The Project Gutenberg eBook ofSwimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and Old

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofSwimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and OldThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Swimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and OldAuthor: Frank Eugen DaltonLouis C. DaltonRelease date: August 16, 2006 [eBook #19065]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Melissa Er-Raqabiand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SWIMMING SCIENTIFICALLY TAUGHT: A PRACTICAL MANUAL FOR YOUNG AND OLD ***

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Swimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and OldAuthor: Frank Eugen DaltonLouis C. DaltonRelease date: August 16, 2006 [eBook #19065]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Melissa Er-Raqabiand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net

Title: Swimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and Old

Author: Frank Eugen DaltonLouis C. Dalton

Author: Frank Eugen Dalton

Louis C. Dalton

Release date: August 16, 2006 [eBook #19065]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Melissa Er-Raqabiand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SWIMMING SCIENTIFICALLY TAUGHT: A PRACTICAL MANUAL FOR YOUNG AND OLD ***

FRANK EUGEN DALTONFRANK EUGEN DALTON

publishers mark

Copyright, 1912 and 1918, byFUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY(Printed in the United States of America)Revised Edition, Published May, 1918

Copyright under the Articles of the Copyright Convention of thePan-American Republics and the United States, August 11, 1910

who swam the English Channel from Cape Grisnez near Boulogne, France, to Folkestone, England, August 16-17, 1890; whose enthusiasm and unflagging interest in all matters pertaining to swimming and life-saving have been excelled by none, and who was a faithful practitioner of the methods herein set forth, this book is affectionately dedicated by his son,THE AUTHOR

THE AUTHOR

Transcriber's Note:The following anomalies have been left as found in the original page images:Spelling:both 'sangatte' and 'sangette'both 'armpit' and 'arm pit'chilled; always swim around and 'excercise'journalists who 'acompanied'Punctuation:water; at the same time double the body up.[,]championship for many years by following his teachings[.]can[,] throw your arm around his neckThirdly.[,] Continue

Part I—IntroductionpageThe Importance of Swimming15Learning by the Book22Part II—Various Kinds of StrokesThe Back Stroke27The Dalton Stroke37The Back and Dalton Stroke39The Breast Stroke41Changing from Back to Breast Stroke53New Part II—Advanced StrokesBy Louis C. DaltonThe Side Strokes56The Trudgeon Stroke60The Single Over-Arm Strokes62The English Racing Stroke66The Double Over-Arm Stroke68The Crawl Stroke70Part III—Floating, Diving and Scientific SwimmingTreading Water81Floating84Diving89Swimming Like a Dog106Plunging107Sculling109Swimming Backward on the Chest110The Washing Tub112The Propeller113The Torpedo115The Catherine Wheel117Rolling119Swimming Like a Porpoise121The Pendulum124Somersaults127Double Somersaults129With One Leg Out of Water131Swimming With Clothes On132With Hands and Feet Tied134Over and Under136Swimming Under Water139Monte Cristo Sack Trick142Notable Feats by Celebrated Swimmers144Part IV—Water PoloWater Polo153Part V—Cramps, How to Save Life, Resuscitation, Etc.Cramps181How to Save Life182Resuscitation After Rescue187Hall's Method of Resuscitation189Sylvester's Method191

