The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-28 00:00:00

Rewards to Lifeboats' Crews•

With " revolving years " the seasons of storm
again and again occur, and each season brings more
and more prominently into view " the lifeboat and
its work," whilst each seems to demand for that
work a greater and greater amount of public sym-
pathy and support. All honour to those brave
fellows who imperil their lives in its performance !
All honour to those whose philanthropy and libe-
rality provide them with the means and the en-
couragement that enable them to execute this good
work !

That the bold spirit of our hardy seacoast men
will always be ready to undertake their share of this
noble service, and that the warm blood of English
men and women will ever stir their hearts to aid
and encourage those generous men, are now settled
points. As, however, the proudest and strongest
barque may drift into danger if not controlled and
navigated with consummate skill, so the best and
bravest of human undertakings may fail to success-
fully effect its aim unless guided with judgment
and care, as well as directed with energy and zeal.
We, therefore, in these few remarks on the treat-
ment of our lifeboat men, propose to indicate two
dangers which " lie ahead," or rather, to use per-
haps a more correct metaphor, which bound on
either side the channel through which our noble
barque must steer.
The one of these dangers is palpable enough,
but the other, lying beneath the surface, like the
sunken rock, calls all the more for the watchful
pilot's care. Each danger is of a double kind ; but,
emerging from our metaphor, we will at once
plainly state the actual dangers to which we
allude. They have sole reference to the degrees of
pecuniary remuneration, and of the credit or blame
that are bestowed on the crews of lifeboats, in re-
turn for the important services which, frequently at
imminent risk to their own lives, they perform in
the interest of their fellow-creatures.

Now, at first thought, it may not unnaturally be
felt that the danger can only here lie on one side,
and that it would be impossible to over-estimate or
over-remunerate such services for what higher
act can a man perform than to risk his life to save
that of another ? It is, however, precisely because
we estimate at their highest value the splendid, the
heroic services of many .of our lifeboats' crews, that
we desire to eliminate from them, so far as possible,
the dross of mercenary motive, and to hold forth
to the men, as far possible, the pure unalloyed
gold of disinterestedness and self-devotion, that we
include amongst the dangers to be avoided the
bestowal of an indiscriminate or exaggerated amount
of award, either of a pecuniary or laudatory nature.
The subject, however, requires delicate handling. ,

We will firs t consider the question of pecuniary
payments. Before the National Lifeboat Institu-
tion seriously undertook the work of surrounding
the coasts of our country with lifeboats, and super-
intending their future management, it was a corn-
complaint amongst the seacoast boatmen, that
nthlc'el; met with no encouragement from other classes
to induce them to risk their lives in endeavouring
to save those of shipwrecked sailors. A uniform
scale of payment was, however, then established by
the institution for its lifeboats' crews, viz., 10s. per
man for each occasion of proceeding to the aid of
a wrecked crew in the daytime, and each by
night; double or even four-fold payments being
given for extraordinary services.
Without wishing these payments to be looked on
as equivalents to serious risk of life, itwasconsidered,
due regard being had to the safe qualities of the life_
boats, that they were sufficient to act as an encou-
ragement without being enough to establish a mer-
cenary motive, in lieu of the more honourable and
more noble one of a desire to save the life of a fel-

low-creature.
As a general rule, therefore, we consider that this

scale of payment should be adhered to, and that it
is only in cases of •a very extraordinary character
that it should be departed from. We will illustrate
our view by a case. Some years ago a very credit-
able and daring service was performed by the crew
of a lifeboat on the English coast by rescuing the
crew of an American ship. A genttman who hap-
pened to be on a visit to the place ai the time wrote
an enthusiastic letter to a leading ;ournal, appeal-
ing to the public to subscribe for the reward of the
lifeboat's crew, which appeal was so liberally re-
sponded to that a considerable amoint was contri-.
buted. The matter was then takenup by the Ame-
rican Consul, who, thinking that his own country-
men were bound in honour to coitribute as much
as the English public, appealed to ;hem in the same
cause, and the result was that the ;wo appeals pro-
duced a very large sum, amountin; to several hun-
dred pounds, and this money was divided amongst
the few men who manned the boat

