Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-07-19
SOME SAILORS SWIM.
And Others Do Not, Yet Manage
TO Live Along.
swimming In the shark Infested Waters
of the Tropics sailors Never
Dream Of Drowning-Iife
PreEerycTs.

J
navy who are unable to swim is SUI
ticiently large 90 warrant some surprise
on the part of an inquirer. ALprcn-
tees enter the naval service with no
more knowledge of how 10 keep ahoat
in the water than they have of star
board, maintopgallant, studding sail
BOOM tracing line block ship, thimble.
settings. In time, of course, the young
ster is bound 10 make the acquaintance
of the latter, but he may become gray
and salty, and perhaps rise to be bo's'n's
mate, and never learn 10 swim
In nine cases out OF ten. says the New
York sun, the lack Of accomplishment
is due 70 Jacks not taking advantage
Of the opportunities offered him, be-
cause he has many chances 20 learn if
he only would. When ships are riding
at anchor in warm waters permission
20 swim Is often given to those who
wish it, and there are enough swim
mers in the ships company TO give in
structions TO the others To counter.
balance the ones who do not swim
there are many expert swimmers in
the navy. From the work he has TO
do, Jack, after years service, is like
ly 10 be splendidly trained fellow
His muscles are developed TO the high
est, and his food and hours are such as
10 keep him in the best Of physical
trim. SO, when Jack is a swimmer,
the conditions combine to make him at
once strong and graceful creature in
the water. He knows his abilities, and
Il, =. l.. Ia, -, la.
landsmen might consider foolhardi-
ness. When the ship lies in temperate
waters, and swimming permission has
been given, the ships port lower boom
is let down into the water. This boom
lies against the ships side when she Is
under way, but when al anchor Is used
as the mooring place for such small
boats and Launches as may toe in serv-
ice at the time. \ life line runs from
the ship 10 the topping lift, which sup
ports the boom. The lowering of the
boom into the water gives Jack a con-
venient but slightly hazardous way of
getting down. But the sailor swimmer
generally prefers To use the boom as a
means OF getting back to the ship after
a dive from the rail or some other van
tage point A dive from the rail means
a descent of eighteen feet in the case of
frigate and more in the modern
cruiser. This height is not 50 great as
to daunt Jack 5 courage, and many
sailormen have plunged headforemOst
in the sea from the tip Of the flying
jibboom, which is upward of thirty-tive
feet from the water
In swimming in tropical waters there
is one draw back to the sport sharks
The sight Of triangular black fin knit
ing its way through the water, and
the sudden churning of the water by
the flick of tail, Is chilling enough
when seen from the safe deck of a ship,
but is no doubt marrow freezing when
viewed from the green level of the sea.
If Jack went swimming unprotected in
such regions there would likely be an
unanswered name at roll call some
morning. But Jack has his swimming
pond in the tropics-or had in the days
OF the great hulled frigate-just as he
does further north. This is accom-
plished by tricing up the four corners
of a topsail, thus forming a bag, and
sinking it over the ships side. When
it has filled the four corners are lifted
several feet out of the water, and Jack
has an admirable natatorium, secure
from sharks and large and deep enough
10 admit of any amount of diving and
swimming.
The fact that a bluejacket cannot
swim has no more effect upon him in
the discharge of perilous duty than if
he were norman He jumps into
boat on "a lifesaving errand when the
sea is mountain high and he knows he
NAV never tread deck again if an
angry wave throws the boat upon her
beam ends and tumblcs all hands out.
He goes aloft and lays out 10 the end of
a yard when the ship Is tossing about
like cork, and there is nothing below
him but an endless stretch of roaring
waves. The yard quivers and groans,
and Jack has TO hold on like grim
death, for one moments loosening of
his grasp and he is snapped off into
space This means nothing short of
drowning. and yet that thought never
seems 20 occur 10 him. Ills life goes
on, and perhaps the emergency of his
having to make some effort to swim
may never arise
Each ship Of the navy is fitted with
two life buoys on the starboard and
port rails aft These are constructed
of frame holding two large air-tight
copper vessels. The apparatus floats
upright, and there is a place on which
the man overheard may end footing.
The buoy readily sustains mans
weight, and holds him comparatively
high out of the water II he stands on
the footrest below When man has
tumbled overheard at night, and one or
both of the life buoys have been or
dered over, the sailor at the rail pulls
one Of two knobs over the buoy. This
fires a cap, which ignites long tube of
red fire inserted in the main upright OF
the buoy. The other knob, when pulled,
releases the buoy, and ii drops into the
water. The red fire burns long time
and guides the uckless blucjacket.
Many sailorman who could not swim
has been saved by the CELEBRITY with
which the life buoys have been dropped.