pageFrank Eugen DaltonFrontispieceFig. 1. The Back Stroke—First Arm Movement29Fig. 2. The Back Stroke—Second Arm Movement30Fig. 3. The Back Stroke—Third Arm Movement31Fig. 4. The Back Stroke—First Leg Movement32Fig. 5. The Back Stroke—Second Leg Movement33Fig. 6. The Back Stroke—Third Leg Movement34Fig. 7. Floating Position35Fig. 8. The Dalton Stroke37Fig. 9. The Breast Stroke—First Arm Movement41Fig. 10. The Breast Stroke—Second Arm Movement42Fig. 11. The Breast Stroke—Third Arm Movement43Fig. 12. The Breast Stroke—The Leg Movement Exemplified Out of the Water44The Breast Stroke—Teaching with Trolley and Instructor47Fig. 13. The Breast Stroke—The Leg Movement49Fig. 14. The Breast Stroke—The Start48Fig. 15. The Breast Stroke—Second Position50Fig. 16. The Breast Stroke—Third Position51Louis C. Dalton54Fig. 17. The Side Stroke—First Position57Fig. 18. The Side Stroke—Second Position58Fig. 19. The Side Stroke—Third Position59Fig. 20. The Trudgeon Stroke—First Position60Fig. 21. The Trudgeon Stroke—Second Position61Fig. 22. The Single Over-Arm Stroke—Second Position63Fig. 23. The Single Over-Arm Stroke—Third Position64Fig. 24. The English Racing Stroke66Fig. 25. The Double Over-Arm Stroke69Fig. 26. The Crawl Stroke71Fig. 27. The Crawl Stroke—Bent Knee Position73Fig. 28. The Crawl Stroke—Legs First Position75Fig. 29. The Crawl Stroke—Legs Second Position76Fig. 30. The Crawl Stroke—Breathing Position77Treading Water83Floating Position85Incorrect Floating Position86Easy Floating Position87Teaching Diving to a Beginner91A Bad Dive93Correct Position in Mid Air94Correct Position on Entering the Water95Mrs. Frank Eugen Dalton—Position for a Dive97The Standing-Sitting Dive98The Back Dive99The Dolphin Dive101The Australian Splash102The Neck Dive104Swimming Like a Dog106Correct Position for Long Plunge in Water108Swimming Backward on Chest110The Washing Tub112The Propeller113The Torpedo115The Catherine Wheel117Rolling119Swimming Like a Porpoise122The Pendulum125Forward Somersault127Double Somersault130One Leg Out of Water131Over and Under137Monte Cristo Sack Trick142Water Polo161Water Polo—Diagram177The Best Method of Saving Life184Sylvester's Method—Figure 1191Sylvester's Method—Figure 2192Sylvester's Method—Figure 3193Tail-piece195

That all persons ought to know how to safeguard themselves when in deep water is becoming more and more recognized as time passes. While swimming is probably the oldest pastime known to man, and has had, and still has, its votaries in every country, civilized or uncivilized, it is curious that this most useful science should have been so much neglected.

For an adult person to be unable to swim points to something like criminal negligence; every man, woman and child should learn. A person who can not swim may not only become a danger to himself, but to some one, and perhaps to several, of his fellow beings. Children as early as the age of four may acquire the art; none are too young, none too old. Doctors recommend swimming as the best all-around exercise. It is especially beneficial to nervous people. Swimming reduces corpulency, improves the figure, expands the lungs, improves the circulation of the blood, builds up general health, increases vitality, gives self-confidence in case of danger, and exercises all the muscles in the body at one time. As an aid to development of the muscular system, it excels other sports. Every muscle is brought into play.

In other important ways it is a useful, and even a necessary accomplishment; no one knows when he may be called upon for a practical test of its merits. TheSlocumsteamboat catastrophe in the East River, New York, several years ago, gave a melancholy example of what better knowledge of swimming might have done to save the lives of passengers. That awful tragedy, which plunged an entire city into mourning, was too appalling to have its details revived here, but, regardless of the fact that the life-preservers on board were found unfit for use, the loss of life would have been made much smaller had the unfortunate passengers known how to keep their heads above water until help arrived. Millions of people are transported yearly by river craft, and just for lack of knowledge of how to swim a repetition of theSlocumdisaster might occur any summer.

Only about 20 per cent. of the entire population of the United States know how to swim. A visit to any of the beaches along the Atlantic coast will convince any one of this fact. There is no excuse for this ignorance, especially in a city like New York, with miles of water front and fine beaches at its very door; nor is there excuse in other places where an ocean, lakes and rivers afford opportunities for swimming.

Swimming is a tonic alike for muscle and brain. The smallest child and the weakest woman can enjoy it equally with the strongest man. When slaves of the desk and counting-house are looking forward for an all too brief vacation and seek the mountains or seashore to store up energy for another year's work, they should know how to swim. Poor, indeed, is the region which can not boast of a piece of water in which to take an invigorating plunge.

