River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-01

the guards begin diving and search
ing along the bottom. 1t is impossible
for anyone to remain under long
without being discovered. We have
been very successful in saving those
who have been taken from the bot
tom by working on them ashore. In
only comparatively few instances
has it been impossible to revive the
bather. Of the drownings the public
always hears, but the lives that we
save at the. beach seldom attract at
tention. Day after day boys have
been rescued who probably never even
told their parents that they had been
on the point of drowning.
"The first thing a boy does on be-
ing rescued, if in a conscious condi-
ton, is to tell lie. He will declare
that he was not drowning, but was
only trying to fool some other boy.
1t seems to be regarded as rather
disgraceful thing to be caught in the
act of drowning. 1t doesn't reflect
very much credit on the average boy,
but it is a fact that as soon as he
finds that a companion with whom
he came to the beach is missing, the
survivor begins to think of home and
mother, and in nine cases out of ten
will start for the bath house without
giving the alarm.
"As to how long it is possible for a
person to remain under the water
and live I do not know. The longest
| have any personal knowledge of is
Is minutes. This was the case of a
colored man. He fell from a steam
boat wharf at summer resort in
Maine. He came on the steamer which
blew as it reached the wharf. I heard
the whistle and looked at my watch.
1t was four o'clock. Afterward l went
to the wharf and was told that the
man fell just as the whistle blew. No
one had gone after him, so l dived in
and brought him out of 20 feet OF
water. l looked at my watch and it
was Is minutes and some seconds after
four. had no hope for the man, but
he was taken to the hospital and sur.
yived. / saw him often afterwards.
"Boys should always have elder
brothers or fathers or guardians with
them" very earnestly said the life
saver. "They will remain in the wa
ter too long, unless they are re-
strained. Almost Invariably when I
command lad to come out he prompt
ly replies: 4 only just come in, mis-
ter, deed I did. Jimmy. there, has
been in for a long time;' when, as a
matter of fact, both little rascals have
been in the water for two hours or
longer. Remaining long in the wa
ter weakens people, no matter how
strong they may be naturally. The
water opens every pore and sucks the
skin dry. The boys who are allowed
to stay in the water more than an
hour are in fit condition to have
cramps and drown. The youngsters
would stay in the water until they
sprouted fins. but the beach attend
ants are watchful and compel them to
come ashore. Very often, after they
are dressed, they look so different
that they can come back inside of Is
minutes and get into the water again.
During the past week 1873 people
took plunges from this beach, includ-
ing men and strangers visiting the
city. with boys or attendants. Some
of the boys have formed clubs for
aquatic sports, and they contest as
earnestly as the members of popu-
lar organizations. They swim stated
distances. accompanied by skffs and
life guards. They dive for depths or
distances. but are carefully watched
so that life-savers can dive after
them if they do not come up very
promptly. Altogether, this swimming
beach on the Potomac is one of the
most enjoyable and healthful of the
summer resorts of the national capt.
tal."a
And, he might have added, always
one of the most dangerous.