The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17

nSh are frightened did you eyer see on
of them turn and go the other way: No
so. They all swim In the same direction
and away from danger.
Suppose, for instance. the young foil
on the Slocum had been drilled when il
danger of that kind TO jump into the watel
and swim from tho peril that menace
them The moment they struck. like q
school of fish. they would have put out foi
the shore and not turned and swum in :
dozen different directions. each To bother
and worry the other. and become panic
stricken and finally drag to III" bottom
those that might have been saved.
LESSON FROM HORSES.
Here is another pertinent question that
| am going TO ask. Has anyone seen i
drove Of horses stampedcd while they
We're in the water? ON shore these horses
may become frightened and dash away 70
the many points of the compass. but enc.
In the water their restless natures are
calm and they all head In one direction,
! am trying to tell In my simple way
that when people become panic stricken
and are forced to leave the refuge Of a
boat they should adopt the tactics OF
animals and fishes. become cool. alert and
follow the leader.
This picture of mules swimming the
Agno River. which | am told General Bel!
compelled during one of his marches upon
the stronghold ~ General Nlscardo. at
ManGatarin, in the Philiprtnes. Illustrates
exactly the idea | am trying TO advance.
These mules swan a half mile and they
S"dIl Slt1lSNt as could ne. W nat DO YOU
suppose taught them to keep that perfect
alignment in the water" Mature. you NAV
say. Then why Is 1t not natural hat hui
mar beings should employ common sense
when they are in danger?
There IS ono thing | am 4 crank upon.
but guess people will consider that / am
rational when they come to think II over.
| have been In the South Sea Islands
where wee mites have SWIM n mile out 10
our vessel and remained in the water at
the side OF the steamship for hours. div
ing for the shining nickels which the pas
senGerS threw over the sides of the vessel.
You may say that thev were brought
up TO swim, That IS it exactly. Then why
cannot We bring up our children to win
No one knows what moment his child NAV
be called upon to exercise this athletic
| accomplishment.
There is a tradition that the Norwe-
sians and the Swedes who fshed for n
livelihood took their children far out TO
sea In their boats and cast them over
board. The children were mad. to swim
or sink. | do not believe I'm such drastic
measures. but that is better than not
teaching a child TO swim at all.
VALUE OF SWIMMING FOOLS.
Now. l am going to give YOU my idea.
and give it TO You as concisely as | can.
New York is a rich city. Don't you think
it can afford swimming pools in the yarl-
Gus school buildings II would serve two
purposes II would teach children to love
cleanliness. That. in itself. is Gods bless
ing ny IN his peol would have a small.
four children at a time. fully dressed.
capslze this boat. After 1t had capsized |
would have them right II. bale it out and
repeat the trick until You would be sure
they would be able to do IL during a gale
on the Bay or Sound.
"Anothed matter which the instructors
should require of their pupils IS to undreSS
in the water. This is a simple matter. |
assure you. when 1t is properly explained.
1t IS hard TO believe that a person can
shoes. stockings, coat and trousers. II can
be lone easily. a 5-year-old boy can do
II within two weeks after he has been
taught to swim. There should he a COM
puisory law requiring every child to learn
forget it
Why. I met an old mar of 60 years
that he had not been in the wter for
forty years. and that he had forgotten
how TO swim. I told him that 1t was all
he could go out and swim. He took me
up. The old chap swallowed n quart or
TWO or salt water, but before he knew 1t
he was triking out with all the exuber-
why, that is impossible"
IN THE PUBLIC BATHS.
A few weeks ago the public baths we're
thrown open. From the moment the doors
were unlocked a multitude Of urchins
swarmed into the pavilion. took two sec
onds in which to undress and piled from
the platforms into the water. So success
FULLY were the free swimming pools con-
Quoted last year that the number has been
largely increased. Where ten years ago
a boy who did not have the money TO go
to Coney Island lodged the policeman at
the wharf and tumbled into the water, to
risk his life as well as arrest. There are
facilities-though even now none too
abundant-for free bathing to-day.
There are instructors at all OF the pub |
lie Ia whom tho city !
employees to teach those to swim who can |
not swim. Three days every week are
given over to the weaker sex. Girls are
being taught TO support themselves upon
the water. Hundreds OF women were
taught TO swim last year. and ten times
that number will be encouraged this year
preservation.
There arc several private schools in
New York where the members of wealthy
families are sent to he instructed in this
art. In a majority OF cases the art Of
swimming after a few lessons comes by
\ boy may be snrawled out on
kick his legs in the exercise that should
keep him afoat when he is in the water.
but in nine cases out of ten when he gets
into the water he will forget all about
his instruction. He will paddle around in
the water by himself and experiment by
himself. and the first thing he knows he
Is striking out like a good fellow. The
next time he gets into the water his i
chums will hear a yell:
Hey. fellows, I can SWIM" And so he
AN.
The Instructors at the Young Mems Chris
Tan Association gymnasium in New York
consists of motions with the legs and
The pupil Is placed upon a box and
told to move his arms to a count.
One" His hands are at his breast.
and they come together and shoot
put in a line with his nose. Three and
hey make a sweeping motion and return
10 the original position. The same exercise
n regard to the motion of the legs is
-aught. kick like a frog Is Ineligible
70 most boys. and II not Is made so. The
movement in which the arms ar exer-
Used.
FEAT OF THREADING WATER.
The next lesson consists OF the first ex-
with the water. The pupil is
with a long pole or trolley. to
IS attached a line which connects
With a strap about the pupils shoulders.
rhe instructor walks long the edge of the
ank, holding at arms length his charge.
Cne fault with boys is that they forget
When they get into deep water for the
time there is a tendency TO strike out
Is fast as they can move their arms and
dick their legs. A half minute Of this
ierce exercise exhausts the pupil and he
s ready to sink.
A boy is instructed to use both his legs
nd arms at the same time. To emphasize
his point the instructor asks his pupil to
Ise only his legs. The boy will find his
lead going under the water instantly. II q,
lie uses only his arms his legs will sink
nd he cannot keep himself afoat. This
nay sound useless. but it IS a point en- :
'hasiZed very sharply IN the swimming ,
essons at the Young Mems Christian As '
gymnasiums. !
Most boys VIII take about six lessons q.
'ome of them learn to swim In three and
our: There are stubborn cases where a