Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-04
LHe-Savers Rescue Drowning Men at the Y. W. c. A.

try to set him" said Malcolm bat tie
undertow was terrific tat i, took him
under and he d Linn under, and. TO tell
the truth. il was all | could do 20 keep
mEsei, rom being sucked away by the
powerful food. He went down and came
up several times, and finally when lie
went down the last time l began 10 real
ize that l myself was IN danger of being
swept out 10 sea. / made a dive for the
poor fellow, and felt my head bump
against hard timber. IT was one OF the
outermost row of piles the pier run
ming far ont into the ocean. and as |
rose to the surface realized for the
first time that my own life was at stake
| chung TO the u e while ti.e surf came
rolling in. de!ugins me every two sec
onds. The poor fellow l mad tried TO
rescue was swept out to sea, and nothing
was ever heard o. him.
LAS chung to the timber | saw people
running to and fro along TIE shore. evil
IDENTIFY Dent on saving me- and then some
one threw down tie end Of a rope. On
this l managed 10 make my way TO the
pier above. exhausted and unsuccessful.
but with my own life safe. anyhow 1t
was. surprise 70 me Wien some
time. late. I vas awarded carnegie
hero's medal While | was proud of the
fact that I was the first Wastlngt onian
on whom such an honor had been con-
ferred. have always felt that l did not
deserve it.
Il jumped into the ocean that day with
out the slightest sense of danger l
merely felt there was somebody drowning
out there and my ability to swim would
help me to rescue the imported one.
Wouldn't you have done the same thing!
The Star man expressed the opinion
that under the circumstances he doubt
less would have hesitated TO take the
plunge.
1t is a perfectly planned curriculum that
Mr.. Long p.ts mis- pupils through. The
art or science OF saving q drowning man
Is not simple one. ard Mr.. Long doesn't
leave the impression that his teachings in
the matter of Hfe-saving are kindergar-
ten instruction.
II teach my class first to recognize just
the condition Of the drowning man whose
rescue they are going to attempt" he
later said. while under his directions his
pupils struggled back and forth in the
great pool. "Now, there is one and he
pointed to swimmer apparently i'm the
last throes OF death. Watch that fellow
going to save him
Swimming swiftly the rescuer sped to
the supposedly drowning man, but he did
not go laundering up to the front. THAT
would mean death to both" said Mr..
Long. See how he grasps him. The
rescnlng swimmer swung round until he
was we'll behind. Then, with quick
dash through the water. he seized the
make-believe victim under the arms.
threw himself into float position that
was all Greek to The Star man. as the
grasp his rescuer. The latter safely in
the rear and beyond all clutch of the
others hands, towed him up TO the land
ing:
frantic with the fear of drowning" said
Mr.. Long. Such a man if approa ched
where his hands can grasp will seize upon
his rescuer and bear both to the bottom
m inc asv,er nit
person in that state. One must ap-
proach him from behind and grasp him in
a way to render him powerless to do
harm either to himself or his rescuer.'
Now there is case of the swimmer
exhausted. but still In possession of his
reason" said Mr.. Long. He pointed to
one Of his pupils struggling apparently in
state of complete collapse yet with the
Another swimmer came sNrging up boldly
In front. put one hand under his body i'm
supporting manner and then commenced
TO tow him to the landing.
That Is a case Of rescung a man who
still has control of his nerves.. continued
Mr.. Long as his two pupils safely landed
themselves after long swim across the
pool II teach my crew how to recognize
the condition a r70n is in. The young
swimmer who played rescuer there has
been taught just how a man in that ex-
hausted condition looks. taught to distin-
guish between the one who is merely
stricken that he is maniac. That is the
fundamental principle OF life-saNing."
Suddenly brace of the crew pulled an
apparently unconscious man from the
pool. Flat on the floor they stretched him.
and then they went to energetic work on
him.
Pump that arm,' cried Mr. Long as
one Of his pupils who was playing tho
role of resuscitating life saver made
some slight error in his manipulation of
the supposedly drowned man.
Up and down went the arm, then up
and down went both arms of the body,
lying prone on the floor. And now the
rescuers put themselves to the task of
working back into useful condition the
lungs of that fellow. They pressed and