Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16
DANGERS OF THE SURF.
An Experienced Bathing Master
Tells How to Avoid Them.
New York Tribune.

IF people had more knowledge OF the
treacherous nature OF a sandy beach
along the ocean. they would never take
such risks" said a bathing-master at one
Of the resorts along the New jersey coast.
Just after no had assisted an exhausted
swimmer to tho shore the other day.
1T is more ignorance than foolishness."
he continued, as ne noticed that the re-
porter was interested in his remarks.
"Of course, when / say that ! don't
count the idiots who eat hearty meal OF
Holsters on crabs and wash IL down with
several bottles of beer just before going
into the water. There il no hope for
them. and they deserve little or no SYM
patty. They don't know why they are
taken with cramps, any more than
Johnny Jones did after he had eaten
the little peach that in the orchard grew.
They are people usually without enough
brains to sink their heads II It was not
for the load OF heavy food they have
inside Of them TO carry them to the
bottom.
but It is astonishing how few really
Intelligent people there are who fully
comprehend the actual dangers in surf
bathing, and who take the proper precau-
lions to avoid them" he went on.
'Do you really think, then, that all SUR
bathing Is so very dangerousY' asked the
reporter.
at is for people who do not understand
IT," was the reply, but million people
who really know where the danger lies
might go in bathing every day OF their
lives, the weather permitting, and not
meet with an accident"
n ~ ank e. nj a
tho greatest danger is and how TO aVolo
it?" asked the reporter
KNOWLEDGE AND SAFETY.
''Not in the least" he replied, readily:
"In fact, II would take great LOAD OH
my mind sometimes II the people did un-
derstand the matter better In the nlst
place, there is the young man or tne
Young woman who has learned 20 swim
recently. and after being IN the ocean hair
a dozen times thinks he or she can give
a whale points on getting thIoush me
water raoidly. II Is preatn Nasts,d ~ ~
talk to them. They will either not listen
10 YOU at all or they VIII give you 10
understand that they think you preslinp-
tuous for making any SUGGESTIONS. Ih,Sn
they will jump INTO the water and t.ke
risks that the Oldest fisherman along the
coast would not think or taxing. 1hey
will 20 out beyond their depth inVaflaoly,
and swim IA unexp.Ored places, Wnere u
sea puss' may have formed within the
last twenty-fOur hours. IN fact, these
sea pusses constitute the chief danger 10
bathing on any sandy coast
"A sea puss" he said. in answer 70 the
reporters question. well, III tell you.
Sometimes, when 4 storm sweeps along
the coast the big waves WASH up he
sand, and form considerable OF a mound.
This mound may be some distance from
the shore but the incoming waves ana
tide continually wash over IL until the
water along the shore may be consider
ably higher than Il IS further out IN the
ocean. This water keeps piling up be
hind this embankment OF sand until IL
must find an outlet. Finally 1t breaks
through the bank In one spot, ana be-
gins TO run out at that point. The bank
may be a mile or more In length, ana
there may be only one opening at hrst.
OF course the water keeps piling IN the
big basin formed by this embankment,
and the shore along the entire length
ing il begins TO run out through II, and
the water on both sides OF the opening
the entire length Of the bank begins 10
run toward the outlet.
WHAT A SEA PUSS" is.
'The opening naturally gets bigger and
bigger very rapidly, as the water rushes
ont and within a short time a great
volume Of water IS running out at a high
ratio of speed. That explains the fact
that sometimes even when the tide Is
coming I'm, you will Gee strong current
running down the coast at one point, and
a little further south, perhaps, you VIII Cd
serve an equally strong current running
up the coast. The water from both d.
rections. which has been plling up behind
this embankment Is moving IN the d.
rection Of the opening, and Il Is being
pushed along By the water piling up be-
hind. Naturally, the embankmnnt IS