Evening star., 1934-05-27


Laverty heads the guards at Belle
Harbor and Neponsit.
These sections are In turn divided
into panels, the boundaries marked
by jetties constructed to save the
beach sand. A tower, seven feet in
height. holds two guards in each Of
the rs panels. This panel Is again
divided, one man being assigned to o
particular half.
When q swimmer in distress Is
sighted, the man spotting the SUBJ
Ject, blows long blast on a shrill
traffc whistle. A moment later the
pair are sprinting for the water, their
sole object prior to the actual rescue
is to reach the drowning person with
the greatest possible speed. It Is q
well known fact among the guards
that once their subject is submerged,
it is conjectural If rescue can be
effected due to undertow, rip tides
and unfathomable eddies.
Whistle Brings Action.
The blast of the whistle sends at
least 10 other guards into action. One
guard from each of the adjoining
panels walks to low water at a point
opposite the scene Of the current ac-
ton to await the signal, d raised hand,
for additional aid. Guards In other
panels on either side move their posi-
ton to the jetty covering unguarded
beaches and awaiting the three
alarm call'-three blasts of q whistle
indicating q general alarm to which
40 life guards, especially assigned, rush
to the scene,
Commissioner Strong hopes the
Board OF Aldermen will pass q bill
which his department drew recently
to give the life guards the right to
specify the boundaries within which
swimmers must remain. At present
New York City life guards have no
such power and In the past when this
has been exercised and obeyed, it was
done so by sufferance only.
Catamarans Found Ideal
The catamarans, which have been
found most useful In surf work. are
familiar to Rockaway Beach visitors.
These boats, constructed of two air.
tight wooden pontoons with struts and
q seat across are favored by few other
beaches although their value has been
found to be superior to the heavy
dorieS employed at the majority of
beaches in the metropolitan area.
The champions Of the Eastern sea.
board stand guard over Jones Beach.
Picked by as stringent q measure as
any group Of men have ever been
chosen for similar position, the Jones
Beach men have captured the compe-
t1t1ve Easter Life Guard champion-
ship In specified events for three years.
Jones Beach guards boast q clean
STATE since the beach was opened
three years ago by State authorities
under the Jurisdiction of the Long
Island State Park Commission, which
is headed by Robert Moses, park COM
missioner Of New York City.
The Jones Beach men patrol only
one mile Of ocean front and q large
swimming pool in the west bath house.
their main principle being to get the
swimmer quickly and the faster the
better. The guards take their stations
at strategic points and on busy days
life guard will be found stationed
every so feet.
A chief life guard, called a captain,
Is In direct charge, and lieutenants
are stationed over the beach identified
by white peak caps and supervising a
group Of 10 men. There are 80
guards chosen after q stringent ex-
animation.
The City Of Long Beach employs
municipal guards, choosing hundred
each year from Q competitive civil
service List.
The park department of the CITY
OF New York will employ 60 life
guards from the present civil service
list to patrol the beach In Rockaway
under their jurisdiction. From l08th
street to l26th street (Rockaway
Park, from 149th street to 169th
street (Riis Park will be watched by
park department guards working un-
der the same system devised by Com
missioner Moses, who hopes to have
two championship crews working for
him.
The pay at the city's beaches, Coney
Island and Rockaway Beach, Is SIS q
day for seven days a week and no
days OF. Jones Beach pays at the
rate OF 50 cents an hour, while Long
Beach uses graduated scale, with
q new guard starting at $50 a week
and receiving an increase each year
Of IS q week.