The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-07-30
Drowning.

anu az buI6 sebson, WHtu I'LL hEt
planning for their vacation, this
fascination seems to be the deter
mining factor in their choice. Ont
rarely picks up newspaper a,
this time that his eye does no,
catch some notice of one or more
persons drowning. At the large
bathing resorts, there are life saw
ing arrangements made and somt
person qualified to act in restoring
the drowning victim. There are
many hints AID suggestions that
all should make themselves famil,
lar with, which may be instru
mental, not only in saving their
own lives, but the lives Of others.
In the first place, every one
should learn to swim, which, by NO
means, is difficult thing to do.
1t is an instinct with the lower
order of animals, and even children
acquire the art quickly If not for
hidden Ito 60 near the water" If
parents would take their childre n
to some safe place where the water
is not. in any place lover their
depth" and allow them to disport
themselves, they would soon learn,
even without instruction. We be-
lieve that if once learned it be.
comes an instinct with us-that is,
it is never forgotten, and if in
many years after we have learned
to swim, we be suddenly plunged
into deep water we naturally
strike out for the shore. The first
essential thing to do in learning to
swim is to learn how to breathe
properly. The mouth must be
tightly closed and kept closed,
then breathe through the nose un-
til the lungs are expanded to their
fullest capacity, still keeping the
mouth closed, let the air escape
from the nose and repeat the pro-
cess as before. As soon as you
have mastered this art of breath
ing, then you may go into the wa
ter, say up to the waist line, in
fate you lungs fully and throw
yourself forward on the water and
you will find that as long as you
keep the lungs inflated, you will
float, but as you cannot hold your
breath forever, you must have both
hands ready at your chin and as
you begin to exhale, making pad.
dies of your hands with the fingers
extended and close together, press
the water slowly, downwards and
outwards, then without taking the
hands out of the water, bring
them back again and repeat the
same movement, in the meant time
breathing through the nose regu.
larly and fully.
If you will follow this plan, di-
vesting yourself of all fear, you
will find yourself swimming from
the very start. After you have
gained perfect confidence in your
ability to keep yourself above the
water, then you may bring your
lower limbs into play as a means
OF propulsion, this done by throw
Ing your knees wide apart and
drawing up your feet till the heels
touch, then at the same time that
you use your hands, you extend
your feet downwards and back
wards till the limbs are fully ex-
tended. The process of swimming
Is simply repetition of these
movements and practice alone
makes perfect. If a woman is
thrown into the water
she can keep herself afoat long
enough to be rescued, if she will |
extend her arms full length by her
side and hold her skirts down, at |
the same time using her feet exact
|y as though she were climbing
stairs. The tendency of the skirt
to balloon, will buoy her up, but
1T the same time she must remem-
per to keep her lungs inflated and
her mouth shut. A man who does
,ot know how to swim may keep
himself above water long time
~ observing the same rules of
breathing and stair eli bing or
reading water.
If all would familiarize them,
elves with the above rules, they
rould quickly come to their mem