The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-04 00:00:00

THE LIFE-SAVING! APPARATUS.

The experiment of the life-saving apparatus, which
took place on the Thames at Cremorne, seems to have been
completely successful. It is thus described. The appa-
ratus is intended for the rescue of shipwrecked persons.
The inventor is Captain J. B. Stonor, of New York,
ft gentleman of independent fortune, who served through.
out the great civil war. Two Americans—a gentleman
and his wife—have been commissioned to explain
the nature of the apparatus ; and the way in
which they are obliged to do so is certainly novel and in-
teresting. They first slip their arms through cork jackets
and then insert their persons in a loose indiarubber over-
coat, which covers the whole of the body, except the
:ands and face, around which it is tightly secured. India-
rubber weights are then attached to the shoes, so as to en-
a'ile the wearers to maintain a perpendicular position and
perfect equilibrium, and being thus equipped they jump
into the water. They carry with them a tin case, in shape
somewhat like a buoy. This article is divided into two
compartments, and in the upper one they manage to
pack biscuits, a flask of brandy, a revolver, Bengal
lights, Boman candles, and some Liebig's sausages.
Smoking and newspaper reading are not luxuries
which a shipwrecked individual would probably enjoy
in a "life en the ocean wave ;" but American originality
provides for them, and adds cigars and a newspaper to
the tiny freight. The lower compartment of the case
contains about six quarts of water, which is drunk through
an india-rubber tube, closed by a metal screw top. The
provisions which are thus carried are supposed to last
eight days, and if a shipwrecked person should fail to be
rescued before the end of that time, he has the consola-
tion, when dying, of knowing that his body cannot sink,
that his will, papers, and jewellery are safe, and that his
friends will know how he quitted the world. The inven-
tion has been patented by an American company with
a capital of 000,000 dollars, and the price fixed for each
suit is 5:7. The public will not have an opportunity of
investing in the apparatus for some months, inasmuch as
a series of experiments in most European countries are
contemplated, with the view of testing the success with
which the invention is likely to be attended. Mr. and
Mrs Craddock, the two Americans, remained in the river
nearly half an hour on Thursday evening, and shewed
very little exertion beyond what was required in using
little india-rubber paddles which form part of the
apparatus. The eXperiment was conducted under
considerable difficulty, Mrs. and Mrs. Craddock
being prevented from moving in the water by
the clustering of the heats, whose occupants were
deaf to earnest protestations. They both opened the
buoy-shaped case, helped themselves to some of the con-
tents, fired a revolver, and exhibited lights, and a red flag
bearing the word "Eureka." The time occupied in don-
ning the dress is three minutes and a half. Captain
Stoner hopes to provide all passenger ships with these
extraordinary dresses, being ready to lend them for El
each for every voyage, and to provide each ship with a
man capable of explaining their utility.