The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-01-20
LiFe-SAVlNG SOCIETIES.

LiFeSAVlNG SOCIETIES.
Many a household where these word, will go
haye fathers, brothers, sons. husbands or lovers
ont ON the wintry sea- and world imporngy ask
of any who can answer hAck-whAt measures
what means Of safety. Ia, government society or
humanity adopted to save those loved ones from
the peri- of the fearful storms that beat upon our
shores We arc indebted to Hon. David Sears, of
Boston. who is one of the Trustees of the Ma>>a-
eluSett, HUMANE SOCIETY. for Late publications
OF that society, showing what has been. and is do
ing to save life endangered by shipwreck, not on
" on our own. but European coasts also.
Thi- Society dates back 10 1871; it, act Of incor-
r5~ation Is signed by John Hancock, of revou-
,ionary memorv and it is probably the oldest So
clcty III the kind in the world.
~ the subject may be somewhat new to many OF
cur readers. We will name some OF the methods
aui machinery by which life j attempted 10 be
saved amidst the peril, of >hipwreck.
In the first place these humane societies, whose
funds come chiefly from the free-will offerings Of
lArs,-he4rtcl citizens, offer handsome rewards
sometimes in money at other times by diplomas
signed hv the officers OF the >ocicty-'' TO any per-
son who shall by signal eNeriou or peril save
another from DEATH.
ln the next place A. 10 the means employed.
rl..Se consist chiefly Of TWO kinds of machinery
.if--B,at>. mortar, ami rockets
in. constructing these Iifr-boats no expense is
>.art4l ta make th-m in>ubmursabe, self-rightins
tnI n!.i, 4luipptd with every known means for
making them perfect As Life-boat>: are usually %
to 40 feet long. \ first class English Life-boat.
with hoat-hou,e, and carriage 10 mount it, costs
s2,7o0 in gold In this country they are made
much lighter and cheaper, il not as effective. When
vessels are discovered to be in danger these boats
are manned 10y strong and brave men-wOmen to
their honor sometimes achieve much by their noble
daring in the hu,ineSs-pu ont into the tcarfullc>t
storms and gathered home noble harvests of hui
man life. Sometimes from too shrllow water. or
the erritii iarcenPs of the storms these boats are
poWereSs then You must look on and see human
beings perish all una>~i>tel, or try other means.
which are Mortars and Rockets.
These differ in use mostly a> the distance of the
stranded vessel from the shore makes the one pref
cradle 10 the other. When the distance is great
heavy projeetile like that from the mortar, is re-
Quired This proectile TO which some rigging is
attached, ben. fired towards and over the vessel,
often causes the lines TO light down on the wreck,
by which means many a shpwrecked man, other
wise doomed to certain death. has swung himself
ashore and to life and friends. In precisely the
some way the rockets operate in more favorable
eases. These projectle> are frequently shot: some
time, arrows.
Having thus briefly named of the means
employed in this noble work, let Us see where and
io what extend they used The report before
us SAYS
There are belonging to the Society 65 boats,
and a number # tDrlpS and huts of rpfI1rn
cral Of the boat-house, art also fitted up houses
or refuge, and furnished With hunks, and sup
piled With materials for making fire.
There are ten mortar stations at Rockport, Cane
Anl Deer Island Bosto on Harbor; Stony Beach,
IiuA: NIanomet oint. South Plymouth; Peaked
Hill Bars Newcomb's Hollow, Cape Cod Nalsctt
Harbor, Chatham; Nantucket, Squihnoket Mar
thA's Vineyard; making altogether about eighty
stations on the coast of the State. The utility of
these means for saving life has been frequently
demon-tratcd many honored and pecunary re-
wards have been given, considerable money has
been expended in printing and circulating direc-
tions for reSuScitating drowned persons. accom-
panied by wood-tuts, illustrating the manner of
handling the body
The available funds of the Society amount to
SOL 42S the income of which is totally insufficient
to carry on the great work begun. and much more
50 for extending other similar works along our
shores.
The Royal National Life-boat Institution of Eng
land, established in 1924 and kept up through the
patronage of Queen Victoria and many of the no.
bility. has 900 Life-boats and 274 Mortar and
Rocket stations. In 1865, 603 persons were saved
out of 100 wrecked vessels on the coasts of the
British Isles, and rewards We're granted to fishing
boats and others for saving go more nearly 100
persons perished from known casualties. Sin ce
1924, u, $40 have been saved under its auspices.
These grand results are largely due to the ample
funds of the Society, chiefly contributed rs 'Spec
lal ellis" BY kind and generous ladies ;an example
We would earnestly recommend to our American
fair as far better and more accordant with the
teachings of Him, who went about doing good
than endowing theological scmnaries where dog
and ereeds more than humanity is the good
sought,
In France this work is only few years old She
has o. stations for boats and IS for communicating
with stranded vessels; costing S1S00O0. Here the
ladies take an active part as in England.
Germany, Holland and Denmark,-cach has
new Society of this sort, and each is doing about
the kind and amount of work rs stated of France