The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-08-26
Don't Rock the Boat
Unless You Can Swim

IT T this season when everybody. :
IL more or less, Is vacationing on
or near the water, few warn
y Kings anent safety are in order.
The Red Cross Society are sending out
such warnings by radio TO THOUSANDS
Of people who nightly listen to the
programs provided at the great broaS
casting stations. One Of the warn
the other evening, was Don't =
the boat" It seems almost absurd q
give such a warning to sensible people
who have heard, time over time.
tragedies resulting from this ancient
game OF the !ncorrigible joker.
But only last month the writer was
IN a small motor boat on an Adiron-
dack Lake, the boat weighted down
with grown ups and children. Wnen
the owner OF the boat who was holding
the filler rope while his four-year-oid
niece joyously imagined she was steer
ing at the wheel, rocked the loaded
craft Ito give the baby scare. FIVE
people in that boat could not SWIM.
and though the rocking was not very
strenuous everybody but the joker
looked EdLHtI lSl NSoS' - 80
rocking Of a loaded boat Will orins
water over the side. and the conse'
nuent panic and movement Of the pas.
senpers may very we'll tip that boat
lust FAR enough more to precipitate an
accident.
So don't rock the boat" seems 2
rood warning even In this day ana
generation, for the practical joker u
not drowned yet 1t appears. Another
warning sent out by the Red Cross u:
Don't try to rescue a drowning per
son unless you are. yourself. stfohk
swimmer" II you dash out to MS as
sistance and are grabbed around the
neck and feel Yourself goinS down. you
will wish YOU had made your dash the
other way for a board or for assist
,nce-but Il will be too late to wish
ANYTHING then. Instead Of swimming
toward the person in the water. eau 10
him TO keep cool and push a piece OF
hoard. an empty box or anything that
floats toward him. Or II there II any.
one else in sight call for assistance.
II Won must swim toward him 90 feet
first He will grab at your legs, OF
course but that nlsy give you chance
TO reason with him while you msd fe
TO keep yourself afoat.
OF course, everybody should Rafn !
swim and because you are no loneyS
Young Is no reason why you shouie1
no. tackle the job this summer. Any.
body can learn to swim; all 1t rsauu..
is patience and perseverance,. Don
Imagine. because Cousin Jim or orotn.
er-in-law Tom holds on 10 your psN
while YOU take a stroke or two thst
Won are making progress in swlmmiHt.
Where would you be without CeuAn
Jim or brother-in-law Tom! "otk
| Il by yourself. 1t IS pretty certain TN.
! II YOU 20 in the water every day ana
keen practicing persistently the SWIM.
ming strokes. first with hands. tnsn
with feet. you will by and oy w
these motions together-5ust TO SO
what will happen and In shallow Watst
with YOUR face toward shore. Sst
somebody to hold a finger under your
chin while you try, so that your race
;s ont OF water I venture 10 preoiss
that you'll be swimming very shottE
for hands and feet will naturally ana
instinctively take up the motions p'ss-
ticed so long.
Most swimmers seem to tcsI
that their head and shoulders mun ~
out OF water for safety. But wa
any swimmer and see how the wnols
head save the face-and all OF thf|
sbonIders-are submerged. practices
th,s while you stand on the bottom.
sink vour shoulders under, throw back
vour head until the water comes up TO
the level of your chin and we'll up
around the base OF your neck ana
hack of your head. Get aceustomed 20
being so far under water and you WI
be less uneasy and frightened vhsn
YOU actually try the swimming strokes
with feet off the bottom.
-T