Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-08-03
PREVENT DROWNING ACCIDENTS.

The following is issued by the
United States life saving corps as
summer bulletin.
There are so many lives-about 1900
lost every year by drowning in the
United States that might be saved by
knowledge Of how to act in cases Of
emergency, that we are constrained to
request you to publish our summer
bulletin of advice to all persons who
may be attracted to disport themselves
upon the waters during the summer in
any way.
A large proportion of the lives lost
every year are Of children who have
never been given any conception of the
dangers on the waters, either in bath
ing or in boating. We have been long
and persistently urging on parents
and school boards the duty and neces-
sity of education in this direction, and
of teaching the young how to swim
and how to act when boating.
AS a result many lives have been
saved the past year by children. Let
US kindly impress upon your readers
these rules:
First-Do not go out in any pleasure
boat of large or small dimensions
without being assured that there are
! life-saving buoys or cushions aboard
sufficient to float all on board in case
of an upset or collision, or festooned
with life-saving ropes.
Second-Wlth party, be sure you
are all properly and satisfactorily
seated before you leave the shore
particularly so with girls on board.
Let no one attempt to exchange seats
in midstream, or to put foot on the
edge or gunwafe of the boat
to change seats, or to rock the
boat for fun. This, by rollicking
young people has upturned many a
boat and lost many lives every year.
Where the waters become rough from
a sudden squall or passing steamers,
never rise in the boat, but settle down
as close to the bottom as possible, and
keep cool until the rocking danger is
past. If overturned, woman's skirts,
if held out by her extended arms,
while she uses her feet as if climbing
stairs, will often hold her up while a
boat may pull out from shore and
fsave her. A non-swimmer, by drawing
his arms up to his sides and pushing
down with widely extended hands, while
stair climbing, Or treading water
with his feet, may hold himself UP
several minutes, often when single
minute means his life, or throwing out
the arms, dog fashion, forward over
hand and pulling in, as if reaching
for something that may bring hin
help, may at least keep him af1oat till
help comes.
Third-In rescuing drowning persons.
seize them by the hair or the collar,
back of the neck; do not let them
throw their arms around your neck OF
arms. If unmanageable, do not strike
them, but let them drop under a
moment until quiet, then tow them to
the shore. If unconscious, do not
wait a moment for doctor or ambul
ance but begin at once; first, get
chief or towel to let the water out
get buoy, box or barrel under the
stomach, or hold them over your knee.
head down, and jolt the water out,
then turn them over side to side four Il
five times, then on the back, and with q
pump movement keep their arms
going from the pit of the stomach
overhead to straight out and back
fourteen or sixteen times a minute
until signs OF returning life arc
shown. A bellows movement on the
stomach at the same time is gre at
aid if you have help. Of course, you
will at first loosen the collar and all
binding clothing. Let someone at once
remove shoes and stockings, and at the
same time rub the lower limbs with
an upward movement from foot to
knee, occasionally Shaping the soles
of the feet with the open hand. Work
ing on these lines, our Volunteer Life
Savers have been successful after two
hours of incessant manipulation, but
are generally successful inside of
thirty minutes. Spirits of ammonia to
| the nostrils, or a feather tickling in
the throat, often helps to quicken.
but we rarely need anything more