The Washington herald., 1908-08-02

England he lowered the worlds record for
the distance 10 % 2-5 seconds. a truly
astonishing feat
Uses the Crawl stroke.
/ Daniels has accomplished all these won
ders with the crawl stroke. Few swim
mers in the world know how TO use this
stroke properly. but those who do have
! brought their records down below one
minute for Io0 yards. Eight noted swim
IHers who can beat this tirae with the
crawl are Daniels. Cavm. HeaIy, Wick
ham. Gaiiy- and Baker. OF Australia
LeaEy, Of san Francisco. and Schwarz OF
- LOUIS Just how 20 use this stroke IS
JoId in the following interview which
Daniels once granted the writer
The crawl stroke. which experts have
come 10 look upon as the stroke Of the
IltuTe' is a combination Of an a5brevi-
ateo oVerarm and "a peculiar leg drive
learned by the Australians from rIa -a-
uves OF the South Sea Islands --fa -
. uTiFe cannot be called kick. II is q con
un0g0s up and down alternate thrust or
IH9 l'wer legs from the knees down In
[Austiaila the action OF the arms and legs
Is syncnronous- thar is rhe right arm
comes back as the left lex goes f0ur. and
vice versa In America with few s,-.--
tons the arms and legs are worked i,sa-
pendently and the thrash has a uarr,V-a-
scope the legs being opened less That
y-I system is the best seems uudoubted
u --sory counts Tor anything ir swim
ming Robert Saudour who is -,--sf4
ered one or the worlds leading autHori-
Ties on aquatic matters. explains the rea-
son ~ q convincing manner
he asks Us to watch the flight Of a far
stone that has been thrown hard aI,-p
The surface Of the water. and 1o-a f-s
progress. 50 long as the far side s--5L-a-
liie water i bounceS on without a check
-illA us momentum ceases. but let even
the smallest portion become Immersed -r,.T
4 y Drought 70 a sudden stop. its fizHt
oeiHs checked instantly. no matter F-rv-
great is speed Apply this 20 swimming
i.pN- IN the trudgeou- or even in ne
a A-slTaiian crawl when swimming easily
lIeTe Is a time when The p-opeIIinz forces
pause, the body sinks lower in the vra-a-
ana check IS noted. IN some sv-i---,.-s
a decided one
Body Always in Notion
In The American crawl the co7rinua-s
ac'ion OF the legs keeps the body con
slantly IN motion. so that there Is no
eNecK or sinking. and the stroke must
perforce- be faster. There are as ua-v
varieties OF the crawl NOWADAYS ss 49,,
are swimmers using il. No rv-o sv-4-- Sc
ahke, and almost every one exhfhsre "a
method Of his own To learn the Ar-e-i-
can crawl start with the arms fin rar-
YOU viii probably do well not 20 vsa the
legs az all until you can swim aboy- ST.
yards with YOUR arms ONLY Lie fiat ,-
Jne water. with the arms a little ba-- o..
the elbows and stretched orr above ,--,--
head The wrist should be fgst bavo-5
your head. and open a little. the nsI-,s ~
the hands turning downward. Catch -ba
water with a decided smack and 5-s,-s
tne nancS through at brisk pace aIv-a,-s
bent at the elbow until they reach rba
hip then lift them clear out OF The water
aho carry them forward with elbows ve7
-p IN the air The under arm is started
just as the upper Is finished
For the kick. move the legs I'd and
down alternately, keeping them stir AZ
the hip. and holding the knees close To
SetheT- There is little difficulty in learn /
ng this Il one knows how II should h.
done but 5he best way after reading rl-is I
description Is TO watch ii in action To 1
initiate Il without having read r. I'M fz
not easy. and TO acquire If without 80
Z IS harder still But with the helm NJ I
both few days Of practice will Be suff- I
,lent- Don't open the feet more than
we've or eighteen inches from heel tn \
.oe- The real difficulty in the crawl is in
Working the arms and legs into a smooth 4
'roAe, and also in learning to hold the
-lTlng leg drive over a given distance.
7oth are matter Of practice
SwimS Flat on Face.
The position Of the body in the crawl
s fat on the face There should h
iardly any rolling. and breath should be
aken only every two or three strokes. by
quick twist Of the head as the upper
.rm is brought down. The time for ex- {
ialing IS as the under arm goes forward
When the crawl is swum slowly as II Is
'ver the distances. the arm stroke Is
enlightened and the less are slowed ac-
ording TO the length Of the race. In This
ase breath is taken at every stroke.
Now as 10 swimming on the back Thoea
ew who are students Of the back strol-a
ave attempted 10 adapt the latest spee5
trokes TO back swimming. and while the
uccHsS achieved has not proved decisive 4
the superiority Of any one form. there
re three strokes now being used The
rst is counterpart Of the breaSt. stroEe
Itered only TO suit the different positions.
he arms. instead os recovering IN the
'ater. are lifted into the air 10 get rbe
al reach. and the action must resemble
Tat OF the windmill The second has this
ame arm action. with the leg drive ~
ne crawl. and the third is identical ex ,
ept that the arms move alternately. as ,
the trudgeon. instead Of together as in !
he past stroke OF course. in alternating ,
decided roll is given the body