Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-13
DROWNING ACCIDENTS
Human Nature Demands
Boating and Bathing and
There Will Always BE
Accidents.

Tho number of drowning accidents
gives the usual new feature to our
summer casualties, says the New York
Herald They are already in striking
evidence and make up Il good part of
inc prcventable mortality of the sea
son. Always sudden and unexpected
we eXclaim, III IL only had not been.
and II Harry, Charlie, Mary. or Lau.
ra had been warned In time" But in.
functions are as often disobcyed ms
they are given.
There IS something in the anticipat.
cd swim or the enjoyable sail that
Danishes the thought of danger. hut
when the unexpected happens the vic.
| tim Is hopelessly beyond help Next
to the automobile accidents those
from drowning make n close second
in the dreadful list.
| II Is we'll conceded that the most
enthusiastic bathers and the most
ycnturesome swimmers are those who
are least prepared for accidents or
emergencies, otherwise they would
not tempt fate as they do.
Even with the best OF swimmers
there Is always lurking danger of
sudden collapse when beyond their
depth and sfar away from shore
cramps are apt TO occur quickly and
without warning. This Is the most
frequent cause of the death OF ex.
perts. and is explained by the over.
strain of the muscles involved. AS 10
well known, the spasms most fire..
quently occur In the extremties or
stomach and are obviously accounted
Tor on such superstition. If the vic
tim Is not quickly rescued he is sure
to succumb. The obvious lesson is
never to swim alone or be beyond
easy reach of helper
| This. however. Is not always possi.
bic with boating party, which must
needs take long trips in out-of-the-way
places. Naturally. in case of mishap
the death rate is very high When
capsizing occurs usually more than
MALT the number of passengers are
lost. There is always n proportion
OF nonswimmcrs who go to the bot
tom Mt once and drag others with
them In their death clutch.
Most of such accidents are due to
careless handling of the boats. chang
ins seats in midstream, skylarking, or
tho like, and take the victims In ar
ansoihte state of unpreparedness. Ev-
identity not few of these die In the
l - VIC iiiSHtt ana DtlnE InuS
shocked sink at once.
Others go through the agony OF SUI.
location In their vain efforts to reach
me surface for gasp of air. Mer.
cifnlly for them, however. their strug.
giles are OF short duration-scarcely
more than two minutes when under
water-after which there is uncon.
seriousness from the circulation of
carbonized blood in the brain. Thus
the surviving relatives get what com
lori they can In the thought that the
| suffering was soon over, that the
| thing was to have baen; and the grim
drama rchearses itself in other and
equally unexpected directions
so long as human nature is as II
Is, we cannot expect to prevent all
these mishaps. We mast swim, battle.
sail, and get all the enjoyment we
can from our water privileges. How
10 DO all reasonably is the perplexing
question.
We may not all become expert
swimmers, neither can we insist that
only experts In that line should go In
Doats or battle in deep water but VIC
can at least take ordinary forethoughi
against inevitable accident. The par
ent must necessarily do this for the
thoughtlcss child and the skilled
oarsman for the fool who persists in
rocking the boat.
Beyond this the authorities might
| accomplish much In like directors by
insisting that ali light pleasure craft.
especially rowboats, be duly provided