The importance of being able to swim was very generally recognized in ancient times, notably by the Romans. Roman youth, as early as the Republican era, when trained to beararms, were made to include in their exercises bathing and swimming in the Tiber, where competitions were frequent. Cassius in his youth became renowned as a swimmer. Shakespeare, in a familiar passage, describes a race between him and Julius Cæsar, Cassius being made the speaker:

"I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:We both have fed as well, and we can bothEndure the winter's cold as well as he.For once, upon a raw and gusty day,The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,Cæsar said to me, 'Dar'st thou, Cassius, now,Leap in with me into this angry floodAnd swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,And bade him follow; so, indeed he did.The torrent roared; and we did buffet itWith lusty sinews; throwing it asideAnd stemming it with hearts of controversy;But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,Cæsar cried, 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink.'I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulderThe old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of TiberDid I the tired Cæsar: And this manIs now become a god."

Macaulay, in one of his "Lays of Ancient Rome," describes the scene which followed after Horatius had been left alone to face the troops of Lars Porsena, his codefenders having escaped across the bridge:

"Never, I ween, did swimmer,In such an evil case,Struggle through such a raging floodSafe to the landing place,But his limbs were borne up bravely,By the brave heart within,And our good father TiberBore bravely up his chin."

It was not until the nineteenth century that swimming really became a science. In fact, it was only within the last half-century that a real awakening to its importance occurred. At the present day swimming has come to be regarded as an indispensable adjunct to the education of the young. In many parts of Europe it forms part of the school curriculum. Of such paramount importance is it there held to be that, on entering the army, the first thing taught a young recruit is swimming. On this side of the Atlantic its importance is becoming more evident daily.That the benefits to be derived from it have manifested themselves to municipalities is evidenced by the fact that, in addition to free swimming baths on the water front of New York in summer, there have been established several indoor bathing pavilions which are open and accessible all the year round.

Swimming, aside from its importance as a possible means to self-preservation in case of shipwreck, the upsetting of pleasure-boats, or any of the numerous accidents that so frequently happen on the water, and also, on occasion, as a means of saving life, is not only one of the best physical exercises known, but when one swims for exercise he is also conscious of receiving great pleasure. Most other forms of exercise, after they have been participated in for some time, are apt to become something like efforts, or even hardships. Swimming, on the other hand, continues to be exhilarating.

Unfortunately, those who have been best able to teach the science of swimming, because of having technical knowledge and proficiency, have not made systematic attempts to disseminate knowledge through scientific methods.In this respect the author claims to differ with most other instructors. He has endeavored, in this work, to treat the subject scientifically and to use simple and concise language. His success as a teacher is attested by thousands of pupils who have acquired the principles of a system long known as the Dalton system

The question is often asked whether it is possible for a person to learn to swim by studying a book or a series of articles. Much depends on the person. In the case of a very nervous person, it is improbable that this may be satisfactorily accomplished, for it is then absolutely necessary that a pupil must have an instructor, in order, at the start, to obviate dread of the water.

Where this dread of water or nervousness does not exist in any marked degree, study of a work such as this may be of unlimited advantage. By carefully following its instructions it will be possible to become a very fair swimmer without the aid of an instructor or any second person.

Naturally, it is not claimed that a majority of such self-taught swimmers will ever become experts at the art, altho even this is possible in a great many cases; but there is a moral certainty that, with the exception of the aforementioned nervous beginners, a fair knowledge of the science of swimming may be attained in this manner. Numbers of very good swimmers have had no other tuition than which came from study of a book. Especially is this true when following the directions outlined in this book in the matter, first, of practising keeping the eyes and mouth open under water, which will eliminate all nervousness; and, second, in practising the movements used in the breast and back strokes, which are of inestimable aid when actually taking to the water.

Of course, where the swimmer desires to attain true scientific knowledge of the art, the beginner needs the aid of an instructor who may watch for and correct any faults noticeable, for the simple reason that bad habits once contracted are more difficult to eliminate later on.

