New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-29
TEACHING SWIMNING OFT or WATER
DRILLS IN THAT ART AND IN LIFE-sAvING ~ A
LONDON SCHOOL.
.ondon let.er In The PhlladelphIa Times.

London iet'er In The Philadelphia Times.
From time TO time ingenious persons have sug-
20 ssm Without the ala Of
ago every French child, Using base Nat
ever perseveringIy these efforts were carried out,
they We're generally failures. Now. however. the
who preside over the destines OF the London board
schools. and one Of the most interesting features
Albert Han was an exhibition OF a new method OF
learning to swim. combined with life-saving drill.
by The Life saving society. ard the intelligent
fashion IN which these exercises are carried ont
seed 'or lives there child with soul and BODY so
and interesting aquatic exercises learned on land'
Each swimmer. and above all. every swimmer
knows well thar the chief difficulty is 10 ncucate
IN another the movements which appear so easy
TO ones sell to accomplish. As matter OF fact.
swimming H. BY no means easy to acquire. and re-
aures much practice does almost any other
branch 81 physical education. CONFIDENCE is. %
course. all important. and nsures a rapid mastery
~ what my be called me dement's OF the ar,
knowledge 81 the movements which facilitate float
ing With the head above water. and Il IL essential
that each portion OF the swimming stroke should
be clearly explained so that the learner may gain
TO make A perfect swimmer. II is this knowledge
which the board school teachers are trying 20 in-
culcate simply and clearly as possible In their
( considerable, number Of people never learn to
can get along" by making the seni-circulsr
movement With their arms. they are quite sat
actual danger OF drowning from exhaustion. II Il.
therefore, good 70 know that before taking part
taught the necessary leg movements. followed hy
those OF the arms. and only when fairly proficient
IN both they taken through the combined
drill Of which the movements are easily acquired.
and which. II AZ first practised while each point 10
general idea as TO what he or she should do when
IN the water.
A. is generally the case when anything IN the
shape of "A gymnastc exercise Is in question. the
little boardschool girls take kindly TO tbs portion
OF their drilling lesson. and they soon become
mol ement perfect ODE yins each word OF command
with unfailing precision. IL t. expected that tina
board Will provide a, swimming bath in connection
with each large school group OF schools In
which hey have been 50 sHceesstuiiy taught
Not infrequentN the swimming drill Is followed
by demonstration OF ,he best means OF saving
hfe. 1t goes without saying that there many
swimmers who miSht with great advantage attend
this portion OF the swimming drill for In this
a. In most things. there is \ right and wrong
mer months Of the year many valuable lives are
sacrificed which might have been saved had the
task they had set themselves
Again. every swimmer ought TO be taught the
panion i'm the water and this really valuable piece
OF Information Is impaired 10 the children in an
Intelligent fashion CuElos m M. ae s,es.e .s,, y
clutched round the neck by a drowning person
nake vigorous attempts to discover for themselves
when the occasion FOR using II arises
which these land babies disport themselves when
Inducing I'm swimming drill are not un,ilse 'dea'
bathing sma Er s Ers plenty Of room
FOR the play OF the arms and Legs legs, ,.. g., -.
class is divided into auarteis one little girl Iyins
fiat on the ground while her compan1ms MAKE IKE
most useful things taught being various means Of
inducing ARTIFICIAL respiration 49,, .s,,, ..,..,
systems all over the world would do well to emu
late. .---.-.-..------.,