The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-03

The man who does nothing in hur-
ry when his life is endangered by wa
ter stands the finest chance in the
world of escaping with nothing worse
than a good ducking.
Observe how deliberately an expert
swimmer acts in the water. He never
rushes matters. He knows that the
human body naturally tends to float, is
buoyant, and that it is really a diff
cult matter to sink it. Hence, he new
er makes a motion that is not OBJ
solutely necessary to aid this natura
tendency or to send him through the
water. In order to nurse his muscular
strength he gives this buoyancy full
sway after each stroke. which is al
ways separate and distinct from al
others. No new stroke is taken until
the momentum generated by the one
preceding has expended itself. In the
meantime he takes things easily and
rests against the time of the next
stroke. He knows that such a course
is perfectly safe.
He knows, further, that it is the only
safe course. Let him depart from the
rule of making haste slowly and con-
fusion instantly sets in. His strokes
follow one another so closely that there
is no chance for him to rest between
them. What is more serious, they
Counteract one another, the momentum
generated by one stroke being destroy
ed in the effort necessary to make a
fresh stroke. What is still more seri-
Gus, this unnecessary firing of the mus
cles and the counteraction operate to
destroy the buoyancy of the body.
Work is so rapid that the lungs are
not properly supplied with air-air-fill-
ed lungs are necessary for buoyancy.
Tired muscles drag down even on land
weight buoy and it sinks. One
part of the body works against another
all parts will be affected, and each
will fail to perform its duty as it
should and become glaringly derelict.
Let the swimmer persist in making
haste and he brings around him and in
him confusion that will be fatal soon
er or later.
Action That Leads to Death.
How highly necessary it is, then,
for the poor or the non-swimmer who
is in peril not to hurry. The first inn
pulse of the non-swimmer when he
finds himself suddenly immersed. is
to get out of the water as soon as
ever he can. Straightway he begins
fioundering about, striking out wildly
with his hands, kicking just as blindly
with his legs-and he sinks. Once
under, he becomes comparatively or
wholly quiet, and the body's buoyancy
brings him to the surface. Perhaps he
renews his struggle; he surely gasps
for air. But he had his mouth open
before he went down; he gulped water
as he went down; he probably failed
to hold his breath all the time he was
down, and now there is little room
left for air. His lungs are no longer
playing their part in keeping him
afloat; they are like a rubber life pre-
server with the air let out. His lungs,
as we'll as his f1oundering arms and
legs, are now against him. Down he
goes again, more quickly than before;
and by this time his only hope Of
salvation lies in some exterior help.
If that is not at hand, he browns
through his own efforts-he takes his
life just as surely as does the man
who, standing before g mirror, presses
a revolver to his temple and puts a
bullet through his brain.
l have described the way to insure
drowning, Here is a certain way ia
insure rescue in ordinary water acct
dents.
AS you are falling into the water,
and as long as your head is above
the surface, draw in air through the
nostrils. Do not, under any circum-
stances. open your mouth to breathe
through it while you are in the water.
IF you do you will ship water and
thus lessen the air space, which is so
important in the emergency.
If you go completely under, hold
your breath until you rise. You will
be under only few seconds, although
it may seem an eternity: but no mat
ter how long you are under hold your
breath. Your salvation depends on
it-hold your breath. Even though
your temples and ear drums seem
about to burst. hold your breath.
How to Hold Your Body.
When your .head shoots out of
water-perhaps your body down TO
the waist will come out-do not, 1 i'm
plore you, release all your breath
Exhale as slightly as possible. You
will get sufficient relief, and at the
same time not empty your lungs,
which you must not do so long as you
are in danger. Follow exhalation by
taking in all the air you can. BY this
time you will be settled in the water,
en- 20 with unyIr- pOcfriIc hoxfa