54 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



POSITION AND STEOKE IN SWIMMING. 



Br EICHAED LAMB, C. E. 



PERHAPS there has been no science at least none of equal im- 

 portance that has been less developed theoretically than swim- 

 ming. The essay of Franklin upon the subject, although an answer to 

 the inquiry of " how to swim," is merely an article with advice as to 

 when and how long to bathe, and the narration of anecdotes of his 

 experience in swimming. In the literature of the subject we fail to 

 find any practical directions that could assist a novice in learning to 

 swim ; for this reason we propose briefly to analyze one or two im- 

 portant points, which, if put into practice, will make it an easy matter 

 to acquire the art. 



It has been the writer's experience, in teaching beginners, that the 

 great difficulty lies, not in the inability on the part of the scholars to 

 master the correct stroke, but in the fact that while using the correct 

 stroke, for a certain reason, they find it difficult to keep their heads 

 above watei\ Some of the scholars did not lack in determination or 

 bravery, and yet their efforts were fruitless. They would apply the 

 correct stroke with great force, and yet eventually their heads would 

 sink. Finally, the complaint of one of the scholars, to the effect that 

 the effort seemed to tire the neck more than any other part of the 

 body, led to a contemplation of the cause of the fact. 



While investigating the facts in the case, it was observed that a 

 beginner throws himself upon the water in a stiff and straight posi- 

 tion, not allowing the body or back to bend at all, but merely bending 

 the neck. He kicks his legs in a vertical direction, tending to raise 

 the back to the surface of the w r ater, and thus places himself in a posi- 

 tion parallel to the line of the surface. It is easily seen that he must 

 bend his neck nearly perpendicular to this line of direction in order to 

 keep his head above water (see Fig. 1). We have merely to try this 



Fig. 1. 



position on land, to experience its difficulty and disagrecableness. The 

 muscles of the throat are greatly strained, while the air-tube is nearly 

 closed, causing difficult respiration. 



It is not to be wondered at that the learner soon relaxes this un- 

 natural position of the head, and gives up the effort to keep his face 



