The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-02
A N|NETY-NINE
FOOT PLUNGE,
Alex Coblyn's Lofty Dive
at the Lurline
Baths.
HIS TURN IN THE AIR.
Taking a Graceful Header in
Only Eight Feet of
Water.
A RIVAL OF STEVE BRODIE.
Just Simple Control of the Body.
H. Will Dive From Brooklyn
Bridge.
RIVAL OF STEVE BRoDIE.

young all-round athlete at the Lurline
Baths is treading in the footsteps of Steve
Brodie-who will soon arrive here-or
rather is diving through the air IN the
track of the great Brooklyn bridge Jump
er. His name is Alexander Coblyn, ma
tive of France, % years of age. He first
began his career as a diver from the arches
OF the Pont Neuf into the Seine when he
was little Partisan lad, and has kept up
his amphibious plunges ever since.
Coblyn does not drop feet foremost into
deep water, like Brodie and other high
jumpers, but comes down head on, turn
ing at will in the air, and piercing the
surface like duck. As his hands reach
the water he curves again, which prevents
his body from sinking more than three or
four feet.
AT the Lurline Baths yesterday he
mounted to g fraiI platform close to the
skylight, ninety nine feet above the great
tank. There was only eight feet of water
under him, and it seemed that from that
lofty dive he would be dashed to pieces.
When all was ready he took in long
breath and lightly sprang into the space
before him. His body shot down about
twenty feet, then began to turn. 1t was q
graceful curve, and before half of the
distance was reached he was completely
reversed, his body vertical, aud with
hands stretched out and meeting below
his head he struck the water exactly LIS
seconds from the instant he left the plat
form. By fair calculation it can be said
that his 177-pound body would fall at the
rate of 100 feet in three seconds, descend
ing sixteen feet the first second, the speed
increasing the remaining two seconds.
AS he struck the water he turned into a
horizontal position, sinking only Jour feet,
and immediately appeared uninjured and
swimming swiftly toward the landing.
place.
The diver then climbed to a 75-foot plat
form and gave a number of exhibition
falls. He stood on his hands at the edge
of his lofty perch and letting his legs
swing outward over his head whirled in
complete turn, striking the water head
first. he threw SUNNI ersault in the air,
making two turns, entering the water
always with graceful header.
1t is much safer and causes less ill
effects to dive than Jump" said he, ''if
you can get your head pointed strai ght
downward as you strike, because in long
descent the blood and the body organs
that are more or less movable will lift up
toward the feet and you come down feel
ing all right. A person can think pretty
fast even during the few instances he is
cutting through the air, and whenever
find my body getting out OF the vertical I
twist myself back into a safe position
again. | have such control over my mus
Giles that can dive as safely 200 feet as [
can 100. Dropping from a great height
1 would have plenty of time to get myself
into shape for the strike. 1t is easy if one
has little nerve and knows how to
handle himself.
81 am going East soon to take the 100
foot dive from Brooklyn bridge. Brodie