.
Any good plain swimmer can pick up a
number Of pretty feats, such as somersaults,
tar tanla di1zina< .e.ni,iss<.