Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-07-07
SOME SAILORS SWIM.
And Others Do Not. Yet Manage
to Live Along.
Swimming In tn. shark Infested Waters
of b Tropics : Sailors Never
Dream of Drowning-Lifs
PreaerVerA

The percentage of blue jackets In the
navy who are unable to swim Is suf-
ficiently large to warrant some surprise
ON the part Of an inquirer. Atprcn-
ticcs enter the naval service with no
moro knowledge of how to keep afloat
in the water than they have of star
board, maintopgallant, studding sail
boom, tracing line, block ship, thimblc,
settings. In time, of course, the young
ster is bound to make the acquaintance
of the latter, but he may become gray
and salty, and perhaps rise to be bois'n's
mate, and never learn to swim.
In nine cases out of ten, says the New
York Sun, the lack of accomplishment
is due to jacks not taking advantage
of the opportunities offered him, be-
cause he has many chances to learn IL
he only would. When ships are riding
Mt anchor in warm waters permission
to 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 mes who do not swim
there arc many expert swimmers in
the navy. From the work he has to
do, Jack, after a years service, is like
y to be a splcndidly trained fellow.
Ills muscles IRE developed to the high
est, and his food and hours are such as
40 keep him in the best Of physical
trim. So, when Jack is n swimmer,
the conditions combine to make him ut
once n strong and graceful creature in
the water. He Knows his abilities, and
this leads him into what the scdatc
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 at anchor is used
rs the mooring place for such small
hoats n launches as may be In scrv-
ice at the time. 4 life line runs from
the ship TO the topping lift, which sup
ports the boom. The lowering OF the
boom into the water gives Jack n con-
vcnicnt but slightly hazardous way Of
letting down. But the sailor swimmer
generally prefers to use the boom rs II
means of getting back to the ship after
a dive from the rail or some other van
tagc point. \ dive from the rail means
Il descent of eighteen feet in the case of
Il frigate, and more in the modern
cruiser. This height is not SO great as
To daunt Jacks courage, and man
s~ailormcn have plunged hcadforcmost
in the sea from the tip of the flying
jibboom, which is upward Of thirty-fvc
feet from the water.
III swimming in tropical waters there
is one drawback to the sport sharks.
The sight of n triangular black fin knit
ing its way through the water, and
the sudden churning of the water by
the flick of n 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.
II Jack went swimming unprotected IN
such regions there would likely be an
unanswered name Mt roll call some
morning. But Jack has MS swimminp
pond in the tropics-or had in the DAYS
OF the great hulled frigate-just is he
does further north. This Is accom-.
plished by tricing up the four corners
OF n topsail, thus forming n bag, and
sinking it over the ships side. When
1t has filled the four corners are lifted
several feet out of the water, and Jack
has an admirable na~tatorium, secure
from sharks and large and deep enough
10 admit OF any mou of diving and
swimming.
The fact h a n b~luejacltct cannot
swim has no more effect upon him in
the discharge OF perilous duty than IL
he were n norman. lie jumps into n
boat on q l~ifesaving crrand when the
sea IS mountain high, aud he knows he
may never tread n deck again il m
angry wave throws the boat upon her
beam ends and tumblcs all hands out.
lie goes aloft and lays out to the end of
u yard when the ship is tossing about
like n cork, and there is nothing below
him but an endless stretch of roaring
waves. The yard quivcrs and groans.
and Jack has to hold on like grim
death, for n moments looscning of
his grasp and he is snapped of into
space. This means nothing short of
drowning, and yet that thought never
seems to occur TO him. His life gocs
on, and perhaps the emergency of his
having to make some effort to swim
may never arise.
Each snip of the navy is fitted with
two life buoys on the starboard and
port rails aft. These arc constructed
OF n frame holding two large air-tight
copper vessels. The apparatus floats
upright, and there is n place on which
the man overheard may find II footing.
The buoy readily sustains Il mans
weight, and holds him comparatively
high out OF the water IL he stands on
the footrcst below. When n man has
tumbicd overheard at night, and one or
both of the life buoys have been or.
dcrcd over, the sailor mt the rail pulls
n of two knobs over the buoy. This
fires ii cap, which ignitcs II long tube of
red fire inserted in the main upright OF
the buoy. The other knob. when pulled,
releases the buoy, and IL drops into the
water. The red fire burns q long time
and guides the lucklcss blucjuckct.
Many a sailorman who could not swim
has been saved by the celebrity with
which the life buoys have been dropped.