If the lessons herein set forth are carefully followed, there is no reason why, with the exceptions before mentioned, one should not become a good swimmer.

It may seem odd to the beginner (and to a great many proficient swimmers, for that matter) that in teaching swimming by the Dalton system, I always begin by having pupils swim first on the back. Most instructors do just the reverse; but during nineteen years of a successful career in teaching, the proficiency of the graduated pupil has justified the method. There are a number of very good reasons why learners should begin by first swimming on the back. More especially is this true of nervous or timid pupils.

In the first place, the body floats more naturally and much easier on the back. In the breast stroke, which is the first one taught by most instructors, the head has to be kept out of the water and must be supported as dead weight by the rest of the body, as explained later on. On the contrary, in the back stroke, or swimming on the back, the head rests onthe water and needs no support from any other member of the body.

For the same reason the face, being up and away from the water, the beginner encounters no difficulty in breathing, and there is no danger of the water entering the mouth, which is often the cause of much annoyance to new pupils.

Then, again, while on the back, as the face is turned upward, the beginner, especially in the case of a nervous person, gains confidence from the very fact that he is not constantly looking into the water. And also, in contradistinction to all other strokes in swimming, the arms and legs move together—both arms and legs performing practically the same movements at the same time.

Thus the pupil, realizing the comparative easiness and the absence of any difficulty in, having mastered this stroke, is imbued with such confidence that it becomes simply a matter of time and practise to acquire all other forms of swimming that he may wish to learn.

FIGURE 1FIGURE 1

The first thing I do with a beginner, after he or she has donned a bathing suit (a suit in one piece is preferable, as it will not interferewith breathing) is to get the pupil to lie on the back, at full length on the marble, with the heels together, the toes out, the hands at the side of the body. Placing myself back of the pupil's head, the hands are drawn, with the fingers bent, up along the body till they touch the shoulders (Fig. 1), the elbows being well turned out. Then the arms are straightened out horizontally from the shoulder, the palms of the hand down (Fig. 2). Then the arms, being rigid, are brought down sharply to the side of the body (Fig. 3). These movementsshould be repeated several times until the pupil gets accustomed to them.

FIGURE 2FIGURE 2

Next the leg movements are shown. The heels are drawn up toward the body as far as possible with the knees well turned out (Fig. 4); the pupil then kicks the legs apart as far as possible, the toes being pointed out straight (Fig. 5). Next the pupil brings the legs sharply together until the heels touch, the toes being turned out (Fig. 6). After these movements have been repeated several times the pupil can try the arm and leg movements together. The arms and legs are drawn up together as in Figs. 1 and 4, then the pupil straightens out the arms and legs, as in Figs. 2 and 5, finishing the stroke by bringing the arms and legs sharply together, as in Figs. 3 and 6.

FIGURE 3FIGURE 3

When these movements have been mastered by the pupil, I take him or her into the water, waist deep, putting one hand under the back, the other under the chin, forcing the pupil backward until the ears are under the water, then bringing the pupil's hands to the sides, and slowly starting the movements. After the arm movements are mastered, I take up theleg movements, care being taken that the knees do not come out of the water.

FIGURE 4FIGURE 4

To teach pupils how to regain their feet, I show them how to bend forward from the waist until the face is under water, then the pupil will find his or her feet slowly sinking; when the toes touch the bottom the head can be raised out of the water.

To accustom pupils to the water I teach them to open the eyes and mouth under water. This is much simpler than non-swimmers imagine. Care is taken not to open the eyes too wide. At the first few attempts the pupilwill feel amazed, on opening the eyes the first time, at the distance of the vision under water. This is a very good thing to know, and helps beginners to overcome fear of water.

FIGURE 5FIGURE 5

To teach pupils to open the mouth under water I place a rubber ring six inches from the surface and have the pupil bring it to the surface with the teeth. By being careful not to attempt to breathe while under water, the mouth may be opened to any extent without the least danger of swallowing water.

It is wonderful the amount of confidence instilled in a novice on realizing his ability toopen the eyes and keep the mouth open under water.

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