Evening star., 1934-05-27
Life Guard Army Reassen,bles
From Its Varied Winter Jobs
Takes Up Huge Task of Protecting
Millions of Aquatic Recreation
Seekers at Ne,u York Beaches.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
n YEW YORK, May 26.-From COL
mi leges, editorial rooms, hos
Y pitals, law offices, from the
stage and from behind teach
ers' desks will come the sew
eral hundred Life guards who. begin
ming next wednesday, Decoration day,
will guard the beaches Of the metro
politan area.
Life guards throughout the world
doff their white sailor caps to the
hardy group Of 80 Coney Island
life guards who watch over several
million people each season. A usual
occurrence on o hot Sunday Is a visit
by million people, half Of whom take
to the water. With their eyes fixed
on the water, while all types Of SWIM
mers display their aquatic acrobatics,
these life guards are conceded to have
the toughest job In the city, with as
many as four guards assigned to each
Of 20 separate beaches along q 27s-
mile beach front.
Boat Guards Necessary.
Massed thousands loungtng in many
positions on the sand make 1t i'm
possible for tower guards to reach dis
tressed swimmers q distance of shore
in quick time. This makes 1t neces-
sary for two Of the four guards in
each subdivision to man dories In each
panel.
The Coney Island guards, under the
expert direction Of their veteran chief
life guard, John McMonigle, set up q
record Of 40l rescues and no deaths by
drowning last season. Considering the
conditions under which they have to
work, Louis Principe, commissioner of
public buildings and offices Of Brook
lyn, who is the guards principal head,
Is proud of their record.
The system at this beach Is one
traordinary conditions and Is only
similar in outline to those used by
other beaches. The four guards In the
subdivision, or panel are solely re-
sponsible for their bathers. Should q
person become submerged and Is In
need Of artificial respiration and in
halator resuscitation, q siren Is
sounded by the tower man, giving the
cue to the nearest first-aid station,
and In turn the Police Department
emergency squad Is called, together
with an ambulance from Coney Island
Hospital. The best evidence that the
system works is the record book,
which shows 534 rescues In 1881 and
SIS in 1882, with no deaths by sub
mersion.
$50 Guards at Rockaway.
To Rockaway Beach goes the honor
Of having the largest ife-saving
force-150 men. With Borough Pres
ident George q. Harvey Of Queens as
their chief, these men conquered the
waters Of Rockaway from 1890 to 1888
recording almost O thousand rescues
each season.
A tribute to their efficiency was
given them last December by the then
Mayor John p. O'Brien, who presented
to six life guards the city's medals for
heroism, especially designed for the
occasion.
It was this group of life guards
who last August dared the swirling
breakers over q sand bar more than
100 yards OF the Edgemere section Of
the beach to rescue 23 Of o group Of
80 orphans who were playing there
unattended. The tragedy happened so
quickly that onlookers on the beach
were awe-struck. Only the life guards
moved into action with the sharp
screech of the whistles calling for
help from beaches as far as 10 blocks
away.
One Guard Saves Fouf.
What had to be accomplished was
effected in less than two minutes, but
not before seven Of the children went
to their death. The six life guards
succeeded in rescuing 23 children, one
guard saving children single-handed,
o feat called by former Chief Life
Guard Harry Minor, veteran Of So
years Of surf work, "the greatest res
cue in my entire experiences"
The first contingent at Rockaway
win 60 on duty this Wednesday, and
each week additional men. all from
the city civil service list, will be added
until the full force Of $50 will Ill the
Is towers placed strategically along
the 72 miles Of beach front.
The Rockaway Beach system, In d.
rect charge Of Commissioner 8. Mere
dith Strong and James Mangin, fore
man Of the beach, has won favor as
foolproof from International hfe-sav-
ing experts.
Life guards are stronger swim
rners than the average person. but
they are not superhuman," Commis-
sioner Strong maintains. 1T IL our
system that saves lives rather than
the individual life guard" d
Beach Front L Zoned.
The comprehensive system calls for
o division Of the beach front into
four sections, each under direct con-
troll Of chief life guard. Warren
Reid, supervises Far Rockaway and
Edgemere; Earl Fairhust watches
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