Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-07-30
LEARN TO SWIM, !"
RED CROSS SLOGAN
Water Good Friend To Those
Who Understand It; Deadly
Enemy To Others
R EALISM TOO REAL

Water Is a good friend to those who
understand it; but it is a deadly
enemy 10 those who do mott" This is
the message Of the Bureau OF First
Aid of the American Red Cross. which
is this year. more than ever stressing
the noed OF a knowledge of swimming
on the part of every man, woman and
child, as well as the necessity for the
forming OF Red Cross Life Saving
Corps
Not long ago a very dramatic Incl
dent occurred at a school in New York
during the water contests which were
being held
Standing on the narrow white rim OF
each side of the pool was beyy OF
young girls, like a flock of birds. all
of one kind in their srey one-piece
bathing suits and pink legs, bare half
way to the thighs; on their heads diff
ferent colored rubber caps that spot
ted the room with dots OF pretty red
and green and yellow and blue. One
water event after another had taken
place First, there was the Land
drill in which the girls did the differ
ent swimming strokes, standing or ~
ing on the brink of the pool; then, the |
actual demonstration of the strokes in |
the water, teams of juniors and SEN
Tors competing breast stroke, side |
stroke, crawl and, particularly pic |
turesque from the gallery the back |
stroke. A few picked swimmers, on |
their backs, their gray and pink |
bodies and bright caps streaking |
through the background of water, the |
sun shining in through the tall win |
dows on their upturaed young faces
a beautiful unique pastel. Then the |
diving-all girls. you will remember
the relay race, juniors and seniors |
competing and wild rooters yelling foi
each side; the "crab" race; the egg |
and-spoon" race; and then the hap
pening.
1T was all in a twinkling! At the |
deep end of the tank, one of the girls |
diyed off, took few strokes, and went 4,
to the bottom like a stone. You could |
SCdICti4 uASNGIlls utcP dCNAts ~ haAR i
huddled mass Ny own breath stop |
ped. Quick, there, was a flash. An |
other young girl had jumped in. With |
swift stroke, she reached the spot,
lowered for a second TO get her bear |
ing, and then. headfirst, down she |
vent like an arrow, the bottoms of her /
feet sticking out of the water like. the
tail of a mermaid. What happened
way down there in the deep we could |
not see But when she came UP, she
brought the body. with her.
1t was lifeless. with closed eyes. In.
fash. the little rescuerer got thej
body on its back, took hold of each |
side of it's head and, herself lying on |
her back and using her legs to swim, |
lowed it to the end of the pool. Skill |
fully folding one of the limp hands |
agains; the brink of the pool, while |
she herself leaped out TO safety, she |
grasped the other hand. and dousing |
the body low under the water TO get . |
momentum, tossed it upon the floor
Nobody helped. She had acted Sc |
swiftly, and with such a sure knowl |
edge, there was no need--it was her |
job Placing the body prone on the |
floor, one limp hand under a cheek, to
keep the mouth from the floor, and the |
other hand above the head, she kneel- |
ed astrido the hips of her patient and |
rhythmically pressed against the
small of her back, throwing the whole |
weight of her body into the pressure |
TO force the air and water from the |
lungs, removing her hands suddenly |
after each pressure to let the air back |
into the lungs again.
Everybody's heart was humping: it |
had all happened so quickly, so fran
tically-until the dead one raised her
head and, in a very human tone adj
monished, "Hey, cut that out!"
Realism was getting TO real, in the
ribs. Whereupon, our young heroine