A YARN FOR SEAMEN.
To those who have ever been at sea for any length of time, it is almost entirely unnecessary to advance anything to show the immense advantage of a knowledge of the art of swimming.
So fully has this fact been recognized by the maritime powers, that one of the first qualifications for • employment in the Marine Service is a knowledge of swimming.
The curriculum of all training ships includes instruction in this valuable accomplishment. The wisdom of this arrangerrient is fully demonstrated by the following incident : When H. M. training' ship Goliath, took fire a few years ago, and was burned to the water's edge, not a soul was lost, although ther? were on board at the time between four' and five hundred boys ; all swam safely to shore. The loss of life, under these trying circum stances, must have been great were it not for the training the boys had received in the art of swimming further comment is unnecessary.
The many and frequent disasters on our lakes, rivers, and sea coasts fully demonstrate the necessity there exists for our sailors be ing taught to swim. Beyond all doubt a great many of the valuable lives sacrificed in past years by these calamities might have been saved had the crews of the ill-fated vessels been taught swimming, even in a moderate degree. These remarks apply not only to the navigating portion of the crews of vessels, steamers, etc., but also to
engineers, firemen, stewards and others, composing the ship's company. The great number of officers and seamen who possess the medals of the Royal Humane Society and other decorations for bravery in saving life from drowning, fully demonstrate the immense value of the art to those who follow the sea as a profession. There can hardly be any decoration that a man could receive more honorable than those con ferred for saving life.
Among the naval officers who have won deserved honor for bravery in saving life, the name of Captain Lord Charles Beresford, R.N., stands pre-eminent. On two occasions he gallantly plunged overboard and rescued two seamen, for which he received the bronze medal and clasp of the Royal Humane Society, and the silver medal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution.
Ensign Lovell K. Reynolds, U.S.N., has also distinguished him self in the saving of life from drowning. While on board the U. S. frigate Constellation he rescued a crew of twelve men belonging to the Austrian barque Oliva under circumstances of considerable danger, for which he received a gold life-saving medal of the first class, the Massachusetts Humane Society's gold medal, gold medal from the Benevolent Life-Saving Association of New York, and an Austrian Imperial decoration.