New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-12
By q. Elllo. Fist.

Asa sign that woman Is making progress
d water as we'll as on land, the National
vomen's Iafe Saving League has just neen
Incorporated First organization OF us k'nu
IN the country. it has already a New fo'A
membership OF 800 Its purpose is to pro-
r,ote the womanly art of swimming 10
abolish the hampering bathing skirt anu
when necessary. to save men from oro""-
ing. Until this time il has been chienS
mans privilege TO save woman from oro""-
ing. Now the tables are TO be turned
II YOU being man, get out OF your uepuh
AZ one Of the metropolitan beaches next
summer, your cry for help may be an
swered. not by burly guard. but by
willowy creature in n straight princess
dress over a 'one-plece bathing SUIT May
be she will slip of her princess dress d.
she speeds through the pillows ut 5 qu''o
Ostend. YOU know, not TO have cuilpI ou9
dress or stockings-just suit-ahu sun
time we'll have the same here) ana "neh
she reaches the drowning man ana mus
that he is too fussy or has raised laise
alarm. my lady of the Life Saving Lea7 w
will smite him between the eyes, as shS
has been carefully taught 10 do so rs ~
put him into the middle Of next "eeA'
Likewise. when she has hauled him ashore
she will roll him on a barrel ana app!
other approved methods of resuscitauon.
The league will give instruction TO its
members and the public this winter In the
n,,blic baths at East 23d and West Goth
streets. Manhattan, and in Brooklyn Lect-
ures, receptions and prize events are
scheduled. Miss Katherine +. Mehrtens is
president of the league. Among its teach
ers are Miss Adeline Trap, the only wom-
an who ever swan Hell Gate, and Miss
Florence West the first woman 20 swim
to Coney Island
The extraordinary records recently made
bv women In sports, but notably in swim
ming. have raised the serious question
whether the so-called weaker sex will ever
equal or perhaps surpass men in exercises
Of endurance generally Women are al
ready in the van in long-distance SWIM
ming because that is a sport in the pursuit
Of which the feminine conformation is not
handicap Womens bones are lighter
than mems their flesh is less dense and
contains more fat; hence they are more
buoyant in the wate-. In swimming there
fore. women need to expend little or no
power 10 keep ahoat. but can use their
whole strength for propulsion. That alone
gives them a distinct advantage over men,
who are much heavier as swimmers Again,
women. owing to their greater amount OF
adipose tissue resist cold better than do
men, and cold, as is well known, rapidly
depresses energy.
In the light of these facts il seems less
wonderful that little Rose Ptonon should
recently have swum from the pier at East
18th street. Manhattan, 10 Steeplechase
pier at Coney Island. distance Of about
twenty-one miles as she had to swim il, in
the creditable time, considering conditions.
OF hours and minutes. when scores of
powerful arrI trained men swimmers have
failed 10 accomplish that feat
Miss Pitonoff is only seventeen years old,
is 4 feet II inches in height and weighs ia
pounds Yet she is plump. and no less a
parsonage than DIT. Dudley A. Sargent, Of
Harvard. declared her 10 be the best
formed and strongest young girl who had
ever come under his observation. During
her long swim she displayed extraordinary
endurance Not only did she swim stead
fly, without once resting on her back, but
at no part of her journey did she take any
nourishment she was not GREATNESS CT
distressed at the finish, but appeared fresh
and still full Of energy.
The fact that Miss Pitonof required nei-
Their nourishing food nor stimulating drink
while battling with rough water and often
adverse tides for eight consecutive hours
Is interesting. because it impresses one
with the power Of the feminine physique TO
withstand complete deprivation OF fooa
under even the most gruelling conditions.
IL would seem that in this form OF endur-
ance. too. women appear TO excel men
Most men absolutely require nourishment
and often stimulants pt comparatively
short intervals. 10 enable them TO resist
successfully the great fatigue produced by