Evening journal., 1906-07-13
SWIMMING NOW
IS POPULAR
Young Boys Delight Them
selves Daily in Waters
HereabOutS
HOW TO LEARN THE ART

This is the time Of the year when
everyone takes dip i'm the water
Those who can afford to 90 to the
shores OF the ocean; while many
small boy who has neither the time
nor the carfare seeks the Christiana
and the upper Brandywine Creek, and
there. surrounded by a wildness OF
woods. takes his swim In natures sarp'
Those who travel on the river
boats. or or the Peoples Railway dur-
ing the warm afternoons are astonished
at the number OF bathers seen. Inc
hathers, and they are mostly boys
seem to be having a good ume' iree
from care. and the staid business man
looks on with envy.
There is always one sad feature that
comes with summer. and that is the
usual list OF drowning accidents which
turn the happy home into mourning.
So far this season there has been a
notable absence of them IN local
waters. but the season is not yet hair
over and II would be we'll for those who
contemplate a plunge in the cooling
depths to take a few words of advice.
The great mistake that parents
usually make is In positively forbidding
their boys 20 go swimming. Men VINO
follow the water and who do not
know how TO swim-anG there are
rany OF them-always blame their
| fathers for not teaching them that USE
/ ful ACCOMPLISHMENT while many m-L
/ who go TO the scashore look with envy
On the swimmers. and devoutly wish
/ chat they. too. could swim. AS they
tand on the bank and watch the
! winners disporting in the line OF the
breakers. their thoughts always turn
! back to the times when they used to
! nplore theis parents to allow them TO
20 with the "other fellows" to the
swimming-hole.
| swimming Can be Learned.
1t is because the men have not
learned TO swim during their youth
! hat they attempt to learn when they
have attained their majority therein
| often lies the cause Of their death
Swimming can be learned. 1t is easy,
9ut the first requisite is confidence. The
human body will float naturally. II
one viii remain perfectly still in the
water. with hands by the side throw
/
the nose will remain an inch or more
| above the surface. With an up-and-
| down motion Of the hands the body
win rise a trine more. BY keeping up
! this movement be It only slight.
! there is no danger Of sinking. This
applies only when the water is smooth,
and only in smooth water should swim
ming be learned.
The great mistake made by the aver
age person who cannot swim is In try
| ing to climb out OF the water, and rails
| ing the hands above the head. with the
result that the body sinks like a stone.
The imperative rule is to keep ones
hands submerged-the deeper the bet
ter DO not worry about the head
getting wet. either All one needs Is
TO keep nostrils clear OF water and the
remainder of the body will take care OF
itself.
After becoming able to keep himself
ahoat and thus gaining the first es-
sential Of confidence. the learner may
attempt TO master the correct move
ments. In striking Off the swimmer
should fall uDon the water gently,
keeping his head and neck perfectly
upright, his breast advancing forward.
his chest inflated. then Withdrawing
his legs from the bottom. and. stretch
ing them out. strike the arms forward
in unison with the legs. The back cam
not be too much followed or the head
too much thrown back The hands
should be placed just in front Of the
breast, the fingers pointing forward
and kept close together. with the
thumbs to the edge Of the forehnger:
the hands should he made rather con-
cave on the inside, though not too
much.
In the stroke Of the hands. they
should be carried forward to the ut
most extent they should next be
swept to the side. and should then be
drawn up again by bringing the arms
toward the sides. bending the elbows
upward and the wrists downward. 50
as to let the hands hang while the
arms are raising them to the first at
titude and so on.
The legs should be moved simultane-
ously with the hands. They should be
drawn up with the knees inward and
the soles Of the feet inclined outward.
They should then be thrown backward
as widely apart from each other as
possible. describing circles.
When stroking. the learner should
expel his breath as he drives his hands
forward at the beginning. and lnhale
as they are descending 10 his hips II
is very essential to the success OF the
swimmer to properly regulate the
respiration.