Chicago Women Who Swim

1901

The white marble swimming pool of the Chicago Woman's Athletic club is one of the most largely patronized places in that town now that warm weather is approaching. During the morning hours the bath is in constant use, and here may be seen many of the leaders of Chicago's swell set, arrayed in gorgeous spring style bathing gowns, doing aquatic "stunts" copied from the mermaids. The most skillful of all these fair swimmers is Miss Stella Amick, the swimming instructor. At some time during every morning the women pupils all sit around the edge of the pool with their feet hanging in the water and watch Miss Amick while she performs tricks which would make even the fishes stare, if there were any there.

Among her accomplishments is her ability to float on her side, which, it is said, not one person in a hundred can do. She can entirely submerge herself and walk on the bottom of the pool One of her diving specialties is called the sea lion," because, instead of pointing her hands over her head in the usual manner, she keeps her arms the side. And when it comes to somersault in the water she can outdo even the small boy on terra firma. Among her more humorous performances is her imitation of a starfish, when her arms and legs revolve in rapid succession about her body, and her imitation of a bicycle scorcher, only the head in strained position being out of the water, while the pedaling motions are made by climbing, as were, through the water.