Now, we should be sorry to fudge any poor,
hard-working man such a windfe ; but there are
important interests involved in tie issue. In the
first place, as will be evident to'most persons, so
magnificent a reward would in sinilar cases, as it
was in this case, be dependent of the accident of
there being an enthusiastic correspondent on the spot
ready to plead in behalf of the lif&oat's crew ; and
therefore other lifeboat men, at otkr places, might at
about the same time, as happend in this instance,
perform equally meritorious serlices, yet receive
only the ordinary scale of payment is above described.
The result might therefore be to cluse discontent, or
at least disappointment and a sense of neglect,
amongst less fortunate boatmen elsewhere, whilst
it would probably also induce them to depreciate
the payments made them on othr occasions. But
the worst result of all would, pelaps, in most cases
be to increase the mercenary feetag.

On the other hand, however, here are cases of i
so extraordinary a character thalsome special mark
of approbation or admiration is tailed for in addi-
tion to that rewarded by the insitution on its usual
scale, and in such cases a local cintribution may be
appropriately and beneficially reorted to. We shall
again illustrate this view with aease.
At daylight on the morningof the 20th October
last, the wind blowing strongfrom N.N.E., with a
heavy ground sea, a vessel wts observed on shore
on the western spit of Hayleßar, from three to four
miles distant from St. Ives. The sea was making
a complete breach over her, Ind the crew were sup-
posed to be in the rigging The St. Ives lifeboat
of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was at
once launched. In crossing the bar with the drogue
or drag-bag in tow, which carried her safely over
two heavy surfs, a tremendous see. broke over the
stern, and the drogue-rope. breaking from the im-
mense strain on it, she flew before the crest of the
surf in almost a perpendicular pcdtion, and run-
ning her bow under water broachel to and upset.
She soon, however, righted, and 41, managed to get
on board. Two oars, grapnel, aechor, and rope
were lost, and two crutches broker.. Rowing four
oars only, the crew contrived to get her under the
lee of the vessel, which was the Finch brig Provi-
dence, of Granville, 98 tons mister, Captain
Challit, from Cardiff for Dieppe with 138 tons
of coal. With a heavy sea and strong under-
current, however, they found it inpossible to get
alongside. Nearly an hour passel in signalling
to the French crew to send a rope by means of
a spar or raft ; when this at last vas done, the cox-
swain signalled to haul on board he life-buoy, in-
tending to take the men off through the water, but
he could not make himself understood. Two of the
crew now endeavoured to reach the lifeboat Lby
means of the connecting rope ; ()novas being drag-
ged on board and the other was witin four or five
yards, when a fearful sea broke on the broadside of
the boat and upset her a second tinY. She righted
instantly, but the poor fellow who fas on the rope
lost his hold, and was never seen agiin. The other
held fast to the boat, and the crev once more got
into her without accident. The comPunication with
the vessel had not been broken, at(' the lifeboat
again hauled up as near as possibb to her. The
captain and remaining two men thet took to their
boat, when the second wave capsized hem. Through
a fearful sea the lifeboat was hastily hauled ahead,
and the three men were most fortunately picked up.
The crew of the lifeboat landed at 'Lyle thoroughly
exhausted. A more heroic service has, perhaps,
never been rendered by any boat. Is admiration
of it a local contribution was raised to present a
suitable acknowledgment of their brtvery and en-
durance to the lifeboat's crew, in 4dition to the
fourfold reward of the Lifeboat Intitulion. The
amount collected exceeded £lOO, givag to each man
between £l2 and £l3, and we feeliure that none
will be found to say that it was not
ell deserved.
Apart, however, from the pecuni
y questiim, is
the ideal one—that of praise or bile-
; and unless
. they possess the most sordid mind
in whose eyes
gold is the embodiment of all goo
who is there
amongst us that is uninfluenced by, indifferent to,
. thegood opinion of his fellow-men? tto the really
. valued, praise must not be exaggerat ,or it will run
risk of being despised, even by th who are the
recipients of it, yet who know it t be more than
they are entitled to. Excessive pr and admira-
-1 tion, therefore, and the honorary a rds of medals
and votes of thanks, should also le reserved for
L cases of a striking and exceptional diaracter, when
great courage, determination, or hdurance have
been displayed.
I On the other hand, however, grey mischief may

