Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-06-23

departments, Win the result Thai eHS
loss of life from burning buildings has
been reduced to almost the lowest
possible degree. But you might say
that absolutely no precautions are
taken to protect ourselves from water.
Here is an element that we face
great many of us, evey day in our
lives. especially those people who
cross the river twice a day, or who
are constantly on the water. There
are estimated to be at the very least
q million Of these ferry passengers
just around New York alone.
'tHow many of them are able TO
swim? Not per cent of them. And
this small percentage is confined al
most totally to men and boys. GIRLS
rarely learn how to swim.
'sWhy don't We make it our bust
ness to see that our children have an
opportunity to learn this most useful
branch of athletics? In Brookline,
Mass. suburb of Boston, they have
public bath, where every pupil in
| the school is taught to swim by COM
petent instructors. Not only must
each pupil learn how to swim, but ey-
ery one must be able to swim GER
tain distance within certain time
limit before he or she can graduate
from the school.
why should not this big city have
big swimming pool in connection
with every public school. where chill
dren from up could be taught how
to take care of themselves in the wa
ter? And what is more important
still, to lose their fear of it.
Just think of those poor unfortun-
ates huddled together on the decks
of that burning steamer. afraid to
stay aboard and equally afraid to
Jump overheard to what. il BrookEne,s
example had been followed here,
would have been welcome refuge IN
stead of another horror.
lone newspaper gave an account OF
a little fellow, about 8 years old, who
succeeded in swimming from the
steamboat almost to Riker's Island
when he was picked up. And he was
| taking Off his clothes in the water as
he swan. Probably he learned to do
| this around some pier. which offered
him the only chance Of getting ac-
quainted with the water.
Then there was plucky little Edward
LAM Although only IA, and not
very strong, he succeeded through his
knowledge Of the water in saving two
| lives-those of his little brother and
sister Another account mentioned
| woman who knew q little about swim
ming who jumped overheard with her
baby and made her way to the shore
! in safety, thanks to the fact that at
! some time or other she had been
! lucky enough to learn not to be afraid
/ of the water
II know that instruction is given at
| the different oDen-water baths around
/ the city during the summer months.
But what does that amount to?
1T is all right SO far as 1t goes.
But how far does 1T go? 1t doesn't
teach one-thirtieth OF / per cent. What
we want is instruction all the year
round
Make asnecessarv for boy or girl
| to learn how to swim as to learn his
ABC's. Swimming Is more import
ant. That is something by which
people can preserve not only their own
lives, but perhaps also the lives of
others.
4 Everybody can learn how to swim
everybody. There is no one
who after patient effort cannot master
! it.
"Some learn more easily than others,
| of course, which is true of everything
Il
such an instructive fear of the water
that they are longer in learning. Put
they can all lean.
Parents should give their boys the
privilege of going for q swim when
ever they can find a chance. Acct
i dents from little trips of this kind are
4 few, and the boys are learning some
thing that will be very useful to them,
i and others as well.
'sAs for girls, they take to the wa
ter with Just as much liking as the
boys, and will make Just as . good
swimmers. But a girl doesn't get
one chance to learn where a boy will
! have hundred
Gas an illustration of what they can
do when they know how, look at the
brave eighteen-year-old girl, Miss
i Fuetz, who swan right into the strug-
| Cling women and children and brought
five children to shore before she be-
came exhausted.
"Of course, people say that every
body lost his head. What IL that is
j true? That was natural under the
circumstances
when they jumped into the water,
no matter how scared they were, If
they had had some knowledge Of
i SN luby WOu1u
have kept af1oat. A great many or
them did keep afioat for long time
anyhow People with no experience
try hard enough, but they don't know
how, and so all their efforts are in
vain.
s.Give every child a chance to learn
how to. swim. Through competent
instruction. show him that the water
need not be feared. Make swimming
4 just as important part Of our school
education as the alphabet. and we will
soon make such huge disasters as that
of last Wednesday impossible"