The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-09

errors for the narrator: ana they are 50
interesting that repeating them Is "a duty.
In asi OF my experiences" says the
life saver. and have been in this
business for twenty years AT various
watering placos; in all of my experience
| HAY" never known oi II single instance
al amy one drowning, ana calling for
help"
That is rather :: stroag statement, but
ii is made by one who knows his bust
ness as well as you and | know ours.
1t is generally supposed that drown
ing person calls for aid. but the life
saver says:
For some reason, which cannot cx-
plain, they never call nor signal for
help They just throw up one hand
mind YOU only one hand. and under the,.
go. have watched bathcrs ana swim
mers and missed them. even when their
friends did not miss them | have
rushed right into tho midst of a noisy
ANA happy PARTY of young folks. aud
div,h past them in order To drag To tine
surface companion whom they had
not missed Ia not one instance, have
they called for h"lp. Always. they are
struggling tor their lives but not seek =
ing help.
During The summer season it is quite
common for mo to see folks swim
braN"ly out into the water ANA then,
suddenly throw up one hand and dis
distress, aud, OF course. | 20 after tie IN
Immediately. often have asked rescued!
persons why they did not call or signal
for help. ana they could give no .N-
PLANTATION. Nj of them knew that they
w.r" droW ming. In, the only sign of
their knowledge al pcrl was holding uI
one hand, as though trcndinr water
80 accustomed have | become To this
signal that among "a score OF bathers
ana swimmers spashIng. diving. duck
ing and shouting. can tell immediately
if one OF them is in danger. Simply by
noting the holding up Of a hand which
gradually disappears.
The drowning person always goes
down with head thrown far back As
the water comes over the face the hand
InN"Iuntarily goes M. ana begins to "a
down slowly. very slowly. Then. il any
ihins is I" he done. it must be- done
QUICKLY. Tor the lungs are filling witt
water. ana tho sooner that condition is
relieved, the better. Every second counts
then, because two or three minutes
under water VIII cause the lungs to Is,
:" completely filled with water that
dcaih Is practically complete before IN,
person can be brought to shore
When more than che person is In
danger ] have known of calls for help:
but they have come from the one VIII,
can swim well enough To help himself
but not well enough 10 help the ON,
VINO u drowning. ne one in tnmediat L.
poiil' as ] have repeated simply goes
down. with one hand raised
On several occasions. have beer
with good swimmers who have bccom,
exhausted. and. without a word or sigma
"f warning. have thrown back thci,
heads. as though about to float or swim
on the back. and then their heads :,
down and their arms come up. Yol
would naturally suppose that {, GOO,
swimmer would be exempt from thi.
sort of dumbncss. but it is not so.
| presume that ii We're to drown.
should drown as all others do. without
| signalling for help.
"on several occasions. on the Poto.
mac bathing beach. at Washington.
have had the experience OF seeing m,i
swim out 50 far that they realized tn,
difficulty IF swimming back, ana the,
have called for help: but that was be-
fore they were drowning. or i'm imme-
dlatc danger. Cases of that kind arc not
In" exception To- the rule. Such persons
wisely seek aid in time. and of course
In" lifc-savcrS are always ready Ia lend
helping hands. when they know thai
their services are needed; 50 one cal
for aid Is sufficient. The trouble about
hos h.. II,.;