be done, and much pain inflicted, hj hastily attach-
ing blame to men who may have exited themselves
'to the utmost of their power to savejhc lives of their
fellow-creatures, yet who have bqn unsuccessful.
For what can be more galling, or Inge likely to in-
duce a man to decline engaging iniso hazardous a
work as the going to a wreck throu& a raging surf,
than upbraiding him with cowardig or inefficiency,
when he may know himself to havedone all that it
was possible to do. When his se4ices are again
craved by the drowning men in tie stranded or
foundering ship, while the weeping wife and little
ones are perhaps likewise appealing lo him to remain
at home,—if he be then reminded 4 the bitterness
of spirit with which he heard his lad brave but un-
successful efforts depreciated, and himself reviled
by those who had safely watched them from the
shore, can we, or ought we, to feel surprised if that
reflection should throw its weight inta.the scale, and
he should leave to others the task wkch his manhood
would otherwise have prompted hik to perform.
Yet such injudicious and unfeeling conduct is not
uncommon on the part of, it may be, well-meaning
persons ; but who never having had their foot in a
lifeboat in a heavy surf, and being quite ignorant
of the terrific force with which it Will often break
over and overwhelm both boat and crew, expect
impossibilities, and make themselves judges in the
case.

We beg to remind all such, that under some cir-
cumstances of wind and sea combined human
strength is not sufficient to force any boat ahead,
whilst never has - a boat been built, and probably
never will be, that would not also be liable, under
some circumstances, to-upset.
We will relate one case amongst others which
during the present winter have given rise to animad-
version on lifeboats' crews because their gallant ef-
forts have not been crowned with success, and which
case will not only serve to illustrate our subject,
but will, we trust, induce anyone who may read it
to withhold a hasty judgment in any such case
should they have the pain to witness one.
At about half-past seven p.m., on the 23rd of
November last, a vessel was seen in distress at the
north ride of Blackpool. The lifeboat of the Na-
tional Lifeboat Institution was conveyed with all
expedition opposite the scene of danger, and in a
few minutes was launched into a raging sea. So
strong a surf had the crew to encounter, that the
lifeboat filled three times in succession, and was
with difficulty forced ahead against the wind and
waves. After hard pulling she was got within a
hundred' and fifty yards of the perishing ship, but
at this point so complete a gale set in for half an
hour, that three races of sea broke over the men
and smashed four of their oars. The lifeboat was
w
t
itt
igaenadydi
again,
then backed into shallow water, and rowed up to
could
oa
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penned ship, but found it utterly impossible to
make advance against the heavy head sea that
was rolling, and which for two hours and a half
had been filling their boat as they boldly fought with
the waves. The crew being then exhausted, and
seeing all their efforts to be futile, came ashore. No
sooner had they done so than the vessel capsized
and broke to pieces ; one side of her was washed up,
and the cries of struggling sailors were distinctly
heard. The lifeboat was again put to sea in the hope
of picking up men that might be on rafts, or other-
wise trying to escape, but nothing living could be
found. It was now nearly midnight,. and the life-
boat had become locked between two cliffs on the
beach, from which position she was unable to get
away without damage until six o'clock on the fol-
lowing morning. All the crew of the ill-fated ship
were lost. The vessel was the brig Favourite, of
Liverpool. She was loaded with palm-oil and seeds,
and had a crew of 10 men. The wreck was about
a mile from shore. In expression of approval of
their exertions, although unsuccessful, the institu-
tion paid the crew of the lifeboat, 13 in number, a
double reward of £26, or £2 each.