Evening journal., 1904-07-27
ACT OF FLOATING
EASILY LEARNED
Simple Instructions for Those
Who Venture in Waters
for Pleasure

The so-carod ant OF learning to swim
ls In reality no art at an but simply. as
IN writing. mechanical movement Of the
arms. 1t Is pitlul to read every day OF
the large number of drowning accidents
happening everywhere. Boys. girls, young
and old men go down IN the pitiless
waters and homes are made dcsolate inI
the sad termination OF "a days outing
Why should this occur year In and year
out lust as sure as the summer season of
bathing sets in? Ordinarily timely hints
are given now and then how TO resusci-
tate half drowned persons, leaving out
the fact TO instruct people In the FIRST
place not to become haf drowned should
they happen to get In water 100 deep for
them.
by inquiry into the subject most people
would be surprised to know how much
the upward pressure of the water ON their
bodies docs to keep them anoat, provided
one or two simple rules are followed, aud
here let it be- cmphaslzcd-folowed with
a confident presence of mind. If you
cannot. as the saying goes, swim. you
are to commence with. deficient in COM
ndcnco. and tn your case serious dehci-
ency should you happen 20 fan overheard.
As you read this place each thumb firmly
against the fore fingers and you will see
| that each hand bocomoa-to use an eX-
pression-cupped. This cupprg OF the
hands and keeping them under water viii
keep anyone anoat no matter how deep
the water IS. The more you work the
hands remember. under the water the
more the powerful stroke of the cuppcd
hands causes the body TO rise and, TO use
a swimming phrase you viii find yourse
threading water" the safest easiest ana
most resourcoful of an modes of swim
ming
After you have seen how easy II is to
cup the hands. take look al your fee.
and you will see that nature, In the hol-
low OF your feet has also given you means
TO form those feet into as deft propeller
Blades as you will lind on amy tug that
stoams and snorts along the river. for
dear knows they sink easily enough.
Now then these are the conditions 10
keep ano3t IN "a mill pond or on the edge
of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland,
where the water Is five miies deep: Cur
the hands and keep them moving under
water. and the result win be IL viii kecp
your body from sinking This is an there
Is TO the art OF swimming. Try IL in shat
low water But then this does not give
the necessary confidence And again, how
curious lt Is to be Ia want of this conf.
denco. this ability to keep anoat should
you happen TO get into water over your
depth.
You remember last winter before yot
went on the ice to skate how Unconscious
ly a dread came over you. but the momen
you stepped on the ice this fear vanished
{ ana you had full confidence. that is a,
, walk or skate over that ice. This is as i
should be with melted ice-that is th
water.
: The best way to obtain confidence ant
] presence Of mind In the water IS keel
your mouth shut fl is the superabund
ance of oxygen at the surface of IN
water and. which your open mouth take
in In great gulps that causes you TO gas
, for breath and Of course ITO becom
frightened and lose your head
Another thing you must do with iudg
ment n you cannot swim; never get int
boat with a Ounce whose propensity
TO be continually rocking the boat IA
3 may be the apple of your eye and al
that. but ne will drown you sure as fat
/ sinks ike lead. and let it be said. charit
e ably he should sink
So now infconcluslon let only these sim
pie rules be enjoined for you who can
not swim 10 keep the hands cupped AM
under water. moving them about. On
[ mouth shut and the feet kicking ike siXil
j. and you will without doubt 1--we 20 pas
e sixty If we were NOT. as Darwin says
l evoiutej from the ring tail monkey va
I would be az least partially web footed
h and could then swim intui.iveiy. Some o
u.s. however are strong enough In th'
feet but lacking the necessary conf
dence Il does not amount TO much.
81. Up along the New England coast goo
= swimmers can be found especially amonl
= the girls. They care not for the wilt
, roar OF the surf but breastins the stron
hesving eide they glide along In cas-
strokes lar out to sea with as much grac
as when in evening dress they swee
along the boardwalks listening to the sol
nothlngs OF their male escorts.
~ James E. Scott.