Chatham (^9 Blanketeer
Vol. 5 JULY 23, 1938 No. 5
Maybe She’s Obeying Her Mother
This young lady may have asked her mother if she could go
out to swim and received instructions to hang her clothes on a
hickory limb, but not go in the water. Anyway, it looks like a
nice cool spot, what with all the hot weather of the past several
weeks.
more than 7,000
DROWN YEARLY
Everyone Should Learn to Swim
and to Observe Safety Buies
of Swimming
It must have been a heart
breaking feeling, standing there
on the string piece—helplessly—
watching for Joe to come up
again.
No one saw Joe go down for
the first time. Only a shriek of
stark terror. Harry heard it.
Running over to the edge - of the
pier he saw Joe on his back—
arms and legs thrashing around
like a sea serpent. His gurgling,
frantic screams froze Harry to
the spot. Then he disappeared
below the surface of the water
once more. A hundred yards
down river two men had put out
in a dory. Harry’s eyes were
glued desperately upon a small
patch of water. Centuries passed
in those few seconds! Harry lived
the agony that was Joe’s. Cursed
himself for never having learned
to swim. Wondered what he’d
tell Joe’s family.
Harry was jolted back to his
senses by a shout from the boat
for directions. A few more
strong pulls on the oars and the
boat was in position for one of
the men to dive in to the spot
where Harry was pointing. Harry
Waited long enough to see res
cuer and victim rise to the sur
face, then he raced ashore to
Phone for help.
When he returned, the two men
had got Joe on the pier. One of
them, astraddle Joe’s motionless
form, had begun artificial respir
ation. “Out goes the bad air—in
Comes the good,” the man kept
saying. Swinging slowly for
ward, then back, the rhythm was
kept up steadily for more than
an hour without interruption—
hot even when they changed op
erators after help came. Finally
there was a flicker of Joe’s eyes.
He stirred. They had pumped
the breath of life into Joe’s feeble
body.
Over 7,000 people are drowned
in the United States every year.
Many would still be alive if they
had been able to swim, or if per
sons nearby had been able to
swim and effect rescues. The
niere ability to swim, however, is
not always sufficient to save the
life of a drowning person; some
times the efforts of an inexpert
rescuer result in two drownings
instead of one, for a drowning
person is frequently extremely
difficult to handle. It is impor
tant that everyone should swim
well enough to save his own life
by obeying the safety rules of
.swimming.
Everyone can and should learn
the prone-pressure method of ar
tificial respiration even if he
can’t swim. This is the method
of restoring breathing to a per
son rescued from drowning. It
is important to know since this
method is also used in reviving
victims of electric shock or gas
poisoning where breathing has
stopped. Countless lives are
saved by promptly beginning ar
tificial respiration. Countless
other lives are lost because of not
knowing how to apply artificial
respiration. Seconds count in
drownings.
Probably three-quarters of the
deaths from drowing each year
occur while in swimming, or play
ing or working in the water.
More than half of the deaths
from drowning happen during the
summer months. Fortunately
there has been a gradual decline
in such deaths over a period of
years. When each of us learns
how to swim and how to assist in
water accident rescues they will
decline even further.
DON’T OVER DO
YOUR VACATION
Recreation Is Desirable, But Rest
and Relaxation Are Also
Necessary to You
The important thing to re
member is: Don’t overdo it. We’ve
all seen the victims of too much
vacation. Recreation is desirable
but rest and relaxation are also
necessary.
Vacation trips take people to
unfamiliar surroundings where
hazards are different but no less
serious than those of city streets.
Here are a few points to re
member :
1. Be sure your car is in con
dition for the road.
2. Take your time. The vaca
tion won’t be a success unless
you get there and back safely.
3. Avoid long hours at the
wheel. Fatigue not only offsets
the benefits of vacation but
makes it difficult to concentrate
on driving.
4. Camping out? Then watch
out for natural hazards—insects,
poisonous plants, snakes — and
farm animals, too.
5. Even sparkling water is
often unfit to drink. A vacuum
filled with water of known purity
is a desirable addition to touring
equipment.
6. Eat good food, and don’t
bolt it. Don’t be an eat and run
driver.
7. Be sure your camp fire is
out before leaving it.
8. Get your exercise gradual
ly. Overdoing it at the start
may wreck the vacation.
9. When in a boat be satisfied
with the seat you have chosen.
10. Never swim alone. If you
are not an expert swimmer, avoid
deep water and unsupervised
beaches.
11. Learn something about
first aid and the prone pressure
method of resuscitation before
vacation time.
12. A coat of tan is something
to be acquired gradually. A sun
burn is often a dangerous burn,
particularly when it covers a
large area of skin.
13. Get plenty of sleep. Late
sessions of bridge take away the
beneficial effects of days spent in
the open.
What appears to be an “oasis”
n the mind of a boy when he
“quituates” from school is a
“desert”, and instead of his path
way being strewn with roses, it
will be hedged with thorns and
thistles.