The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-20
L|FE-SAV|NG EXPERT
 ID DEMONSTRATE.
 SAFETY METHODS
Field Agent of American Red Cross Life Saving Corps to Give Swim
 ming Demonstrations

To prepare the people of Birmingham for the enjoyment of immunity from water accidents, the American National Red Cross has sent it's life saving ex- pert here and today the brief campaign begins with talks to the swimmers and demonstrations in the swimming pools at the Athletic club and the Y. M. C. A. Commodore W. E. Longfellow field agent of the life-saving corps, arrived here Sunday afternoon from Montgomery and Mobile, where he has been starting the life-saving work. and had a confer- ence with Dr. Ballard, commissioner of the Boy Scouts, who has been prepar- ing things locally for the campaign,
 Any swimmer with a good kick can be made into lifesaver in half hour,'' is the way the lifesaver expressed his ther that "every swimmer is poten- tial lifesaver. Everybody a swimmer. and every swimmer lifesaver is the end to which we are working. In my travels, I am striving to interpret the use of the water in terms of safety all ways and we want to get the swimmers of every community lined up to care for the non-swimmers.
 CONFIDENCE NECESSARY
 Swimming, you know. is nine parts confidence and only one part experience, so that confidence is the thing to build up. Ducking girls and throwing non- swimmers in the water help to prevent lot of people learning to swim. It may work in one case in 10, but the other nine may never learn as a result of the fright. The country is losing be- tween 5000 and 1000 lives year by what may be termed preventable drowning ac- cidents and we want life-saving corps in Birmingham to work constantly for water front safety, and a sane variety of swimming"
 The Red Cross man Instructed the New Orleans police in the best hand method of resuscitation in January, and in one month, by it's use, they saved five peo- pie from death by gas suffocation dur ing the cold snaps of the early win ter. Chief of Police Reynolds in de- partmental orders gives credit to the instruction of his men by Commissioner Longfellow. for this police service. One of the rescues was about half-hour after the class at the police station, and the corporal was called to the home of girl found suffocated in bed by leak ing gas stove. He had her restored to consciousness before the arrival of the ambulance. As the drowning total of New Orleans jumped last year from 45 to 30 the method may be used to good advantage this spring and summer, the police say.
 WAIVED nEMnNJCvrD TTnNy
 water demonstration is on the pro- gramme at the Athletic club at o'clock today, and another one later i'll the even ing so that the members may get the methods for the protection of their fam flies and friends during the coming aquatic season. For Tuesday night at S:30 a public demonstration is arranged for the Y. M. c. A. pool and many of the local swimmers, including scout masters, "Y'' men and A. c. experts, are plan ming to qualify for the Red Cross me- dallion and diploma. while Mir .Long- fellow is here. The service is a gift to the city by the Red Cross.
 The test in the water includes dem onstration of three methods of carrying a person in the water, three methods of breaking death grips, so-called; a one- minute carry of dressed person in the water; the recovery of a 1O-pound ob- ject in eight feet of water by surface dive and the demonstration of the Schaeffer method of resuscitation, which is good for gas. electric shock and smoke, as we'll as drowning.
 After leaving here on Wednesday, Mir Longfellow is scheduled for Atlanta Richmond and Washington. arriving at the latter place on April 8. Since the first of the year he has had campaigns at New Orleans, Galveston, Houston, Mobile and Montgomery. He spent six weeks in New Orleans. and started the nucleus of six life-saving corps. These include the Elks' club. Y. M. c. A., T. M G. c. and the municipal gymna- sium, among the others
 Last month he placed his methods be- fore 500 people.