Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13
DROWNING ACCIDENTS.
Small Hope Of Resuscitation When the
Lungs Fill With Water.

From the New YORK Herald
The readers OF the daily press need not
| be told that the number of drowning acci-
dents during the summer season Is signih-
fcant and appalling. Every day we hear of
them. Some occur to bathers, others to
boating parties. and still others. to such as
accidentally fall overheard Even the good
swimmer may be seized with cramp at any
moment and sink before help arrives. may
die In faint or from shock quickly
choke for want OF air. Barely two minutes
is sufficient 10 settle the question of life
or death when a body is submerged. Hence
everything must bend to the possibility of
ouick rescue. When the lungs become
loaded with water by the gulping efforts
OF the struggler there is usually small hope
Of resuscitation.
| IL Is estimated however that fully l23
per cent of drowned persons die the mo-
ment they become Immersed from other
causes than simple suffocauon. In such
cases death may result from mechanical
injuries conclusion, shock, faintness apo
plexy cold. For these evidently no
ready help is of any avail Contrary to
the general belief. also, only % per cent of
the remaining So per cent actually die
directly OF asphyxia pure and simple. The
remaining causes are usually complicated
and modified by one or other or the conol-
tons named.
A correspondent OF the Herald recently
gave some excellent advice to the pros
\pective drowning man by urging the neces-
sity of GOODNESS In the face of death.
Doubtless If the injunction could be fol-
lowed many lives might be saved. But
the truth is no can be trusted to act
calmly when gasping for air. The best
swimmer loses control of himself under
such circumstances. Nhen ne begins 10
struggle he is lost.
IL is quite true that the submerged human
body is but a tribe heavier than water and
that the smallest amount of buoying power
Is necessary to make II float With the
mouth closed and the breath held. the
| slightest wave of the hand or kick of the
foot may be all that is necessary TO bring
the chin above the water but in order to
accomplish this the victim must maintain
his presence of mind, be calm in his Nllcu-
lations and have faith in the outcome of his
efforts. Ordinarily all this is impossible on
its face. which makes every difference In
the world between the man In the water
and the one who writes directions on dry
land. The real assurance against the usual
fatality OF such accidents is the ready help
In the emergency-the life preserver on
shipboard and the life saver on shore Ii is
estimated by various authorities that the
actual weight of adult body in water
varies from four to ten pounds. The Eng
lsh life saving belt for the navy is calcu-
lated to support twenty-five pounds and
the American belt twenty-four These are
supposed to buoy not only the wearer but
another who may need his help. With such
apparatus the victims can be safe for hours
In England many OF the excursion boats
are furnished with settees having air-tight
appliances under the seats which can be
FUSED In some sense by large numbers as
miniature floating RATS. But what can be
said for our General Slocums and Grand
Republics, whose life preservers are not
only found to be rotten. but ON taatinS have