Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-28
LlFESAVER TO THE NAVY
Drilling Uncle Sans Sailors Is
Charles l.. FltzGcraIFs Plan.

Charles f. FitzGerald, who gained
fame as lfe-saver in and near st.
Louis by rescuing from the water
more than five hundred men. women
and children, has offered his services
to the United States navy as an In
structor in swimming and life-saving
for the period of the war.
FitzGerald is deputy collector of
revenue for the government in the
eighth Illinois district, with head
quarters at Pekin. H.. but he has Of
fered TO resign his civil berth in or
der to do his bit for the country in
the war with Germany.
While in st. Louis arranging for \
commission with the navy, the crack
life-saver gave demonstration of the
famous hook grip" which he evolved
in 1899. and which has since been
adopted by professional lifeguards
thruout the world as the best hold to
use in rescuing a drowning person
from the water.
Before FITZGERALD introduced this
scientific hold, ii was common thing
for lifeguards to lose their grip on a
victim struggling in the water
The old-fashioned grip was not de-
pendable, 1t was a cross between the
"strangle hold" and half Nelson"
used by wrestlers, and 1t interfered
with the breathing of the person being
rescued, causing him to struggle with
the strength of desperation to break It.
FitZGerald almost lost two or three
| OF those whom he rescued, because Of
this fact, and he conceived the idea
of the hook" grip to replace the old
| hold. He never has lost life that
no attempted to rescue since the
hook" was developed, and he has
| demonstrated that it is comparatively
easy to swim out of river or any
body of water towing n victim In this
manner.
| Rescued Girl Posed.
Miss Columbia Pickens, who lives at
the Young Women's Christian associa-
ton hotel. almost lost her life the
other sunday when canoe capsiZed
In the Meramac river, and a young
| man companion, altho an expert
swimmer was unable to obtain a grip
on her as she struggled in the river
current. The girl sank three times
and did not rise again. The young
man dived to the bottom of the stream
and fortunately found her half con-
scious form and dragged her to the
surface. Miss Pickens had swallowed
quantity of water and had ceased
to struggle against the death that she
regarded as certain. she says. Only
the good fortune of her rescuer in
| locating her form on the bottom OF
the river taved her life.
| Miss Pickens, unterrified by her san
guine experience in the Meramac
readily agreed later to enter the deep
water of n swimming pool with Fitz-
Gerald TO pose for photographs and
experience the sensation OF being
towed out of the water by means OF
the scientific grip that has saved many
! lives since 1t was introduced by Fitz-
Gerald.
For several minutes Miss Pickens
/ lay Imply in the water without the
slightest discomfort or alarm, she o> :
clared. Her mouth, nose and eyes
/ were above the water all the time, and
the grip FitzGerald had on her head
did not interfere in the least with her
breathing. II was Of course, a simple
matter for an expert swimmer to pro
pei himself thru the water with h&'
free arm and reach n landing.
Won Fame IN Flood.
FitzGerald has saved hundreds OF
lives in Europe and Panama. lie
was employed by the French govern
mont as an instructor. and life-saver
in public swimming pool at Paris
for two years. and performed many