The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-18
DROWNING AND REsCUEs.

DROW w NlNG AND REoCOEo.
 of the hero of story plunging in gallantly to the rescue of a drowning heroine, and bearing her with powerful strokes" to shore. These descriptions seem to have suggested themselves to writers from observation of dog retrieving piece of wood thrown into the water; but in actual practice they do not exist. Good swimmers who have made study and practice of imagin- ary rescue in the water, will record and verify how difficult it Is for even a nude swimmer to retrieve and bring to bank another nude comrade who is quite competent-acting the part of a drowning man, and not hysterical nor half insensible. Such performer does not clutch nor impede his rescuer, and yet this sort of artificial rescue made easy opens the eyes of those who essay 1t to the weight, the difficulty of free striking out, and the slowness of pro- gress which occur to the rescuer.
 When, in lieu of make believe res cue, the real operation has to be per- frmed, it becomes far more arduous, even if attempted and conducted scientifically; still more so if the res cuer, inexperienced, advances to join hands with the friend in trouble. like partners in dance. The semi-con- scious state of the drowning person de- stroys all presence of mind on the part of the latter, even if the commodity ever existed in him, and he instinctively clutches at anything which he feels, and which seems to offer support. The correct approach to drowning person is from behind, and very guardedly, to avoid clutch Once arrived astern, a very light support (given at arms length and while treading water) under the ears or the nape of the neck, will suffice to keep the objects head above water. If, while thus supported, the rescued party Is not too far gone to re- cover respiration, the rescuer may pre- sently tow his burden Backwards to safety. With a woman, if her back hair Is real and can be drawn out as a tow-rope, the task is rather easier, and progress may soon commence. If it Is
  not recover his breath, and gain pres ence Of mind to keep still while he Is saved the work Is much harder, be- cause as soon as the rescuer begins to move shorewards, there is chance of his legs trailing to touch those of his burden, and the latter, if he can clutch them with hand or legs, obtains a fulcrum and purchase from which he may wiggle around and clutch and sink his preserver and himself also We have known a cool-headed rescuer go the length of ducking the head of a consistently struggling object of rescue, until he produced temporary loss of senses, this being the safest operation for both parties, after due examinatio of the position. A really insensible but still animate body. is the easiest of all to bring to bank.
 We fear it Is of little use to preach in these columns traditional cautions to reckless yokels who pine for a bathe on summers day. The warning as to wetting the head first. and as to avoid ing steep, shelving banks and muddy bottoms for non-swimmers are older than our grandsires but there have al- ways been found thoughtless youths who ignore them. However. the thought that the life of some gallant rescuer may be thrown away for want of knowledge of how to do it is of itself so distressing to every sportsman that our readers will excuse our recapit- ulation herein of sundry time-honored rules for life-saving, which every Eton- ian and public school swimmer was taught as part of his school athletic education. Any one who is desirous of studying the principles of rescue. as also of resuscitation of half drowned persons, cannot do better than peruse the reports and textbooks of the Life saving Society, now in the seventh year or It's valuable existence. An account or the gala of this society appeared in our columns of July 10. Their instruct ions and classes held under them are rapidly spreading in the urban educa- tional centres of the kingdom. The rustic village classes, who find most temptation to, and facility for, bathing In sultry weather, are at present the farthest removed from the salutary in- fiuences of this society. Any local squire or parson who will take the trouble to promote a class of instruct lon Tn ms village under the auspices of the society, will have the satisfaction of feeling that his work will be the means of preserving many a life in the district as seasons roll by.-London Field.