This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 Excerpt: ...need go deeper than three or four feet into the water, and no longer time than a very few seconds need elapse between the entry into the water and the re-appearance on the surface. The rules as just given apply to all kinds of high diving--headers, and running headers; with the latter the probability is a deeper dive. ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 Excerpt: ...need go deeper than three or four feet into the water, and no longer time than a very few seconds need elapse between the entry into the water and the re-appearance on the surface. The rules as just given apply to all kinds of high diving--headers, and running headers; with the latter the probability is a deeper dive. In jumping from great heights, such as from the yards of a ship, one should be particularly careful to spring off at the angle downward instead of springing outward, and care must be taken not to let the angle of the body be altered by the wind that may be blowing at the time, or by any sudden hitch as the jump is made, or an ugly and sometimes dangerous smack on the surface may be the result. We have seen very few such accidents happen, still the fact remains that they do sometimes occur, and a little self-pot. ession and prudence may make them still less numerous than they have been. Jumping into water feet first, no matter from what height, is a meaningless, stupid, and cowardly performance. Unless to pick up an object that may be almost directly under the spot from where the spring is to be made, it is of no real use. It is neither elegant, useful, nor graceful, and is indulged in, as a rule, by those who lack the courage to go off head first. Breath is life; without a regular and plentiful supply of fresh air the lungs and heart become charged with blood that is full of carbonic acid, and instead of life sustaining fluid being in these important organs, they are actually being poisoned by the presence of the carbonic acid, and the absence of oxygen. If this state of matters continues for any length of time, the heart's action ceases, and everyone knows what follows. It might be as well at this juncture to explain that, in order to make th...
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