Norwich bulletin., 1911-06-10
TIMELY SUGGESTIONS
ABOUT SWIMMING
Norwich Man Says It Is as Easy as
Rolling Off Log

A Norwich citizen who has spent
many summers at the seaShore and
given considerable thought to the SUBJ
ject of swimming, points out the an
nua1 record of tragedies due to ignor-
ante of this art and he advantage it
would be to every person to gain 1.-THE
knowledge He gives the following
helpful and timely suggestions, which
may prove of use to many.
ITO be told that learning to swim
is as easy as falling off a log may not
be convincing. But swimming is much
more easily acquired than dancing,
and certainly no more difficult to learn
than skating. The reason so few learn
to swim is because of the sense of
feaf-the terror of going under. When
this feeling is once overcome the
swimming motions come naturally.
Did YOU ever notice a person sling
ing to the lifeline and unexpectedly
overcome by an unusually heavy wave
cough and struggle? The reason is that
the shock caused him to open his mouth
and a large quantity of water was
farced- down his throat This brings
us to the first essential point in learn
ing to swim the proper method OF
breathing. To acquire this, practice
the following breathing exercise: Stand
erect and take a deep breath through
the nostrilS: then expel the air through
the closed lips. Try this a number OF
times and at frequent intervals until
fully learned The next thing to learn
is the arm and leg motions used Lie
face downward on stool, or chair
without q back, SO to give free mo-
ton to the limbs. Extend the arms
horizontally in front with the palms
together, taking care that the fingers
of each hand are close together. Now
separate and bring the arms slowly
backward as far as they Will go turn
ing the palms outward you advance.
Having brought the arms as far back
as they will go, turn the palms down
fiat SO as to cut the water in returning
to first position
The leg motion is simply to draw
the legs up to the body, then kicl1-not
straight back, but out like frog. Now
try the leg and arm motion simultane-
ously. going through the breathing ex-
ercise at the same time. When these
can all be done at once with ease one
is ready for the water. This gentle-
man believes that three year old
child. having been carefully trained
in these exercises and then dropped
naked into water over its head, would
swim at once. He is not so absolutely
sure about an older person, owing to
the sensation of fear In going into
the water. Il Is of course safer to at
first wade out and practice swimming
toward the shore. But as one swims
far easier in water up to the armpits,
or deeper, it is better to have q friend
wade parallel with the shore and just
outside the swimmer and accompany
him as he proceeds. The trouble is to
get a friend who can swim, for good
swimmers are proyerbially selfish and
interested mainly in their own achieve
ments.
One of his early experiences in the
water he relates thus: He asked a boy
twice his weight to tread water while
he jumped from the end of a scow, and
to help him in case he needed assist
ance. He had gone considerable
distance. swimming without an effort,
through the confidence thus gained,
and was returning to the shore when
the ci1um ducl<ed him for sport. The
result was that he clasped his arms
and legs tight around his chum. and
they both went down twice. He finally
thought TO release his hold, and they
both put out for the shore. But neither
ever forgot the experience, and, he
adds, this practice-like rocking the
boat-should be made a penal Of
Tense.
Floating is simply to lie fat on the
back with the ears under wa ter and
the toes out of it-positively nothing
more. If fieating where there is d surf
be careful should the tide be running